Chachi
Chachi is a South American Indian people who live in the northern jungle of the Ecuadorian province of Esmeraldas . They are also sometimes called Cayapa (s) , after the nearby river Río Cayapas . Their language is called Cha'palaachi and is closely related to the Tsafiki of the Tsáchila .
The Chachi mostly live in villages along the river, sometimes with Afro-Ecuadorians , descendants of African slaves , but without interfering with them. Their lifestyle is no longer as traditional as it used to be, but they keep some of their old cultural assets for tourists , who go on relatively numerous jungle excursions in this area and like to attend ceremonies , sleep in Indian huts or buy local handicrafts.
The Chachi have taken over the marimba playing from the Afro-Ecuadorians in the area and created their own tunes.