#loiza

Igbo people are present in Puerto Rico as part of the Afro-Puerto Rican population, meaning they are descendants of enslaved Africans brought to the island during the Spanish colonial period, with a significant portion of those enslaved Africans belonging to the Igbo tribe from Nigeria; alongside other West African ethnicities like the Yoruba, they contributed significantly to the island's culture and heritage. 

Key points about Igbo in Puerto Rico:

Slave trade origins:The majority of enslaved Africans brought to Puerto Rico were from West Africa, including a large number of Igbo people from Nigeria. 

Cultural influence:Igbo culture, like other African cultures, left a mark on Puerto Rican traditions, including music (like Bomba), food, and language. 

Loíza as a center:The town of Loíza in Puerto Rico is considered a hub of Afro-Puerto Rican culture, with a high concentration of people of Igbo and other West African descent. 

In 1719 the Spanish crown granted land on the north coast of Puerto Rico to free and freed Africans. The town they built was called Loíza. For 300 years the empire pretended Loíza wasn't there. Bomba was born here. The barril de bomba — now the national instrument of Puerto Rico by Law 154 of 2003 — came out of Loíza. The Fiestas de Santiago Apóstol, the oldest Afro-Boricua festival in the Caribbean, has run there for over three centuries. We are Spanish. We are Taíno. And we are African.

El Batey de los Hermanos Ayala, Loiza, Puerto Rico

Daniel Lind Ramos

Loiza Chen • "Onmyuji/玉藻前"

RIOT Legends of Runeterr Concept Art Team Leader

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