"Love in Amorfinos" is relevant for Music Entertainment because it challenges the status quo to break down barriers in Ecuadorian society through music.

By creating Amorfinos specifically for LGBTIQ+ couples, reflecting their insights, behaviors, and emotions, Xtrim transformed a century-old tradition and opened it up to a previously excluded audience. This allowed them to participate in and celebrate this cultural heritage in a way that was previously not possible.

The project's incredible impact on the national music charts and inclusion in the Museum of Ecuadorian Traditional Music solidifies its place in the country's cultural heritage, further emphasizing it's meaning.

Xtrim is a production studio for new ecuadorian artists focused on promoting national talent and music, as well as increasing the cultural relevance and value of Ecuador's music industry.

As we explored traditional national music styles, amorfinos - romantic songs sung as a dialogue between a man and a woman who wish to fall in love - stood out from the rest, because of its original way of portraying ecuadorian rural lifestyle, poetical richness and nationwide popularity.

However and despite being super popular, teached in every school and considered an intangible cultural heritage of Ecuador, amorfinos had a weakness: they were always sung between a man and a woman, limiting its inclusivity.

We recognized the need to respond to the current social and cultural moment by making this tradition more inclusive and relevant to all audiences, reflecting the insights, behaviors, and emotions of those who were excluded from Amorfinos.

While amorfinos stand out for their artistic richness and how they show the culture and traditions of the Ecuadorian coastal towns, (whose people expose their deepest emotions through these songs), it was evident that they were limited by the heteronormative rules that marked the behaviors of the time of their creation over a century ago. Times have changed, but amorfinos had not.

We knew that we had to maintain the essence of amorfinos, so we worked closely with a professional amorfino composer that kept their structure as a conversation filled with metaphors of rural nature, and with members of the LGBTQ+ community to gain insight into their unique perspectives on relationships and love expressions, using their insights as a foundation for our new verses.

By prioritizing audience insight and community building, we knew we could create amorfinos that resonated with people from all walks of life.

"Love in Amorfinos": the first amorfinos for LGBTQ+ couples, that broke the limitations from regular amorfinos, showcasing for the first time ever the emotions and difficulties faced by same-sex couples in a society that discriminates against them.

Using the insights from our research phase we wrote verses about how same-sex couple love it's love in the end, all this while preserving the comparisons with natural elements and dialogues typical of classic amorfinos. Therefore mixing perfectly the old and new insights and behaviours to accurately narrate the powerful emotions felt by these couples.

By directly addressing the need for inclusivity and diversity in traditional Ecuadorian music, our creative insight inspired the amplification of the brand message, promoting national talent and increasing the cultural relevance and value of Ecuador's music industry.

By working with the renowned Ecuadorian band "Manchecaña" (specialized in traditional and tropical styles), we composed and released "Two Moons" and "Oaks,": amorfinos crafted for same-sex couples and the only ones to have LGBTQ+ partners as performers.

Love in Amorfinos premiered on February, the "Month of love", during Valentine's Day on Xtrim's audio platform, national radio stations, YouTube and the brand's social media pages. Influencers also shared the songs.

We also performed live shows in major cities like Guayaquil and also small towns along the coast, where amorfinos are an essential part of the culture, aiming to showcase the beauty and richness of Ecuadorian culture, while spreading the message of inclusivity and love for all.

Finally, we conducted interviews on radio stations to explain how amorfinos could be adapted to our current context and be accessible to everyone, promoting our brand message of inclusivity and diversity in Ecuador's music industry.

With "Love in Amorfinos," Xtrim how traditional music can adapt to new contexts and drive social and cultural change, while making an impact on the Ecuadorian music scene.

The project received acclaim from both the LGBTQ+ community and broader audiences, generating over $4 million in free press, amplifying awareness of the need to include new insights and behaviours in traditions, to open them up to new audiences.

The songs were highly requested on national radio stations and proved popular across social media and our music streaming service, reaching the 3rd spot on the national music charts in February. Additionally, over 5000 TikTok duets were created, further showcasing the reach and impact of our project.

"Love in Amorfinos" represented a significant cultural milestone, as our songs are the only LGBTQ+ compositions to be included in the Museum of Ecuadorian Traditional Music, solidifying their place in the country's rich cultural heritage.

Amorfinos are a century-old musical style whose poetic richness and original way of portraying ecuadorian rural lifestyle, have gained nationwide popularity and recognition. However, due to their age, amorfinos are based on traditional gender roles and narratives. This is evident in how they're written and performed: only between a man and a woman, telling the experiences and behaviours that happen between them while in love.

Knowing this, we wanted to open up this cultural expressions to broader audiences, specifically to the LGBTQ+ community, currently excluded from participating in and celebrating this cultural heritage. By doing this, our goal was to prove that just like the times have changed, amorfinos could change too, showing more openess and inclusion.

That's why we chose to adequate the verses and have same-sex performers for the first time since amorfinos were created, to show that love is love and the passion felt is the same.

In Ecuador, acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community and same-sex couples is gradually expanding in major cities and among younger audiences, but progress is slower in smaller cities and among older generation. Therefore, there is still a lack of empathy and understanding towards the LGBTQ+ community, often due to prejudices and lack of knowledge.

By modifying the amorfinos we were providing a simple and emotional way to bridge this gap and showcase commonalities between different segments of society that also was easy to spread nationwide. By adapting this traditional music style to be more inclusive and relevant to all audiences, Xtrim demonstrated the ability of Ecuador's traditions to adapt to modern times while preserving their cultural essence.