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Raíces Negras was formed at the beginning of 2002. The band has eight members, all born and raised in Chota, an Afro-American community located in a warm valley of the the Imbabura province. Band member Alamiro Bolaños says the group was born of an effort to recover their Afro-Ecuadorian cultural heritage as well as a love of bomba rhythm, a popular and authentic Afro-New World sound. The groups core genre is bomba, with salsa, son and bachata rhythmic overtones.

The musicians that would one day form Raices Negras moved one by one to Quito over the last 15 years. Today, the group participates in cultural and musical events, such as the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo Fiesta, (The Middle of the World City Festival).

The group's lineup consists of:
Julio Torres on guitar
Martín Congo on the wiró (Andean percussion instrument) and vocals
Sherman Congo on bongos
Hermel Congo on bomba
Jairo Congo on bell and sapo (percussion instrument)
Alamiro Bolaños, on vocals and tripley (twelve-string guitar - a Latin American traditional instrument).
Marcelo Bolaños on requinto (a Latin American five-string guitar)
Rubén Congo on claves (a percussion instrument).
Fernando Morales (bongoe)

Bolaños explains that their first CD, Homenaje a Mis Viejos (Homage to My Elders), consists of five tracks, two of which are original compositions: Mil Tatuajes (Thousands Tattoos) by Rubén Congo and Homenaje a Mis Viejos (Homage to My Elders) by Alamiro Bolaños. The rest of the tracks are traditional Afro-Ecuadorian compositions. The CD cover was designed by band member Rubén Congo.

This first CD was produced with very limited resources, with the band hoping to catch on with local radio listeners. Raíces Negras is a self-described group of eight poor men who yearn to become popular. One of their anecdotes concerns their early days when they did not have enough money to buy their musical instruments