Chicano rock, also called chicano fusion, is rock music performed by Mexican American (Chicano) groups or music with themes derived from Chicano culture. Chicano Rock, to a great extent, does not refer to any single style or approach. Some of these groups do not sing in Spanish at all, or use many specific Latin instruments or sounds. The subgenre is defined by the ethnicity of its performers, and as a result covers a wide range of approaches.
1) The earliest Chicano rock emerged as a distinctive style of rock and roll performed by Mexican Americans from East Los Angeles and Southern California, containing themes from their cultural experience. Although the genre is broad and diverse, encompassing a variety of styles and subjects, the overarching theme of early Chicano rock is its rhythm and blues influence and incorporation of brass instruments like the saxophone and trumpet, Farfisa or Hammond B3 organ, funky basslines, and its blending of Mexican vocal styling sung in English.[1]
3) A third style is the 80s Latin rock, Latin R&B by Tierra, Little Joe, Little Willie G, Ralfi Pagan, Sheila E, Sugar Style, Sunny and the Sunliners and Rocky Padilla.[5]
Don Tosti's Pachuco Boogie, recorded in 1948, was the first Chicano million-selling record,[7] a swing tune featuring Spanish lyrics, using hipster slang called Calo. Lalo Guerrero arrived in Los Angeles in the late 1930s and found that L.A is "bursting with ambition". Lalo and his friend captured their spirit in music by mixing swing and boogie woogie in a cross-cultural, dialog between African American, Anglo, and Mexican American influences.[8]
The 1950s brought rhythm and blues and the roots of rock 'n' roll. Mexican American were among first to catch the beat and introduced a Latin flair to early rock music.[8]
Chicano rock 'n' roll star Ritchie Valens, was a Mexican-American singer and songwriter influential in the Chicano rock movement. He recorded numerous hits during his short career, most notably the 1958 hit "La Bamba." Valens died at age 17 in a plane crash with fellow musicians Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper on February 3, 1959. The tragedy was later immortalized as "the day the music died" in the song "American Pie."[9]
The 1958 hit song "Tequila!" was written and sung by the saxophone player Danny Flores (not to be confused with Danny David Flores, a former member of Renegade) and performed by The Champs. Flores, who died in September 2006, was known as the "Godfather of Latino Rock."[10]
In the early to mid-1960s, the American audience was probably more open to Latin sounds than even today because of the popularity of bossa nova, bugalú, mambo, and other forms. Also, musicians who didn't conform to the rather limited range of early rock could find success as folk performers. Trini Lopez, whose music was a mixture of folk and pop, gained big hit "If I Had a Hammer" in 1963.[11] He recorded "Corazón de Melón", a Mexican folk tune,. Mid 1960s, the Beatles and The Rolling Stones got success, and unfortunately Trini's club style seemed old fashioned too soon.
In the 60s there was an explosion of Chicano rock bands in East Los Angeles and Texas. Sunny & the Sunglows produced several regional hits during the 1960s but is best remembered for its 1963 Number 11 Billboard hit "Talk to Me, Talk to Me". They hold the distinction of being the first all-Mexican American group featured on American Bandstand. Their versions of "Rags to Riches" (Tony Bennett) and "Out of Sight-Out of Mind" (The Five Keys) also reached the Billboard Hot 100.[12] Another group to appear on American Bandstand as well as open for The Rolling Stones, was The Premiers with their hit rendition of a Don and Dewey song called "Farmer John". It featured the beat from the popular hit, Louie, Louie, which was in turn based on a Latino song, El Loco Cha Cha. Richard Berry, credited with writing Louie, Louie, drew inspiration to record the song after listening to an R&B rendition of El Loco Cha Cha performed by the Latin R&B group Rhythm Rockers led by Mexican-Filipino American brothers, Rick and Barry Rillera.[13] The Rillera brothers would go on to record and perform with The Righteous Brothers.[14]
Trade ad for Cannibal & the Headhunters's single "Land of a Thousand Dances" Sam the Sham
The British Invasion challenged all American musicians, not just Chicanos. East Los Angeles witnessed a surge of creativity, and a renaissance of art, music and politics. Leading the way in music was the band Cannibal & the Headhunters, composed of five young men from the projects who recorded a national hit, "Land of a Thousand Dances," and almost overnight found themselves opening for the Beatles on the British superstars' 1965 tour. That same year, Thee Midniters hit the charts with "Whittier Blvd.," an anthem to East L.A.'s most famous street, the home of a late-night cruising scene that expressed the California car culture that Mexican Americans were making their own.[15] Also in 1965, the Chicano led Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs released the international hit Wooly Bully which would go on to sell three million copies. Penned by frontman Domingo "Sam" Samudio, it holds the distinction of being the first American record to sell a million copies during the British Invasion era. In 1966, the Mexican American garage band ? and the Mysterians scored a number one hit with the song 96 Tears.[16] The Sir Douglas Quintet is said to have made the most 'English' sounding American music of the Beatlemania period (actually since the English were playing music that was more rooted in R&B than many white Americans of that time, the Quintet were actually sounding 'English' by keeping to an all-American R&B/Country sound). Indeed, producer Huey P. Meaux put the Sir in the group's name to emphasize the connection, but that was more a marketing change than a musical one. The Sir Douglas Quintet was from central Texas, and some of its members were Latinos. However, the group's lead singer, Doug Sahm, was not of Mexican descent. Sahm was so thoroughly immersed in Tejano culture, that he later recorded an album under the name Doug Saldaña. Despite the musician's efforts to make the group appear to have emerged from the British Invasion, scholars have noted that the group's clear Tejano influences and accordion based slowed down polka rhythms give the band a Chicano rock title. [17]
In the late 1960s and 1970s, when civil rights and the Vietnam War were compelling issues, young Mexican American proudly called themselves Chicanos—which once considered as a derogatory term—and many took to the streets to stand up for their rights. Chicano duo Cheech and Chong released novelty single "Basketball Jones"(1973) and hit "Earache My Eye"(1974).[18] Bands like Tierra, Malo, Sapo, Azteca and El Chicano, created new music that "said something" about Chicano heritage and their struggles for equality and justice.[8] In the midst of these events, Mexican-American immigrants of East L.A. were being exposed to cultural identity problems and struggles with assimilation. Chicano rock emerged as a musical art-form with the power to cross over to the mainstream. With aims to pay homage to their native culture and capture the unique Chicano experience. Chicano rockers unified both the Mexican and American roots that lived within their oppressed cultural spheres.[19]
The trend of Chicano rock mirrored what was happening on college campuses as well. The rise of Chicano Studies departments, which offered courses in Chicano literature, politics and culture, affected college students and musicians tremendously. Musicians rebels against the "old world" and adopt the Mexican and Latin American styles in their own music.[8]
Along with visual artists, activists, and audiences, the musicians of the East Los Angeles chicano rock scene form an emergent cultural movement that speaks powerfully to present conditions. The chicano rock scene of East Los Angeles serves as a form of unity for radical Chicanos who wish to bring forth a call to action and a site for resistance through their art. By claiming the musical style of the "old world", Chicanos are reclaiming their indigenous identity and undoing Spanish colonialism.
The Eastside scene's story of formation, the diversity of its origins, and its commitment to political activism and coalition building illuminate the relations between culture and politics in the present. The musical practices of the East L.A. scene bring to the discussion the dislocations and displacements of people of color in urban California, but they also reflect the emergence of new forms of resistance that find counterhegemonic possibilities within contradictions. [20]
Linda Ronstadt is a versatile singer who traversed multiple genres. She gained national hits such as "You're No Good" (1975), "It's So Easy", "Blue Bayou" (1977), "Back in the USA" (1978), and "Hurt So Bad" (1980) in the 1970s and '80s. Ronstadt was nurtured by her Mexican American family whose musical roots run deep in the Mexican border region of Tucson, Arizona. Ronstadt holds dear the memory of childhood serenades by "The Father of Chicano Rock," Lalo Guerrero, a close family friend. Ronstadt's great-aunt Luisa Espinel gained international popularity interpreting Spanish and Mexican song and dance in the 1930s. Among the most popular female pop singers, Ronstadt is one of the most influential Chicana musicians ever, as evident in her extensive discography and four-decades long career.[21]
In 1980s, Tierra gained TOP 40 hit "Together", and Cheech and Chong recorded "Born In East LA". Maldita Vecindad is a rock en Español band whose music is a mixture of punk, rap, ska, funk, and Latin. They were formed in Mexico City in 1985 and describe themselves as a mambo punk combo. They influenced other Chicano rock bands and Chicano music, because they were among the first Mexican rock musicians to express a kindred spirit with the Chicano movement. On their early recordings, Maldita Vecindad y Los Hijos del Quinto Patio (BMG Ariola 1989) and Circo (BMG Ariola 1991), Maldita's music delved into Chicano culture with songs such as "Mojado," "Pachuco," and "Pata de Perro." In addition to the two albums above, Maldita Vecindad released "Baile de Máscaras" (1996), "Mostros" (1998), and "Greatest Hits + Rarities 1989-1999" (2000).[22]
In the mid-1980s Chicano teen rock band Renegade landed on the international music scene, sporting a combination of heavy metal instrumentation with more pop oriented melodies, resulting in a new subgenre, termed "commercial metal". The four teens—Kenny Marquez on lead guitar and vocals, Luis Cardenas on drums and vocals, Tony De La Rosa on rhythm guitar and vocals and Danny David Flores on bass guitar and vocals—have been referred to as Chicano rock gods, amongst Mexican-Americans.[23] Renegade or Los Renegados as they are called in Latin-America, went on to sell more than 30 million units worldwide,[24] with a series of hits in Mexico, Canada, Japan and the United Kingdom, and to a lesser extent, the United States.
Subsequently, groups like 90s band Ozomatli and Quetzal had led the new wave of Latin Rock groups that fuse multiple musical genres.
Ozomatli mixes rock, hip-hop, funk music, and cumbia. Their song "City of Angels", presented a new eclectic form of Latino rock.[25]
Quetzal, the band from the barrios of East Los Angeles has been creating Latin folk and roots-rock music for over a decade. With the successful tours and concerts alongside Los Lobos, Ozomatli, Taj Mahal and Michelle Shocked, Quetzal has played intimate clubs and large arenas alike. The band combines rock, Afro-Cuban, country blues, and jazz elements to support the wide-ranging, bilingual vocals of Martha González. The retro-futuristic mix has garnered praise from critics including the LA Times and Los Lobos. Quetzal simultaneously forges a sound that makes you dance and contemplate change.[26]
Robert Lopez AKA El Vez started operating an art gallery called "La Luz de Jesus" and created a show dedicated to Elvis. Since Lopez's impersonator did not meet his expectation El Vez was created. El Vez's first performance was in Memphis, Tennessee on August 16, 1989. Lopez started making karaoke tapes while running his gallery. While not including "sacred" topics directly, his goal is to blur the line between what is sacred and profane allowing him to have wide age range in his audience. He has been releasing albums since 1994 continuing to use satire and humor in his songs to express revolutionary views. As his lyrics are historical, some teachers and professors use his music to teach history and Mexican American Culture.[27]
In 1992 Mia Zapata and her punk rock group The Gits released Frenching the Bully, their first album, on C/Z Records. The group members met one another and formed the band in Yellow Springs, Ohio during the mid-1980s. Their music quickly became popular throughout the area and on the Antioch College campus. Band member Moriarty describes punk rock as a combination of emotion, temperament, rage and music.[citation needed] The Gits moved from Ohio to San Francisco and finally to Seattle, but not because of the up-and-coming music scene. Moriarty explains that "the idea was to just go up and pour your guts out" and to play their music and express their emotion. The group dissolved after Mia Zapata was murdered on July 7, 1993 by Jesus Mezquia. The remaining members went on to team up with Joan Jett to issue the album Zapata's death had interrupted. Proceeds from the album, titled Evil Stig (Gits Live spelled backwards) went to fund an investigator into Zapata's death, which had become a cold case.[29][30]
Many Chicanas became "Punkeras" and have contributed to the artistic conditions of production, gender relations, and the punk aesthetic that existed in the late 1970s and 1980s. The D-I-Y sensibility at the core of punk musical subcultures found resonance with the practice of rasquache, a Chicano cultural practice of "making do" with limited resources. In fact, young Chicanas had historically been at the forefront of formulating stylized social statements via the fashion and youth subculture, beginning with the Pachucos and continuing with Chicana Mods in the 1960s. Punk's critique of the status quo, poverty, sexuality, class inequalities, and war spoke directly to working class East Los Angeles youth.[31]
Alice Bag is an example of a punkera that typifies the punk scene of the late 1970s. Born as Alicia Armendariz, she went by Alice Bag (also Alice Phallus, and Alice Douchbag) as her stage name. Armendariz's Chicana experience influenced her music career as projected her unrelenting emotions through punk music. Her music reflects an accumulated rage evolved from being made fun of for not speaking proper English and having to witness domestic violence at a young age.[32] She used her painful childhood experience as empowerment in the male-dominated field of punk rock with her female lead band, Bags.[33] Alice and the Bags are known to be responsible for "co-creating the first wave of California punk alongside the likes of Black Flag, X, the Germs, Phranc (then in Catholic Discipline), and women that came to be known as the Go-Go's."[32]
Chicano Rock, 1990s–present
Sonny Sandoval of P.O.D. at Uproar Festival 2012. Over the course of their career, the band has received three Grammy Award nominations.
Modern age Chicana punk rock band, Girl in a Coma, express their Chicana experience through their music and artistic expression. Girl in a Coma consists of three members, the two sisters, Nina Diaz, Phanie Diaz and their long time friend, Jenn Alva. Although they claim that they do not consider themselves to be a Latin rock group due to their lack of Spanish speaking fluency, it can't be denied that they are a reflection of the Chicana experience. Furthermore, their inability to speak Spanish fluently did not restrict them from releasing their album, "Trio B.C" that plays tribute to the sisters' grandfather's tejano band in which they recorded the last track, "Ven Cera", completely in Spanish. Girl in a Coma are the modern Chicanapunkeras that have already picked up quite the large audience since their 2007 debut with their "all-American" punk rock feel. Although, the Latin undertones of their roots are not prominent in their current records, there is a possibility that they will be in their future records as Nina Diaz has stated that she's been trying to learn Spanish here and there but it is in her plans to someday write an album completely in Spanish.[34]
In the 2020s, a new generation of Chicano rock artists, influenced by bands such as Cafe Tacuba and Tame Impala, have incorporated alternative rock elements into regional Mexican-style music. Ivan Cornejo, for example, first gained prominence for his "indie Sierreño" style of music.
Zacharias Manuel de la Rocha is an activist is best known as the vocalist and lyricist of rock band Rage Against the Machine. Rage Against the Machine songs express revolutionary political views. As of 2010, they had sold over 16 million records worldwide.[35] Chicano rock music is being led by a wave of socially and politically active Latin-fusion bands that emerged and gained popularity in the 1990s such as Aztlan Underground, Ozomatli, Lysa Flores, Quinto Sol and more. Their music in general pulls from other genres (soul, samba, reggae, and rap) and utilizes multilingual lyrics (in Spanish, English and Nahuatl) and takes themes like urban exile, indigenous identity and multiracial unity and layers them in order to put into the spotlight important social issues. These artists in particular have been exceptionally successful due to the millions of Latinos in Los Angeles, California that are bilingual/bicultural. One of the larger purposes of the music is to draw attention to "present conditions of oppression and disenfranchisement" in the East L.A. scene, and to provide a form of political possibility to those who are less powerful (financially, socially, etc.).[36]
The Alacranes' frontman, Ramón "Chunky" Sánchez, once said that Chicano rock lies “somewhere between Pedro Infante and the Rolling Stones.” This categorization, or lack-thereof, by Sánchez demonstrates that Chicano rock might be characterized by an identity rather than a musical style.[37]
Chicano/a rock as a global phenomenon
David Hidalgo performing with Los Lobos on the South Lawn of the White House, October 13, 2009.
Chicano rock's origins in diverse places like Los Angeles and San Francisco requires us to consider the many cultures that went into its creation. Shared experiences of discrimination have led black and Latinx communities to build what George Lipsitz called "a ‘historical bloc’ of oppositional groups united in ideas and intentions if not experience."[38] A shared experience in America amongst members of Lipsitz's "historical bloc" led to cultural, and musical, fusion that transcends national borders. Jesus Velo of 1970s Chicano punk band, Los Illegals, has said "We [had] no choice but to just absorb each other’s rhythms and patterns."[39] Through this fusion, international musical styles mixed with American rock to create something novel and multicultural. Mexican-American artists' music in this era has been labelled 'Chicano rock.' It's undeniable that Chicano rock helped create a distinct Mexican-American identity, but this includes elements of other Latin American nations.[39]
Additionally, Latin American nations' musical styles were not developed in isolation. Loza writes, "Latin America must be considered a cultural entity much like that of other continental areas––for example, the United States, Europe and East Asia––where intercultural expression ultimately signifies various national identities and 'characters'."[40] Latin American nations are built on a mix of indigenous, colonist, and African peoples, and their music reflects contributions from these different cultures.
Chicano or Chicana is an ethnic identity for Mexican Americans that emerged from the Chicano Movement. Chicano was originally a classist and racist slur used toward low-income Mexicans that was reclaimed in the 1940s among youth who belonged to the Pachuco and Pachuca subculture.
Tejano music, also known as Tex-Mex music, is a popular music style fusing Mexican influences. Its evolution began in northern Mexico.
In the United States, California is commonly associated with the film, music, and arts industries; there are numerous world-famous Californian musicians. New genres of music, such as surf rock and third wave ska, have their origins in California.
The music of Mexico is highly diverse, featuring a wide range of musical genres and performance styles. It has been influenced by a variety of cultures, primarily deriving from Europeans, Indigenous, and Africans. Music became an expression of Mexican nationalism starting in the nineteenth century.
The music of Arizona began with Indigenous music of North America made by Indigenous peoples of Arizona. In the 20th century, Mexican immigrants popularized Banda, corridos, mariachi and conjunto. Other major influences come from styles popular throughout the rest of the United States.
Ozomatli is an American rock band, formed in 1995 in Los Angeles. They are known both for their vocal activist viewpoints and incorporating a wide array of musical styles – including salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, hip hop, and others. The group formed in 1995 and has since released seven studio albums. The group is also known for advocating for farm-workers' rights and immigration reform. The band has performed in various countries all over the world, including China, Tunisia, Jordan, Cuba, and Burma. Although the band has had many member changes over the years and has sometimes had as many as ten members, the current six members have been in the band since its debut album.
Latin rock is a term to describe a subgenre blending traditional sounds and elements of Latin American and Hispanic Caribbean folk with rock music. However, it is widely used in the English-language media to refer any kind of rock music featuring Spanish or Portuguese vocals. This has led to controversy about the scope of the terminology.
Chicano rap is a subgenre of hip hop that embodies aspects of the Mexican American or Chicano culture.
Caifanes is a Mexican rock band formed in Mexico City in 1986. The group achieved commercial success during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The original lineup of members consisted of Saúl Hernández, Sabo Romo (bass), Alfonso André (drums) and Diego Herrera. Alejandro Marcovich later joined as lead guitarist. Caifanes' style can be described as a hybrid of British new wave, progressive rock and Latin percussion underscored by deep, somber and Latin American-Mexican Spanish-influenced lyrics and the vocal style of Saúl Hernández. Members of Caifanes have cited The Cure, The Beatles and King Crimson as major influences. Adrian Belew produced their third studio album, El Silencio, and made a guest appearance on the track Piedra.
Mexican rock music, often referred to in Mexico as rock nacional, originated in the 1950s. Standards by The Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Nancy Sinatra, and Chuck Berry were soon covered by bands such as Los Apson, Los Teen Tops, Los Twisters, Los Hitters, Los Nómadas, Los Rockets, Los Rebeldes del Rock, Los Locos del Ritmo, Los Crazy Boys, and Javier Bátiz, which later led to original compositions, often in English. The group "Los Nómadas" was the first racially integrated band of the 1950s. Their lead guitarist, Bill Aken, wrote most of their original material, including the raucous Donde-Donde, and co-wrote the material for their Sounds Of The Barrio album, which is still being sold. Their 1954 recording of She's My Babe was the first top 40 R&B recording by a Latino band. In the southwestern United States, Spanish guitar rhythms and Mexican musical influences may have inspired some of the music of American musicians Ritchie Valens, Danny Flores, Sam the Sham, Roy Orbison, and later, Herb Alpert. Initially, the public exhibited only moderate interest in them, because the media attention was focused on La Ola Inglesa.
Eduardo Guerrero Jr., known as Lalo Guerrero, was an American guitarist, singer and farm labor activist best known for his strong influence on later Latin musical artists.
Los Illegals is an American Chicano punk band from Los Angeles.
La Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio is a band formed in Mexico City in 1985. They are pioneers of rock en español and one of the most influential rock bands in Mexico.
Rock en español is a term used to refer to any kind of rock music featuring Spanish vocals. Compared to English-speaking bands, very few acts reached worldwide success or between Spanish-speaking countries due to a lack of promotion. Despite rock en español's origins in the late 1950s, many rock acts achieved at best nationwide fame until the Internet consolidated the listeners. However, some rock en español artists did become internationally popular with the help of a promotional campaign from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s called "Rock en tu idioma". Some specific rock-based styles influenced by folkloric rhythms have also developed in these regions. Some of the more prominent styles are Latin rock ; Latin alternative, an alternative rock scene that blended a Latin sound with other genres like Caribbean ska, reggae, and soca; or Andalusian rock, a flamenco-influenced style that emerged in Spain.
Chicana feminism is a sociopolitical movement, theory, and praxis that scrutinizes the historical, cultural, spiritual, educational, and economic intersections impacting Chicanas and the Chicana/o community in the United States. Chicana feminism empowers women to challenge institutionalized social norms and regards anyone a feminist who fights for the end of women's oppression in the community.
Quetzal is a bilingual (Spanish-English) Chicano rock band from East Los Angeles, California.
Latin alternative, or "alterlatino", or "Patchanka", is a brand of Latin rock music produced by combining genres like alternative rock, lofi, chillout, metal, electronica, hip hop, new wave, pop rock, punk rock, reggae, and ska with traditional Ibero-American sounds, in Latin Europeans and Latin Americans countries.
Alicia "Alice" Armendariz, also known as Alice Bag, is an American punk rock singer and author. She is the lead vocalist and co-founder of the Bags, one of the earliest punk bands to form in Los Angeles in the mid-1970s.
The Brat was a Chicano punk rock ensemble originating from the barrios of East Los Angeles, California. Its three core members were lead singer Teresa Covarrubias, lead guitarist Rudy Medina, and alternate lead and rhythm guitarist Sidney Medina. From their conception in late 1978 to their eventual break-up in 1985, The Brat contributed to the customization and intermeshing of multiple musical and cultural models that culminated in the distinct East Los Angeles, Chicano punk sound.
Martha Gonzalez is a Chicana artist, activist, musician and feminist music theorist. She is an associate professor in the Intercollegiate Department of Chicana/o Latina/o Studies at Scripps College. She is also a lead singer, percussionist, and songwriter for the band Quetzal, which won a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop, Rock or Album in 2013. In 2022, Gonzalez was named a MacArthur Fellow by the MacArthur Foundation.
↑ Salas, Abel. "Chicano rock-gods". Ritmo Beat Magazine. Photographer, Chris Jurgenson. Renegade World Music. Archived from the original on February 18, 2012.
↑ Viesca, Victor Hugo (September 2004). "The Battle of Los Angeles: The Cultural Politics of Chicana/o Music in the Greater Eastside". American Quarterly. 56 (3). The Johns Hopkins University Press: 719–720. doi:10.1353/aq.2004.0045. JSTOR40068240. S2CID143471138. Los Angeles and the Future of Urban Cultures
1 2 Yang, Mina (2008). California Polyphony: Ethnic Voices, Musical Crossroads. University of Illinois Press. p.116. ISBN9780252032431.
↑ Loza, Steven Joseph (2019). Barrio Harmonics: Essays on Chicano/Latino Music. UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Press. pp.116, 128–129. ISBN9780895511676.
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