This exhibit recognizes some of the legendary music makers whose collections were established in CEMA. It traces the genesis and evolution of Chicano and Latino music through the past seventy years. The Bolero, the Mambo, the Corrido, Swing, Boogie, Tex/Mex-are all woven into the fabric of the Latino cultural heritage. These include Lalo Guerrero, often called the “Father of Chicano Music, Don Tosti, known as the “Godfather of Latin Rhythm and Blues,” and Adelina García, fondly remembered as the “Queen of the Mexican Bolero.” The exhibit shows how these artists were masters of cultural innovation as well as musical adaptation.
The exhibit engages the senses through the visual and theater arts, as well as music. Take a minute to listen to The A Train, which Tito Puente re-casts as Tren Expreso set to a mambo beat. Through the first-time use of Guide by Cell in an exhibit here, visitors can use their cell-phones to listen to the music, including historic 78 rpm disks reformatted for use in this exhibit. Interpretive texts, photos, artifacts, and historical documents from these collections round out the displays.
The exhibit highlights through the graphic arts renowned singers and groups whose collections are not housed in CEMA but whose iconic cultural status is visually represented in CEMA’s voluminous silkscreen archives. Included are those of Self-Help Graphics & Art as well as the Royal Chicano Air Force. Chicano artists such as Ester Hernandez and Willie Herron created beautiful fine art prints about personages such as Lydia Mendoza, famously known as The Lark of the Border, and of the Chicano punk rock groups The Brat and Los Illegals.
CEMA collections include selections of music by Tito Puente, Tito Rodríguez and Perez Prado, who became recording stars in the early 1950s. Also included are 1950s singing star Ritchie Valens, whose life was depicted by writer/director Luis Valdez in the Hollywood film, La Bamba, and the Chicano rockers, Malo. The papers of Valdez and the archives of the theater company he founded, El Teatro Campesino, are replete with the richness of Latino music traditions, from Corridos to Zoot Suit, also displayed in the exhibit.
This exhibit is not a comprehensive survey of Latino music and not all the genres are represented; however, what is evident here are the remarkable accomplishments of memorable music makers whose talents and achievements earned them a treasured place in Latino music history.
Use your cell phone and enter phone number (805) 357-4694, wait for prompt, and then enter selection number followed by the pound sign. These are mainly vintage recordings transferred from original disks, including hisses and pops. For better sound quality
you may use your land line.Mambo
1# “Mambo Jambo” by Perez Prado Mambo by the King LP.
Credit: RCA Victor.2# “Mambo No. 5” by Perez Prado Mambo by the King LP.
Credit: RCA Victor.3# “Mambo con Puente” by Tito Puente.
Credit: Tico Recording Company.
Don Tosti Papers.4# “Tren Expreso” (Take the “A” Train) by Tito Puente y Su Orquesta.
Credit: RCA Victor.
Don Tosti Papers.5# “Ay Que Mambito” by Tito Rodriguez y Sus Lobos del Mambo.
Credit: Tico Recording Company.
Don Tosti Papers.6# “Black Satin” by Don Tosti and Orchestra.
Credit: Ballad Records.
Don Tosti Papers.7# “Pachuco Mambo” by Don Tosti.
Credit: Pachuco Boogie Various Artists, Arhoolie Records.
Don Tosti Papers.8# “Mambito” by Lalo Guerrero.
Credit: Barrio Music Libre (BMI).
Lalo Guerrero Papers.Rhumba
9# “Jungle Fantasy” by Esy Morales and his Latin-Amercian Orchestra
Credit: Rainbow Records.
Don Tosti Papers10# “Easy Does It” by Esy Morales and his Latin-Amercian Orchestra
Credit: Rainbow Records.
Don Tosti Papers.Bolero
11# “Confesion” by Miguelito Garcia.
Credit: Marca Azteca.
Don Tosti Papers.12# “Mi Tormento” by Adelina Garcia.
Credit: Azteca.
Adelina Garcia Collection13# “Un Gran Amor” by Adelina Garcia.
Credit: Azteca.
Adelina Garcia Collection.14# “Vine Por Ti” by Don Tosti
Credit: UC Regents
Don Tosti Papers.15# “Burlate” by Don Tosti
Credit: UC Regents
Don Tosti Papers.Corrido
16# “Corrido de Cesar Chavez" by Carlos A. Avila.
Teatro Campesino Archives.17# "Corrido de Luis Valdez" by Carlos A. Avila.
Teatro Campesino Archives.18# “La Pachuquilla” by Lalo Guerrero.
Credit: Barrio Music Libre (BMI).
Lalo Guerrero Papers.19 # “El Chicano” by Lalo Guerrero.
Credit: Barrio Music Libre (BMI).
Lalo Guerrero Papers.20# “La Cancion Mexicana” by Lalo Guerrero.
Credit: Barrio Music Libre (BMI).
Lalo Guerrero Papers.Boogie and Swing
21# ”Vamos a Bailar” by Lalo Guerrero
Credit: Barrio Music Libre (BMI).
Lalo Guerrero Papers.22# “Marijuana Boogie” by Lalo Guerrero.
Credit: Barrio Music Libre (BMI).
Lalo Guerrero Papers.23# “Pachuco Boogie” by Cuarteto Don Ramon Sr. (actually Don
Tosti's Pachuco Boogie Boys)
Credit: UC Regents. Different version from Pachuco Boogie
Various Artists, Arhoolie Records.Zoot Suit
24# “Zoot Suit” from the film "Zoot Suit"
Credit: El Teatro Campesino.
Music and lyrics by Lalo Guerrero.
El Teatro Campesino Archives.25 # “Los Chucos Suaves” from the film "Zoot Suit"
Credit: El Teatro Campesino.
Music and lyrics by Lalo Guerrero.
El Teatro Campesino Archives.26# “Vamos a Bailar” from the film "Zoot Suit"
Credit: El Teatro Campesino.
Music and lyrics by Lalo Guerrero.
El Teatro Campesino Archives.Lalo Guerrero
27# “Barrio Viejo” by Lalo Guerrero.
Credit: Barrio Music Libre (BMI).
Lalo Guerrero Papers.28# “There’s No Tortillas” by Lalo Guerrero.
Credit: Barrio Music Libre (BMI).
Lalo Guerrero Papers29# “No Chicanos on T.V, by Lalo Guerrero.
Credit: Barrio Music Libre (BMI).
Lalo Guerrero Papers.30# “Lalo Guerrero: A Musical Profile of the Father of Chicano Music.”
Credit: Pedro Arroyo for KCBX Public Radio, March 2000.
Pedro Arroyo Collection.Tex/Mex
31# “No Es Culpa Mia” by Lydia Mendoza.
Credit: from Lydia Mendoza La Gloria de Texas, Arhoolie Productions.
32# “Mi Problema” by Lydia Mendoza.
Credit: from Lydia Mendoza La Gloria de Texas, Arhoolie Productions.
33# “Lydia Mendoza” Interview with hosts Aida Barrera and Américo Paredes in “Sabor del Pueblo” collection.
Credit: Southwest Center for Educational Television/National Public Radio.Don Tosti
34# KCLU-FM Story on Don Tosti, September 1, 2004.
Pedro Arroyo Collection.35# “Tacos for Two” by Don Tosti.
Credit: UC Regents
Don Tosti Papers36# “La Lola” by Don Tosti.
Credit: UC Regents
Don Tosti Papers.Chicano Punk Rock
37# Sound recording of a live performance by “The Brat” with Teresa
Covarrubias on vocals performing on stage at Aztlan Multiples’
opening of Exploratorium.
Sean Carillo Collection.38# “A Musical Profile of East L.A. Chicano Rockers Los Illegals.” Featuring Willie Herron, Jesus Velo and Bill Reyes.
Credit: Pedro Arroyo for KCBX Public Radio, 1997.
Pedro Arroyo Collection.Early Chicano Rock
39# “La Bamba” by Richie Valens
40# “Donna” by Richie Valens
41# “Suavecito” by Malo.
Credit: Warner Bros. Records
Don Tosti Papers.