Chicano Rock

Chicano Rock: The music to a new Identity

Another form was the openness to other Latin American cultures in the music. As more and more Latinos immigrated to California the term Chicano broaden to include the different races of the Latin world. This was shown in the music as the fusions between R&B, Jazz, and Caribbean sounds. Chicano rock became "The interpretation of everything we have ever been exposed to" (Little Willie G) . This style of Chicano rock remained popular though out the 70's and into the mid 80's.

Its more than Music.

An Early History

The 70's saw a rise into Chicano studies in colleges in the southwest. Chicano rock mirrored what was happening on college campuses in California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. But the 70's were also a time where Chicanos were regarded as second class citizens. On August 29th, 1970, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies attacked marchers, and were attacked in return, during the Chicano Moratorium. National attention on the Chicano movement sparked new forms of Chicano music. Chicano rock had shifted from songs about love and romance to protest/punk rock. one of the main bands to adopt this new form was los illegals. Unlike other political bands los illegals made sure to convey their ethnic pride and wrote songs about the injustices their peoples faced.

One is a devotion to the origins of rock and roll. music that is based in R&B and country styles. this remained popular up until the late 60's by bands such as The Sir Douglas Quintet, and El Chicano all have made music that is heavily based on 1950s R&B, even when general trends moved away from the original sound of rock as time went by.

The modern Chicano rock

What makes it Chicano Rock.

By the 90's the term Chicano was not being used anymore and gave way to Latino rock. This was due to the Chicano generation of the 1960s becoming a minority within their community, outnumbered by recent arrivals from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and, to a lesser extent, Honduras and Nicaragua. The essance of Chicano rock still lives on today. Bands like Los lonley boys harken back to the early years of Chicano rock keeping the heavy influence of R&B.

The beginnings of Chicano rock came from Don Tosti and Lalo Guerrero. Tosti's "Pachuco Boogie," recorded in 1949 was the first Chicano million-selling record. Lalo Guerrero was considered the "Father of Chicano Music". By introducing the public to the new wave of popular music, stars like Ritchie Valens, the first Mexican-American megastar and one of The Beatles’ major influences. Ritchie Valens was forced to change his name from Richard Valenzuela because of the negative connotation assumes with Chicanos of the time. Valens died at 17 in the 1959 plane crash that also claimed Buddy Holly and the Big bopper. though his time on the charts was only limited to 8 months, Valens inspired generations of Chicano musicians. This lead to two distinct undercurrents of Chicano rock.

Modern Chicano Rock Continued.

The post punk era of Chicano rock still continues today as well. Bands like Rage against the Machine, Quetzal, Mars Volta, and Texas-based Girl In A Coma all stem from the 1970's Chicano punk movements.

Rock music is traditionally centered on a 4/4 period with a repetitive snare drum back beat on beats two and four. Usually lead by an electric guitar and supported by an electric bass guitar and a drum kit combining drums and symbols. rock music originates from African-American genre fuzing rhythm and blues,gospel ,country and western, jazz, and folk music.

Chicano rock

What makes it Chicano rock continued

What is Chicano Rock?

In the early days, rock and roll to the Chicanos was their way of expressing their identity through music. They were not like the parents or grandparents and showed that by adopting the new wave of music coming through California. Chicano rock and roll cemented the identity of the Chicanos, one of their own unique status as being Latin-American. Chicano rock gave a way of communicating beliefs as seen in the Chicano punk era to fight for their cultural rights. Chicano rock also pave the way for another genre of rock called Rock in espanol. Bands such as Mana and Juanes have grown to be international stars.

what separates rock from Chicano rock is its incorporation of brass instruments like the saxophone and trumpet, Farfisa or Hammond B3 organ, funky bass lines, and its blending of Mexican vocal styling sung in English. Chicano rock can be seen as the"music of experiencing being a latino developing in southern California" (Tony Valdez). This was the music of a new generation, one that had accepted the new american rock and roll and rhythm and blues.

Chicano rock is the distinctive style of rock and roll music performed by Mexican Americans from East L.A. and Southern California that contains themes of Chicano cultural experiences.