Many of us of Latino/Chicano heritage grew up listening to rock ‘n’ roll radio in the late 1950s. We were delighted, along with the rest of the country, when the song “La Bamba” hit the airwaves. The singer with the euphonic, captivating voice was Richard Valenzuela, but the world knew him as Ritchie Valens.
Ritchie, a child of Mexican immigrants, was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. He grew up listening to mariachi and Mexican folk music, along with “jump blues” (a precursor to rock ‘n’ roll) and the rhythm and blues associated with the African American community. He accomplished an enormous feat during his transitory journey through our musical landscape. He blended purely traditional Mexican music with the iconic American rock music whose star was rising just as Ritchie was growing into what appeared to be a promising career.