Celebrity branding can cut both ways. I’m sure these bags get a boost from their association with Carlos Santana, but what if (like me) you’re not all that into Carlos Santana?
Hey, Meh contributor @JasonToon here. While I may not dig Carlos’s groove, I recognize his importance in the evolution of Chicano rock in the United States. I could bore you with a dissertation about the contributions of Mexican-Americans to the rich tapestry of American music, but the main thing you need to know is that so much of this stuff is just really fun to listen to. So let’s do that with our weekend playlist, also compiled in a YouTube playlist .
A note on terminology: I’ve tried to be respectful of peoples’ preferred ethnic terminology but I’ve undoubtedly got it wrong somewhere. I’m sorry. Please correct me in the forum as you see fit.
**Ritchie Valens - “Come On, Let’s Go” (1958) **
You’ve heard “La Bamba” a million times, so let’s kick off with the tragic teenage prodigy’s second-biggest (and equally rousing) hit.
**The Champs - “Tequila” (1958) **
Danny Flores, aka “Chuck Rio”, wrote the song, plays that honkin’ border sax, and is even the guy who says “Tequila!” That’s how he earned the title “the Godfather of Latino rock” and the undying loyalty of Pee-Wee Herman.
**Thee Midniters - “Whittier Blvd.” (1965) **
The white kids had the Sunset Strip; L.A.'s Chicano rockers had Whittier Boulevard, immortalized in this wild mostly-instrumental by thee Midniters, who were kind of a garage-rock band with a soul horn section and salsa percussion. They shoulda been huge!
**? and the Mysterians - “Smokes” (1967) **
Speaking of bands who shoulda been huge, you probably know ? and the Mysterians from their classic “96 Tears”. But Rudy Martinez and his fellow children of migrant farmworkers waxed a stack of equally smokin’ proto-punk stormers that haven’t been heard enough.
**Santana - “Shades of Time” (1969) **
Before he conquered the handbag world, Carlos Santana played the guitar pretty good. Santana’s debut album combined Latin sounds with heavy spiritual psychedelia, a fresh concept at the time, and set the template he’s been working ever since.
Malo - “Suavecito” (1972)
Carlos’s brother Jorge (or “George” as he’s called in the intro to this live clip) had lighter ambitions. His band Malo scored a huge hit with this easygoer, sometimes called “the Latino national anthem.”
**The Zeros - “Dont Push Me Around” (1977) **
Latino artists were around the Southern California punk scene from the beginning. The Zeros were still teenagers when they cut this prime glob of snot.
**The Plugz - “Let Go” (1978) **
Slightly older, artier, and more musically sophisticated, the Plugz were led by singer/guitarist Tito Larriva and underpinned by drummer Chalo Quintana. Both would later explore more explicitly Latin sounds with their band the Cruzados, part of an '80s Chicano rock wave kicked off by none other than the next band in the list.
**Los Lobos - “How Much Can I Do?” (1983) **
In 1983, it was a really weird move to use norteño accordion to play '50s r&b with a dash of punk energy. Los Lobos would conquer the world with their La Bamba soundtrack, and they’d deserve it, but I prefer their early “where did this come from?” stuff.
Los Crudos - “Crudo Soy” (1992)
OK, so frontscreamer Martin Sorrondeguy was Uruguayan, not Chicano. I’m including the mighty Los Crudos here because in their time and place (Chicago in the 1990s), so much of what they screamed about were issues affecting the Chicano community. And also because they’re the most ass-kicking band of ‘90s punk, full stop. My old bands played with them many times, and they always tore the roof off the place, in addition to being the nicest guys you’d ever meet. Sorrondeguy would later jab at hardcore kids’ prejudices from another angle in Limp Wrist, a gay hardcore band.
**El Vez - “!Go Zapata Go!” (1994)
Zeros singer Robert Lopez reinvented himself as the Mexican Elvis, constructing an elaborate and hugely entertaining jumble of rock ‘n’ roll, Mexican kitsch, and Latin American revolutionary politics.
**Ozomatli - “Cumbia de los Muertos” (1998) **
Standard-bearers for a late '90s cross-cultural ferment that brought together hip-hop, cumbia, reggae, rock, electronica, and anything else that sounded cool, Ozomatli have been at it ever since, combining politics and activism with hooks and beats irresistible enough to get them placed on a Madden soundtrack. They once played an amazing half-hour show at 10 AM at my daughter’s kindergarten in St. Louis - and if you can play a storming set in those circumstances, you know you’re a great band.
**Girl in a Coma - “Static Mind” (2009)
You may have noticed it’s been a pretty hombre-heavy playlist. San Antonio’s Girl in a Coma represent one brand of Latina feminism in music these days, a melodic riot grrrl-y middle finger that got them signed to Joan Jett’s record label.
**Quetzal - “Tragafuegos” (2012) **
Quetzal represent the more spiritual side of Latina feminism, but their folky sound is no less fierce for it. “Tragafuegos” - Spanish for “fire breathers” - is an appropriate title for this cut from their Grammy-winning Smithsonian Records album Imaginaries.
Cool stuff, right? Without Santana, there’s probably no Ozomatli or Los Lobos, so even though I can’t follow along on his cosmic voyage to the supernatural Hard Rock Cafe of the Universe, Carlos is just alright with me.
Check out these past weekend playlists, make it real, or else forget about it:
