E N T E RTA I N M E N T
Rock on!
After all these years, ‘band’ of friends from East L.A. — El Chicano — still keepin’ it real
By Matt Muñoz MÁS staff
A
uthor Henry David Thoreau once said, “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” Those famous words have never been more appropriate than when telling the story of Latin rock originators El Chicano — a band of friends from East L.A. who, practically overnight in 1970, went from nightclub jammin’ to the world stage. Performing live at the Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Latin Food Festival and 10th annual Menudo Cook-Off on Sunday, June 1, at Stramler Park — most fans of the band might be taken aback when they hear their story. No revolutionary origins in the movimiento of the ’70s, no involvement in protests or politics … just rockin’ and jazzin’ after hours. How could that be with a name like “El Chicano?” “El Chicano is an extension of the original band — The VIPs, a band I started in ’67-’68,” explained El Chicano bassist and manager, Fred Sanchez, via telephone from his current home in Cave Creek, Ariz. “Then, in 1970, we recorded the hit, ‘Viva Tirado,’ and we became El Chicano.” Describing the El Chicano sound as “complex simple,” you can just as easily apply that to the band’s history — all of which stands as a statement to the people and culture from which the band’s name is derived. “As The VIPs, we used to play at a supper club called Kabuki Lounge in Los Angeles, just off Crenshaw in the late ’60s,” said Sanchez, 60. “We played R&B, Top-40 dance music, but during dinner we played jazz instrumentals.” With Sanchez on bass and vocals; Bobby Espinoza, keyboards; Mickey Lespron, guitar; John De Luna, drums; Andre Baeza, congas; and friend Ersi Arvizu jumping into the mix with a ballad or two on vocals, the band was a hit on the L.A. live music scene. “We’d have people lined up down the block every night,” remembered Sanchez. Fan favorites, El Chicano, will be the entertainment at the Kern County Hispanic Chamber Working tirelessly six nights a week, the band of Commerce’s 10th annual Menudo Cook-Off event on Sunday, June 1 at Stramler Park. continued going through their catalog of jazz stantake, the band performed the song until the session went south — dards, re-worked with a modern feel. Among the dinner reperthe recording machine broke down and the band went home to toire was a cover of the Gerald Wilson jazz classic, “Viva Tirado,” sleep. a song inspired by Mexican bullfighter, Jose Ramon Tirado. “When that happened, we just kept moving on as we always One night after a show, the band was offered a free recording had,” said Sanchez. “Then, one day I was driving in San Diego session with the help of Espinoza’s brother. and I heard this song come on — ‘Hey, that sounds like my “We’d always wanted to record,” remembered Sanchez. “It band!’” was about 4 a.m. and we went to this studio in Hollywood. They As fate would have it, the warm up track recorded back in L.A. had everything set up for us there. The engineer asked us to play had been released to radio without permission, but that wasn’t all something to get the levels checked, and I suggested ‘Viva Tirathat happened much to the shock of Sanchez. do.’” “They were playing ‘Viva Tirado’ on the radio, and the DJ goes, Partied out, but with enough mellow enthusiasm for a warm up
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Like all bands who’ve been thrust quickly into the limelight, El Chicano struggled to keep itself moving through the tail end of the rockin’ ’70s with the entrance of the disco era. Members would be replaced, disband, and every once in awhile, get that calling to step to the stage once again for a reunion. But as far as Sanchez is concerned, keyboardist Bobby Espinoza has always been the embodiment of the band’s spirit. “Bobby has always been a true, dedicated musician — to music and El Chicano, that’s all he’s ever done since he came into it at 16 years old,” he said. “When I left the band, I turned it over to Bobby and Mickey, but Bobby kept it going after that imploded — even to the point where he ended up being out there by himself!” Never completely “by himself,” the band has managed to fill the stage with some of Latin rock’s newer stars, including Bakersfield’s Marco Reyes, percussionist for the band WAR, who also sports some ’70s-style curly locks. Reyes will join the band onstage June 1. “Marcos blends in perfectly with us,” said Sanchez. “I used to say he’s a miniature Andre (Baeza.) I’d tell him, ‘Hey, you look like the way we did back in the ‘70s!” That ’70s band — The ’70s were a quick ride for this young band of talented LatiNot forgotten by original and new fans who’ve nos, but like many rock groups, El Chicano struggled when the disco era hit. embraced the El Chicano sound as an important part of music history alongside the likes of Richie Valens, San‘Here’s a brand new song, it’s a big hit for a group called ‘El Chitana, and Malo, among others, Sanchez now looks to spark new cano,’” he said. “I contacted our management company — somefire into the name with the upcoming release of a band documenone put our sound out there and renamed the band!” tary, and hopefully some new music. Officially still The VIPs, Sanchez and crew were staring at a “I feel that we’ve worn the name El Chicano proudly all these record deal within days with the option to go with the name El years and gave it some justification by continuing on with the Chicano from record execs. music that we put on it,” he said. “We became El Chicano through a marketing aspect of what — On the Web: www.elchicanomusic.com we were and how the record deal happened,” explained Sanchez. “I’ve done so many interviews and there’s a lot of finger-pointing about it. My positive take is we were named by fate. Because it’s The Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce one thing getting there, but it’s another thing staying there.” presents Swooped up by the train of fame, the ’70s were a quick ride for this young band of talented Latinos, most of whom had never left Southern California. “We were playing Kabuki’s on a Saturday, and the following week we were on a plane to New York as a group for the first time on our way to open at the Apollo Theater,” laughed Sanchez. “They didn’t even say our name right. The crowd must’ve thought we were a black group, because we had a certain sound. We came Sunday June 1st • 11am - 6pm Stramler Park • 3805 Chester Ave. out there, long-haired Latinos, with a girl singer who wasn’t even $5/Advance • $6/At The Door going to sing, and their expressions were like, ‘What?’” CHILDREN UNDER 12 FREE On a historical note, El Chicano was the first Mexican American band to play on the Apollo stage. After their NY appearance, Menudo Contest the band released its first full length LP on KAPP Records (later 1st Prize = $500 sold to MCA) in 1970, and went on to record six, full-length 2nd Prize = $300 albums with hits such as a cover of Van Morrison’s “Brown-Eyed 3 rd P r i z e = $ 2 0 0 Girl,” with lead vocals by Sanchez, and the original “Tell Her She’s Lovely,” sung by guitarist Jerry Salas, who, like well-known percussionist Rudy Regalado, is part of the extended El Chicano family. El Chicano, Prisoners of Love In conversation, it’s impossible to mention El Chicano without & Mariachi Tapatia talking about their version of the Latin ballad, “Sabor A Mi,” sung by former vocalist Ersi Arvizu and included as an album track off Booths • Refreshments • Kids Entertainment • Vendor Booths of the band’s second LP “Revolucion” in ’71. Not a hit upon its release, the song has become the standard for generation of Latin INFO: (661) 633-5495 rock bands to learn. “She sang it so well, we asked her to record it,” remembered AT&T • Bright House Networks • Our Community Magazine • MÁS • San Joaquin Bank Sanchez. “The producer was also Neil Diamond’s, so we recorded Budweiser • Anthem Lending, Inc. • Miragrafix • CM Enterprises • Wells Fargo Channel 17 News • KKEY Telemundo • Dreyer’s • La Preciosa 105.3 FM at Neil’s studio with the benefit of having his producer. He defiKERO Channel 23 • Azteca America Channel 42 • Leyva’s Private Security • Univision nitely captured a beautiful vocal sound with our arrangement and Chevron • State Farm Insurance • KHTY 970 AM • Rodriguez & Associates Groove 99.3 FM • El Popular • Citibank flavor. It’s kind of taken on a life of its own.”
O Latino Food Festival &
10th Annual Menudo Cook-Off
El Chicano Music by: sponsors
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