E N T E RTA I N M E N T
It’s good to be Malo
Original bad boys of Latin rock still on the scene
By Matt Muñoz MÁS staff
A
rcelio Garcia wants to assure fans that the original bad boys of Latin rock are as “Malo” as ever. As lead singer of the legendary band responsible for such hits as “Nena,” “Pana,” and the immortal “Suavecito,” among others. Garcia and the Malo crew continue to tour, still waving the flag of a movement started on the San Francisco streets in the Mission District during the ’60s. No stranger to Bakersfield, Malo returns to perform at the Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Latin Food Festival and Ninth Annual Menudo Cook-off Saturday, June 3, at Stramler Park. And while it might be a new band, that same Malo intensity is guaranteed to bring back memories of ’70s Chicano activism, wedding dances, and of course, the blistering live shows the group was known for back in the day. “The first Malo band was great, no doubt about it, but this band is the best band I’ve ever had in my life,” said Garcia via a telephone interview with MÁS from his home in Fresno, Calif. “You ain’t seen this band — it’s scary from the jump!” Formed in 1968 by Garcia on the steps of a friend’s house in San Francisco, Malo started out as an R&B act called The Malibus. Born in Manati, Puerto Rico, but raised in San Francisco, the sounds of Latin music were a part of everyday life for Garcia, even in the midst of the psychedelic “Summer of Love.” Looking for a new sound, Garcia began to incorporate elements of Latin percussion into the soul-based rock sound for which Malo made its name among the local circuit. “You gotta remember, this was before Santana,” said Garcia, who is quick to point out the band’s place in Latin rock history. “We had timbales and congas, singing rock, salsa and funk.” Becoming the regular house band at an area nightclub, The Nightlife, The Malibus’ popularity attracted a who’s who of local talent onstage for late-night jams five nights a week. “Carlos (Santana) and Greg Rollie (Santana Blues Band) would come down and jam,” said Garcia. “Some of the guys from Tower of Power would even come and sit in.” Coincidentally, Jorge Santana, younger brother of Carlos Santana, was also a member of The Malibus on lead guitar, but at the time, Garcia was unaware of the connection. “I first heard Jorge at 17 years old, and I didn’t even know who he was for about six months,” said Garcia, who declined to reveal his true age, though he threw out several different numbers just for fun. “I just liked the way he played.”
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June 1, 2007
MÁS
PHOTO COURTESY OF MALO
Malo’s current line-up in 2007.
MALO ■ Latino Food Festival and Ninth annual Menudo Cook-off ■ 11a.m. to 6 p.m. ■ Stramler Park ■ Sunday, June 3 ■ Admission: $5 advance; $6 at the door ■ Details, 633-5495
Continuing to evolve and looking to change the group’s name to reflect the hipness of the time, the band actually found the perfect moniker after being chastised by Garcia’s own mother. “We were rehearsing one night, and my mother started cussing us out, probably for making too much noise,” said Garcia, laughing. “¡Eres malo (expletive)! ¡Todos ustedes son malos! (You’re bad! All of you are bad!) We all looked at each other, and said, ‘That’s it!’ We dug it!” Around the same time, San Francisco concert promoter Bill Graham — a fan of Latin music himself who booked artists like Tito Puente at his club, the famous Fillmore West — began looking for new acts to add to his management roster. “Bill Graham wanted to manage us,” said Garcia. “I didn’t really know him very well, but he loved Latin music and our band’s sound.” Soon after the meeting with Graham, Garcia began seeing Malo’s impact on the promoter’s vision, when Graham picked up another young group, the Santana Blues Band, to manage. “Bill got ahold of Carlos, and he got this guy named Chepito (percussionist) from another group called The Aliens, then they came out with San-
PHOTO COURTESY OF MALO
Malo in one of many transitions in personnel. (Back) Richard Kermode, Jorge Santana, Tom Poole, (middle back) Arecelio Garcia Jr., Lep “Pepe” Rosales, Raul Rekow, (middle front) Richard Spremich, Tom Harrell, Mike Heathman, (front) Abel Zarate, and Pablo Tellez. tana.” Not by any means left to perform in the shadow of the then-budding guitarist, Malo also had its big break,
getting discovered by Bay Area music producer Dave Rubinson, who helped them ink a deal with Warner Bros. Please turn to MALO, page 22