Ritchie Valens was reluctant to record La Bamba as a rock n roll song. He felt that the music of his ethnic origins should be left well alone; that to record a mix of Chicano and rock 'n' roll would lead to him being lynched by traditionalist. Thankfully, record producer Bob Keene persuaded Valens to go ahead and a phenomenon was born, selling in excess of a million, going top ten world wide and featuring on countless jukeboxes. Sadly Ritchie Valens did not live long enough to taste success. On a 1959 tour he hitched a ride on the wrong plane and perished in the February snow along with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper.
La Bamba's legacy can still be felt today, paving the way for everyone from Santana to Los Lobos, who had a hit with La Bamba themselves.
No comments:
Post a Comment