Knowra Ritchie Valens Ritchie Valens Ritchie Valens was an American rock and roll singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His 1958 recording of “La Bamba” brought a Mexican folk song into the United States pop charts.
Bob Keane : Bob Keane was an American record producer and owner of the record label Del-Fi Records. He discovered Valens and produced the recordings that launched his career.
La Bamba : “La Bamba” is a traditional Mexican son jarocho song that became an international hit through later recordings. Valens adapted its melody and Spanish lyrics into a rock-and-roll single.
Pacoima, Los Angeles : Pacoima is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Valens grew up there in a Mexican American family.
Day the Music Died : “The Day the Music Died” is a phrase associated with the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper. Valens’s death became part of the crash’s enduring place in popular music history.
The Silhouettes : The Silhouettes were an American doo-wop group whose 1958 hit “Get a Job” topped the Billboard Hot 100. Their chart success helped Del-Fi Records promote Valens as a rock-and-roll act.
Son jarocho : Son jarocho is a musical tradition from Veracruz, Mexico, combining singing, string instruments, and dance. It is the regional tradition behind the song Valens reworked.
Mexican American music : Mexican American music comprises musical practices shaped by Mexican heritage and life in the United States. Valens’s recordings drew on this broad cultural setting while entering mainstream pop.
La Bamba (1987 film) : La Bamba is a 1987 biographical film about Ritchie Valens, written and directed by Luis Valdez. The film introduced Valens’s life and music to a new generation.
Buddy Holly : Buddy Holly was an American rock-and-roll singer, songwriter, and guitarist who led the Crickets. He toured with Valens on the Winter Dance Party before both died in the same plane crash.
Electric guitar : An electric guitar converts string vibrations into an amplified electrical signal. Valens used amplified guitar to give “La Bamba” its rock-band drive.
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