sign in sign up
<<
Home , Bob Keane, Chicano rock, Frankie Sardo, Ritchie Valens

Danna Cruz Senior Capstone Professor Konzelman March 4, 2016

PASSION AND SIX STRINGS: AND THE CREATION OF ROCK IN THE U.S.A.

"Looking to the world at no very distant date, what an endless number of the lower races will have been eliminated by the higher civilized races throughout the world."

-Charles Darwin, Life and Letters to W. Graham 1881

“The days of the pure whites, the victors of today, are as numbered as were the days of their predecessors. Having fulfilled their destiny of mechanizing the world, they themselves have set, without knowing it, the basis for the new period: The period of the fusion and the mixing of all peoples.”

-Jose Vasconcelos, Cosmica 1925

Passion and Six Strings: Ritchie Valens and the Creation of in the U.S.A | 1

The evolution of humankind is unpredictable by nature, but two things are certain; although we are bound to die, we are not nil, and while we are still alive, changes will persist.

Darwin’s and Vasconcelos’ philosophies on the evolution of civilization elucidate the advent of

Richie Steven Valenzuela, known as Ritchie Valens. Migration has ushered some of the greatest thinkers, artists, and musicians onto the global platform to be lauded by listeners. Migration also led to the development of a unique group of Americans who began to call themselves

“”. The Chicanos’ parents had been born in . The Chicanos themselves were born in the to Mexican parents. Ritchie Valens’ passion, Chicano Rock n Roll, unfolded before the American popular audience in the , as a result of migration. The musical gift of Valens not only brought jubilation to his audiences during his time alive, but also after he died. Most importantly, this young musician caused an increase in self-esteem and expressive opportunities for the Chicano community.

Ritchie Valens is the epitome of the quote, “only the good die young”, for he perished in a plane crash at the age 17. I have studied the foundations of his life, his successes, and his role in the creation of Chicano Rock n Roll in the U.S.A. Along this journey, I had the pleasure of recalling my personal and first-hand experiences as a Chicana, for they are relevant and were, in some way, shaped by this rock star. I am a descendent of indigenous Mexican migrant working people, raised in Southern . With my father’s help, I developed an ear for world music. Most intriguingly, my name was influenced by Ritchie’s sweetheart, Donna Ludwig. In my research, I have also had the opportunity to identify and mention two of the universal things that we share as species; passion and music. Passion and Six Strings: Ritchie Valens and the Creation of Chicano Rock in the U.S.A | 2

Charles Darwin’s evolutionary prediction that an attempt would be made by hegemonic cultures to eliminate minorities would prove true during the twentieth century. Jose Vasconcelos predicted the arrival of a diverse, multicultural society. This was a previously unimaginable state of affairs. The mixing of cultures has certainly shaped livelihoods and generations of people, in ways that cannot be undone.

The 1987 biographical film on Ritchie Valens, “La Bamba”, created by , was my first exposure to Chicano rock star Ritchie Valens. Interestingly, Ritchie’s family members had small roles in the film. I remember the day I watched it, as if it happened last night. It is one of my most delightful memories. I was a nine year old living in Southern California alongside other migrant working families. It was the weekend, and everyone working the fields in the

Santa Maria Valley had the day off, so this meant relaxation day with the family. The morning was sunny and energized, but by evening time, my family gathered in the crowded living room to watch a film. A video cassette of the film “La Bamba” was inserted into the VCR. The lights disappeared in the room, leaving only the vibrant shots of the film as the object of my vision.

The adults in my family were not fluent in English, but that did not stop them from watching. The soundtrack of the film made this movie experience worthwhile for everyone.

One second it was Chicano Rock group singing out from the television screen, and the next it was Italian duo Santo and Johnny’s serene “Sleepwalk”. There were surreal moments, especially when Ritchie Valens’ character, played by Filipino-American actor Lou Diamond

Phillips, began to sing “oh, Donna, oh Donna, oh Donna, oh Donna.” That was when I really knew this moment was special. Everyone in the room turned towards me and began to sing “oh,

Donna, oh Donna” with a good-natured smile. It took a few seconds before a “ding!” went off in Passion and Six Strings: Ritchie Valens and the Creation of Chicano Rock in the U.S.A | 3

my head, my ears perked up, and I uncovered the origin of my name. I will admit, I felt exceptional in that moment. The next couple of days I went on synchronizing my foot to the melodies of his songs. My imagination, too, toyed with the idea of being a rock star. Similarly today, I take a fancy to 1950s history, music, apparel and speech. So, in a comical sense, Ritchie

Valens has shaped my character, my interests, and my destiny.

If it were not for films like “La Bamba”, or photographs, radios, cassette tapes, compact discs, and television shows, people would not know about Ritchie Valens and his music. As such, he became known beyond the borders of his neighborhood of Pacoima, California. In fact, from his birth on May 13, 1941 up to his death on February 3, 1958, the United States experienced an exponential boom in consumerism. The increased resources allowed unique artists like Ritchie to become popular on a national scale. However, while the wealthy and middle class families could afford decent shelter and new belongings, such as record players and records in their homes, the “immigrant” Mexican population of , who were less financially stable, were not so fortunate. These working families were instead struggling to make ends meet. They lived in broken-down neighborhoods, and worked endless hours of intense labor in factories and in fields, with little pay. This was the case for many Mexican families in the states. The Chicanos, as the younger and American-born , had an advantage when it came to education and working outside of the fields, but it was a very slight advantage. Nevertheless, it was more than what incoming migrant Mexican working families were exposed to.

Ritchie’s parents, Concepcion “Connie” Valenzuela and Joseph Steven Valenzuela, his sisters Connie and Irma, as well as his brothers Bob and Mario all made their home in the Passion and Six Strings: Ritchie Valens and the Creation of Chicano Rock in the U.S.A | 4

Pacoima Neighborhood in the (in Los Angeles) in the late 1940s. Although it was referred to as a “suburban” area, the majority of the population at the time were second or third generation Mexicans, or Chicanos. His father, Joseph Steven Valenzuela took on an array of jobs such as pruning and treating old or damaged trees. At other times he worked as a miner, excavating minerals that benefited others, or spent his day training horses for the more fortunate.

As for his mother, Concepcion, she took on a job working in an ammunition-making plant.

Having two working parents in jobs with conditions that were less harsh than fieldwork later gave Ritchie the opportunity to grow up in a slightly better environment.

Just like Concepcion and Joseph, my parents, too, sacrificed their time and hard work to give my five siblings and myself opportunities to grow out of poverty. They took on any jobs from picking blueberries in Virginia and planting green beans in California, to working factory jobs that manufactured stuffed animals or fabric in North Carolina. While they worked we attended school. When times were not so good, we all worked in the fields picking and packing strawberries. The smell of the wet soil and pesticide lingers underneath my nostrils in moments of nostalgia like this one. The generous dawn would accompany workers up until sunset while backs were bent and layered with “protective” clothing. Our parents were not proud of having us there working, but they knew working would be something we would have to learn one way or another.

Joseph and Concepcion’s decision to settle in the suburban Pacoima neighborhood meant they sought opportunity for their children; opportunity, that is, to attend public school, master

English, and make both Chicano and non-Chicano acquaintances. Joseph and Concepcion

“called it quits” by the time Ritchie turned three. The couple had their personal reasons for Passion and Six Strings: Ritchie Valens and the Creation of Chicano Rock in the U.S.A | 5

separating, but this did not stop them from sharing custody of the children. His parents’ separation also did not stop the environment from impacting what would later be Ritchie’s teenage life.

What was taking place nationally was a different scenario. By the time Ritchie was four years and four months old, in 1945, the horrendous Second World War had just concluded. The results of World War II appeared to confirm the prognosis made by Charles Darwin; the “lower races” of Europe would be victims of genocide by a “higher race.” The higher race in this case, was Nazi Germany. Adolf Hitler rose in power, and the Jewish population of Europe was perishing at a rapid rate as a result of his leadership. The “ideal” human beings, in Hitler’s mind, were “Anglo” men and women with blue eyes and gold hair. Therefore, many people who did not fit that description fled their countries to seek refuge in places like America. The English phrase “the melting pot” was coined as a result of the mixing of peoples. Valdez, director of the film “La Bamba” once referred to the word as a horrible term, stating that “You melt people down, God! It shouldn’t be that way. Our country should be a place where the individual is sacred” (Gomez, 106). Jose Vasconcelos’ referred to an ideal, future “mixed race” as “The

Cosmic Race”.

Not long after World War II concluded, another war began; the so-called “Cold War”.

The rumbling of the Cold War infiltrated conversation in the corridors and barrios of the United

States as early as 1947. The Cold War would go on until 1991. It was also at this time that the communist ideology was rising in Europe and Asia. The very fear of communism seeping its way into everyday American life consumed the minds of the masses in the United States.

Personal and professional lives became frozen, for the time being, so that measures could be Passion and Six Strings: Ritchie Valens and the Creation of Chicano Rock in the U.S.A | 6

taken to ensure the safety of the people; bomb shelters were being built, tested, and advertised through television sets of American families (Shaw, xv). Growing concern about the possibility of another atomic catastrophe was a candle kept lit behind everyone’s eyes at all times during this period. These details explain how Ritchie Valens’ mother, Concepcion, ended up working at a factory that mass-produced products of war. “The importation of Mexican labor power accelerated during war time, primarily through a combined process of…contract labor migration and the internal movement of the resident Chicano population” (West/Macklin, 43).

The idea of increased jobs may sound promising, but that is not always the case. Many of these factories were being built solely to manufacture and distribute weapons used for killing in potential future wars, and these jobs were given to members of working-class and migrating families. The problem with this was the approach that American manufacturers took in making profit. The marginalization and exploitation of Mexican immigrants, especially, was at one of its worst peaks during war-time. American industries went into Mexico and recruited workers during what they called a “domestic labor shortage” in the United States. The average income of these Mexican families was $790 a year, which was $520 less than the government recommended for feeding and housing a family in the Southwest (Gomez, 62).

The migration and influx of Mexican immigrants to places like Los Angeles affected the lives of the Mexican-Americans who had already been living in the area, those who were on the verge of economic assimilation. Progress was being wiped out for the Mexican-Americans or

Chicano communities, and, by now, both Mexicans and Mexican-Americans were being paid poor wages, given less benefits, and were being forced to work longer hours. The unjust behavior of production companies is only one example of how the Mexican and Chicano Passion and Six Strings: Ritchie Valens and the Creation of Chicano Rock in the U.S.A | 7

population were treated in the United States during the booming 1950s. This unfair treatment led to the increased establishment of Chicano gatherings where issues were discussed, and it is these moments that led to a wave of Chicano socio-political movements in the 1960s, where farm worker and civil rights leader would lead the Chicano community into workers’ reform. While some Chicanos were planting the seeds of social reform, others were planting seeds in other areas of Chicano livelihood. These were seeds that would, by the late 1950s, become Ritchie Valens, and other Chicano figures that transformed the image of Chicanos and

Mexicans in American society.

When the separation took place between Ritchie’s parents, Ritchie began to spend more one-on-one time with his father. Eventually, they would find something in common to make their bond stronger, and that was music. Ritchie would also build a musical bond with his father’s brother, Dickie Cota, to learn songs in Spanish. Music in the air at that time ranged from folk ballads out of Mexico, known as “”, to the comforting sounds of country western music. His father eventually handed him a beat-up by the time he was nine years old, and with this guitar Ritchie began to sing songs, both in English and in Spanish, first for his family members, and eventually for his classmates. Ritchie’s relationship with his father reminds me of my relationship with my father. My father managed his brothers’ Mexican regional , and he was very fond of music. Occasionally, he would bring home instruments and hand them to me, hopeful that I would be a musician. Thankfully, I am able to say I have built a strong connection to the world of music and to various instruments, including a six-stringed guitar.

For the rest of America, life was redefining itself. As the country kept a strong military force at the ready, and maintained a skyrocketing consumer culture, the radio was full of Passion and Six Strings: Ritchie Valens and the Creation of Chicano Rock in the U.S.A | 8

broadcasts about war, about sports figures, and about popular music. The songs of the late

1940’s still roared in the heart of America. Ears were often soothed by , warmed by country lyrics, ignited by gospel cries, intrigued by Big Band orchestras, and tingled by Latin rhythms, despite American involvement in the Korean War. In fact, there were Mexican-American musicians active at this time. Don Totsi and Lalo Guerrero were among a handful of professional Chicano musicians, and are important to mention. Don Totsi, born Edmundo

Martinez Tostado, was a Mexican-American musician and composer during the late 1940s.

Known for architecting the “ sound” and being the “godfather of Chicano music”, Totsi fused , jazz and English or Spanish lyrics. The “pachuco” sound was initially the beginning of Chicano music, and would lead the next generation of Mexican-Americans to Chicano rock.

They were often rejected by society for acknowledging their bi-cultural background and creating sub-cultures like Chicano culture. “ were not only a distinctive group that sported a certain fashion – the is best known – and even their own “hip” variant of Spanish - calo

– but they also extended to each other camaraderie that set them apart from the traditionally hospitable older, often first-generation immigrant Mexican-American.” (Los Angeles Times)

Lalo Guerrero of Tucson, Arizona, on the other hand, was regarded as the “father of

Chicano music.” Lalo composed music that became popular on both United States and Mexican radios. He worked with swing and tropical sounds to create music geared for younger generations of Latin Americans in the United States. His style was focused on romantic ballads that were sung in both English and in Spanish, just like Don Totsi and Ritchie Valens. A personal favorite of mine is called “Los Chucos Suaves” or “The cool dudes” in English. In this heavy-based, trumpet-filled, and maraca-supported tune, Lalo’s words of encouragement Passion and Six Strings: Ritchie Valens and the Creation of Chicano Rock in the U.S.A | 9

reference change, and the need to embrace the changes in Chicano music. In one of his popular songs, he sang, “Ya los tiempos han cambiado” (“Times have changed”). Despite the racial inequality that groups like the Chicanos or Mexicans were facing, they always found different outlets through which to communicate.

By the start of the 1950’s, young people would soon find their interests leaning towards a new groundbreaking sound that mixed roots music, such as , with other influential genres such as western, gospel, folk, blue grass, and so on. African-American artists, such as and Chuck Berry during the 1950’s, were growing popular among all listeners, and this became worrisome for parents. “The ‘50s were a time of flux, of sound and fury. The sound was made by young people creating their own culture; and the fury, that of the older generation resisting, hating, and opposing something they could not and did not want to understand.” (Shaw,1) Interestingly, the actual phrase "rock and roll" originally was a code phrase for sexual intercourse in blues lyrics (web). Nevertheless, the concerned cries of conservative parents turned to dust underneath the dancing feet of the 1950’s youth.

Popular culture on the other side of the border, in Mexico, included an abundance of music, ranging from “tribal” songs to music that came out of the integration of indigenous,

Spanish, and even African cultures. In music and dance, it is often possible to see that indigenous groups have preserved dances of pre-Spanish origin, but have adapted Spanish or

Central European music to accompany them (Geijerstam, 2). The increase of industrialization and mobilization in Mexico increased the popularity of from different regions, while the radio became the main source for hearing the latest hits coming from neighboring countries, including the United States. Passion and Six Strings: Ritchie Valens and the Creation of Chicano Rock in the U.S.A | 10

As the rock n’ roll lifestyle became more prevalent, musicians or Chicanos living in the

United States took it upon themselves to merge traditional Mexican sounds with styles taken from other ethnic groups; Ritchie would be the front-runner, but not until 1958. At the same time that Rock n Roll was being born, Ritchie’s father died by 1952. Thus, as everyone was busy falling into a rebel spirit, Ritchie Valens, went into solitude in his home, exploring the vibrations felt under his fingertips from the guitar that his father had given him. This is where his passion took hold of his fingers, and he was able to teach himself complicated riffs. Passion is allowing oneself to be moved. It is moving others. It can be understood as something that we are born with, as opposed to our beliefs and cultures - which are, in fact, what we are born into. There was no question that Ritchie knew what his passion was now. In my case, I grew up migrating around the United States, and I was exposed to different landscapes, different languages, and different music. I grew up listening to the popular Mexican music of Los Tigres Del Norte, Los

Temerarios, and Los Broncos because of my parents. Besides this, however, they introduced me to contemporary and romantic Latin artists of the 1990s such as Laura Pausini, Juan Gabriel,

Enrique Iglesias, and so on. Once my family migrated from North Carolina in a white Chevy

Suburban to Santa Maria, California in 2001, I was exposed to a fountain of music and Chicano culture. Walking into a Mexican household felt like walking into an earthquake. They had music coming out of every crack in the house. The whole town played songs, Brenton

Wood songs, and Gloria Estefan songs. It was heaven, it was a community held together by music. This exposure influenced my perspective on music. However, I have found it in my nature to make music the way I see it; through improvisation. Passion and Six Strings: Ritchie Valens and the Creation of Chicano Rock in the U.S.A | 11

Physicist Albert Einstein, at one point, touched based on the nature of music and improvisation. Einstein believed much the same as physics that beyond the observations and theory lay music of the spheres – which, he wrote, revealed a “pre-established harmony” exhibiting stunning symmetries. (New York Times) The laws of nature, he said, such as the theory of relativity, were waiting to be plucked out of the cosmos by someone with a sympathetic ear. Ritchie, of the cosmic race, and of the Chicano culture - with no doubt - was a sympathetic person and listener.

Although naturally shy in front of others, Ritchie was never shy about playing his guitar.

When he was in junior high school, he accompanied his neighborhood friends to local garage parties, where he took the role of being lead singer. Things at home were not very good financially, however. He stuck by his mother’s side, nonetheless, struggling to help her make payments on their house. Ritchie’s increasing passion and need to support his mother led him to continue performing in the small garages of his neighborhood. Surprisingly, along the way he was being referred to as “The Little Richard of the Valley.” By the time he was in high school, he was playing for his classmates outside the sun-filled cafeteria. Even one of his teachers recalled that Ritchie was hard to forget; “He was always bringing in to work on: refinishing, polishing, restringing.” (Mendheim) Ritchie was known for his sharp outfits, but now he was known for his talent and passion for Latin sounds and rock n roll.

One of the most unique things about Ritchie’s small performances was his effort to sing

Mexican ballads. It was here where he first performed his rockin’ rendition of an original folk song from Vera Cruz, Mexico; La Bamba, which, by the way, climbed its way to the top of

American popular music by 1958. However, before this would take place, he had to be Passion and Six Strings: Ritchie Valens and the Creation of Chicano Rock in the U.S.A | 12

“discovered”. In his days of playing Chuck Berry songs and traditional songs, he was invited to perform at clubs. A doo-wop group present eventually took notice of this Chicano rock star, and offered him a spot in their performance gigs. He was sixteen, and the youngest member of the group. This move allowed for Ritchie to make some income and help his mother out with rent. A talent scout by the name of Doug Macchia eventually picked up on Ritchie’s vibrations and notified his boss, , who made an offer to take Ritchie into his developing record company, Del-Fi records, after seeing him live. Keane recalls, “He had a small, somewhat beat-up guitar amp worth about fifty bucks. He stood on stage, with complete command of his audience. He was this bull-like kid...I knew he had potential.” (Mendheim)

The realization that Ritchie was a Mexican with the name of Richard Valenzuela meant that putting Ritchie out into the spotlight would be difficult task, since very few non-white artists were successful. So Richard Valenzuela was turned into “Ritchie Valens”, his style remained, and he began his first steps as a recording artist. In his first session in the recording studio in

1957, Ritchie recorded what would become his most known hit, “La Bamba” as well as another hit, “Oh, Donna.” A list of other songs includes “Come On, Let’s Go”, “That’s My Little

Suzie”, “We Belong Together” and more. His songs are practically all folk-based, in the sense that they are influenced by a real story or event, written down, and then sung out loud. There was a story behind every Ritchie Valens song. For example, his song “Come On, Let’s Go” came from an expression his mother Connie used to say when they were leaving to go somewhere (Barrios). Connie remembers the first time she heard her son’s song on the radio in an interview with the Los Angeles Times: “I told his brother Bob (21 at the time) let’s go to

Saugus. I had some business there. I pulled over to the side of the road when “Come On, Let’s Passion and Six Strings: Ritchie Valens and the Creation of Chicano Rock in the U.S.A | 13

Go” came on the radio. We just sat there looking at each other amazed (Barrios). Another example is his song “oh Donna.” Before Richie began recording, he had the opportunity to fall in love with a blonde haired, blue-eyed high school classmate by the name of Donna Ludwig.

Unfortunately, he would also experience his first heartbreak, which explains the development of this simple yet touching song, dedicated to his very first sweetheart. It sings:

“I had a girl

Donna was her name

Since she left me

I've never been the same

'Cause I love my girl

Donna, oh where can you be? Music and Lyrics by Ritchie Valens, “Oh, Donna” (web)

Ritchie was then invited to tour with young singer and rising Texan rock star J.P. “” Richardson. Buddy’s percussion supported tune of “Everyday” remains part of my popular playlist in my iPod today. The tour was named the “Winter Dance

Party” and would feature musicians , Dion (of Dion and ), Tommy

Allsup, Carl Bunch, and . The plan was to tour 24 western cities starting on

January 23rd of 1959, and make enough money to support their families. What none of their families ever imagined was that these cosmic stars would lose their life along the way. In

February of 1959, snow was blanketing the state of . The buses that the musicians were riding on had a failed heater, leading to frostbite and flu among some of them. Holly made arrangements for a local plane to take him and others to North Dakota until the tour reconvened. Passion and Six Strings: Ritchie Valens and the Creation of Chicano Rock in the U.S.A | 14

There was only room for four in the plane, and so Buddy, The Big Bopper, and Pilot Roger

Peterson took up three seats. Ritchie – after winning a coin toss – was granted the remaining warm seat on the N3794N aircraft.

The aircraft disappeared into the misty clouds that day, never to return the four young men to 1959. A generation of music perished with the death of the musicians. The roaring

1950s concluded tragically. Rock n’ roll was left orphan, and the Chicano Rock movement dwindled, but not for too long. Nevertheless, the impact that Ritchie, Buddy, and The Big

Bopper had on their generation and music ignited the last of the 1950’s, leaving the final sentence to the chapter to be “.” While the Midwest remembered

Buddy, The Big Bopper and Roger Peterson, the corners of the San Fernando Valley were flooded with a shocked population of Mexicans and Chicanos. Chicanos had been on the verge of assimilating into popular rock culture at its infancy, but now the road ahead seemed foggy, due to Ritchie’s death. One Los Angeles article observed his funeral scene: St. Ferdinand

Catholic in San Fernando was overflowing at 10 a.m. when Reverend Edward M. Lynch began the requiem high mass for the death youth. Nearly a hundred youngsters - who could not crowd into the edifice, stood quietly in a mist – not quite rain- while the bell in the Church tower(s) tolled; several hundred of the boys and girls, who were his fans, stood with bowed heads. (Los

Angeles Times)

Surprisingly, the road ahead might have been appeared foggy, but Ritchie’s presence proved there was sunshine beyond the fog. His record sales skyrocketed after his death on

February 3, 1959, and Chicano artists like Los Lobos and would pick up the torch left behind, and continue Chicano Rock n Roll into the next decades. Even today, Ritchie’s “La Passion and Six Strings: Ritchie Valens and the Creation of Chicano Rock in the U.S.A | 15

Bamba” is found ranked at 354 on the Rolling Stone’s 500 greatest hit of all time. When the film

“La Bamba” about Ritchie’s life came out in 1987, the song was popularized for a second time.

His sister, Irma, said an interview with the Los Angeles Times that she hoped for her brother, the film about him, and his music would inspire young Latinos. Irma wished that they would realize that they do not have to be “macho”, mean, or have taken drugs to be a man. She said “they will also see that it’s OK to be sensitive, [and] tender, while taking care of their families” (Barrios).

The popularity of Ritchie’s voice and the popularity of “La Bamba” really said a great deal to the Chicano communities about the ways in which they could make a difference for their fellow Chicanos and Mexicans. The Chicano communities’ efforts to keep his memory alive have not failed since his death. Ritchie was inducted into both the Walk of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The bronze star at 6733 Hollywood Boulevard bearing the rock star’s name was made possible in 1990, after two years of fundraising $3,500 by family and friends. One fan, 46-year-old Rudy Ortega, was quoted as saying “he may be dead, but he is still alive to me” (Los Angeles Times). The Mystic Stamp Company released a 29c postage stamp

(below) in his memory in 1993, the year I was born.

Passion and Six Strings: Ritchie Valens and the Creation of Chicano Rock in the U.S.A | 16

Through artistic exploration and heightened awareness of the mixing of cultures and sounds, Chicanos like Ritchie were able to develop their own platforms through which they could communicate anything that they wished to communicate. In a time where Chicanos were misunderstood and underrepresented by popular American culture, Ritchie’s passion shone through. The emergence of this hybrid culture and music, and the pride that they engendered, enhanced social justice movements. This brings my attention to Vasconcelos’ views on the effects of migration on our society as a whole, and its power over our way of thinking and living.

There are several ways to understand events like migration or death. The real potential that we hold is the creative potential to use our imaginations and passions to fill the void with communication. Canadian Psychoanalyst, Norman Doidge, wrote a book called “The Brain That

Changes Itself.” In it, he wrote: “Cultural differences are so persistent because when our native culture is learned and wired into our brains, it becomes ‘second nature,’ seemingly as ‘natural’ as many of the instincts we were born with. The tastes our culture creates — in foods, in type of family, in love, in music — often seem ‘natural,’ even though they may be acquired tastes.”

(Doidge, 209) My taste and Ritchie’s taste in music were acquired from growing up in Chicano communities in California. It became second nature to listen to both English and Spanish music.

So, when Ritchie sang “La Bamba”, he sang it flawlessly, despite not speaking fluent Spanish.

The sounds in his music reflect what he was closest to, his culture.

From a macro point of view, popular culture in the United States of America is like the phenomenon of neuroplasticity, in the sense that American culture - much like the human brain- can be regularly reorganized according to the circumstances that people are faced with. The condition and the final shape that the object of change takes on - be it the human brain or Passion and Six Strings: Ritchie Valens and the Creation of Chicano Rock in the U.S.A | 17

American popular culture - is not necessary, but its flexibility persists in nature, which can lead to varying implications. For example, throughout American history there have been countless attempts and occasional victories for minority groups (e.g. females, people of color) to reduce injustices and implement rights. The very act of exerting force against a large body at rest shows that people can be the determinants of their circumstances after all. That is not to say that we are to be continually at fault for everything good or bad taking place in our environment. Rather, it leads one to the final conclusion that there exists the possibility that one can prevent injustices from taking hold of our daily lives, by simply creating a change within.

The is only one of several examples of a group experiencing changes within themselves and causing change in larger arenas of American life, by using some of the most antique forms of expressionism to communicate not only their frustrations as a minority, but also their pride of culture and history as descendants of Mexican working families. Chicanos are just one of several minority groups, or “subcultures”, in the United States to not only develop their own style of talking and walking, but to organize and build new ideas that would serve

Chicano communities in many ways. This is evident in the case of Ritchie Valens.

Migrating to a foreign land and integrating oneself into a new culture are hard to understand, especially when one is referring to the roots of Chicano culture and the birth of

Chicano rock n’ roll. Nonetheless, Chicanos are a primary example of a resilient subculture determining their own means of livelihood, using both their “roots” and their ambitions to shape a spirit and a culture of their own. I proudly identify as a Chicano when I am asked who I am or where I come from. Chicano culture is a culture that has its own set of qualities apart from Passion and Six Strings: Ritchie Valens and the Creation of Chicano Rock in the U.S.A | 18

Mexican and American cultures. Ritchie Valens during the 1950s magnified the Chicano lifestyle, in the universal language of music, and succeeded.

Once the first wave of Chicano organization took place in the 1940s, there was a guarantee that Chicanos were here to stay. The hungry attitudes of young singer-songwriters in

America, and the increased mingling between musical genres, gradually increased among

Mexican-Americans (Chicanos) in places like Los Angeles from the 1940s into the 1950s.

Although the dominant culture of elitism was at the forefront, ethnic minorities managed to share their unique music. Ritchie Valens emerged as a front-runner for his generation. His songs represented not only his experiences, but also the personal experiences of a hybrid culture.

Backed by the sounds of rhythm & blues and Latin flavor, songs like La Bamba emerged to become one of the most acclaimed songs of the Chicano Rock movement of the 1950s. Chicano rock became one of many outlets through which Chicanos in the twentieth century expressed themselves. This phenomenon is observed in the life of Chicano rock star Richard Steven

Valenzuela, otherwise known by his stage name, Ritchie Valens; a figure that I - as a Chicana – believe serves as a monumental and solid representative of Chicano culture and Chicano Rock

N’ Roll.

Only one thing matters, what gives you pleasure. It may be bodies, pictures of Jesus, flowers, children’s toys. It’s all the same. The more pleasure you get from life, the more you say your prayers.

-George Buchner, The Complete Plays

Passion and Six Strings: Ritchie Valens and the Creation of Chicano Rock in the U.S.A | 19

Works Cited

Books Büchner, Georg, and Michael Patterson. The Complete Plays. London: Methuen, 1987. Print.

Geijerstam, ClaesAf. Popular Music in Mexico. Albuquerque: U of New Mexico, 1976. Print.

Gomez, David F. Somos Chicanos; Strangers in Our Own Land. Boston: Beacon, 1973. Print.

Keefe, Susan Emley, and Amado M. Padilla.Chicano ethnicity. Vnr Ag, 1987.

Mackenzie, Malcolm S., Jose Vasconcelos, and Didier T. Jaen. "The Cosmic Race/La Raza Cosmica." Hispania 66.2 (1983): 304. Web.

Shaw, Arnold. The Rockin' '50s; the Decade That Transformed the Scene. New York: Hawthorn, 1974. Print.

West, Stanley A., and June Macklin.The Chicano Experience. Boulder, CO: Westview, 1979. Print.

Mendheim, Beverly. Ritchie Valens: The First Latino Rocker. Tempe, AZ: Bilingual/Editorial Bilingüe, 1987. Print.

Muñoz, Carlos. Youth, identity, power: The Chicano movement. Verso, 1989

Charles Darwin: Life and Letters, I, letter to W. Graham, July 3, 1881, p. 316; cited in Darwin and the Darwinian Revolution, by Gertrude Himmelfarb (London, Chatto and Windus, 1959), p. 343.

Historical Newspaper

Barrios, Gregg. Ritchie Valens Roots. Los Angeles Times. Jul 19, 1987; Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times. pg. K3

Valdez, Luis. "Once again, Meet the Zoot Suiters." Los Angeles Times. Aug 13 1978. Web. 4 May 2016.

Miller, Arthur I. "A Genius Finds Inspiration In the Music of Another." The New York Times. The New York Times, 30 Jan. 2006. Web. 26 Apr. 2016. Passion and Six Strings: Ritchie Valens and the Creation of Chicano Rock in the U.S.A | 20

-, Ritchie Valens, Rock 'n' Roll Idol, Buried. Los Angeles Times Feb 8, 1959; Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times. pg. B1

-, Rock Legend Ritchie Valens Given Star. Los Angeles Times. May 12, 1990; Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times pg. OCA28

Popular Sources

"Chicano Rock! The Sounds of East Los Angeles (DVD). PBS.org. Latino Public Broadcasting. 03 Apr. 2016.

“Donna” Lyrics. Ritchie Valens Lyrics. Web. 26 Apr. 2016

"The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum." The Roots and Definition of Rock and Roll. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.