Liner
Notes for Lalo Guerrero CD “Vamos a Bailar Otra Vez!”
Break Records (1999)
By Mark Guerrero
It’s amazing, though not surprising,
that Lalo Guerrero recorded this great album with world-class
musicians and arrangers at the age of 82. After all,
he was born in the Barrio Libre of Tucson, Arizona to a family
with lots of kids and not a lot of money and after 65 years
in music, received the National Medal of the Arts at the White
House in 1997. He accomplished this without a formal
musical education or high school diploma. His genius
is innate, natural, and instinctive. He’s a great
singer and songwriter in many genres, including salsa, norteña,
banda, corridos, rancheras, boleros, cumbias, cha cha chas,
mambos, canciones comicas, as well as big band swing, blues,
rock & roll, and even parodies and children’s music.
Most of his songs are in Spanish, some in English, and many
are bilingual. He is rightfully recognized as the “Father
of Chicano Music” because there is no Chicano musical
artist who has come close to creating a body of work with
the quality, quantity and diversity that can compare.
For that matter, I can’t think of anyone in mainstream
popular music history who can either. Because of the
limited market of Chicano music, he’s not a household
name throughout the United States as are mainstream artists,
but his music can stand up next to anyone’s. This
collection of songs provides an excellent sampling of his
incredible versatility and talent. The CD is produced
by Ben Esparza and Justo Almario.
It’s amazing, though not surprising,
that Lalo Guerrero recorded this great album with world-class
musicians and arrangers at the age of 82. After all,
he was born in the Barrio Libre of Tucson, Arizona to a family
with lots of kids and not a lot of money and after 65 years
in music, received the National Medal of the Arts at the White
House in 1997. He accomplished this without a formal
musical education or high school diploma. His genius
is innate, natural, and instinctive. He’s a great
singer and songwriter in many genres, including salsa, norteña,
banda, corridos, rancheras, boleros, cumbias, cha cha chas,
mambos, canciones comicas, as well as big band swing, blues,
rock & roll, and even parodies and children’s music.
Most of his songs are in Spanish, some in English, and many
are bilingual. He is rightfully recognized as the “Father
of Chicano Music” because there is no Chicano musical
artist who has come close to creating a body of work with
the quality, quantity and diversity that can compare.
For that matter, I can’t think of anyone in mainstream
popular music history who can either. Because of the
limited market of Chicano music, he’s not a household
name throughout the United States as are mainstream artists,
but his music can stand up next to anyone’s. This
collection of songs provides an excellent sampling of his
incredible versatility and talent. The CD is produced
by Ben Esparza and Justo Almario.
