baldyholly79's video: Ritchie Valens La Bamba The Baldy Holly Band@ The Cochrane Street Club

Heres a recent gig of us Rockin' out, and filling the dancefloor with the brilliant La Bamba!!!! Ritchie Valens was light years ahead of his time and a true inspiration to budding musicians. Sure to have everyone up dancing, we always end our set with his great standard-La Bamba, testament to the great energy that Ritchie produced during his short, but very eventful and talented lifetime. La Bamba is a classic example of the Son Jarocho musical style which originated in the Mexican state of Veracruz and combines Spanish, indigenous, and African musical elements. The song is typically played on one or two arpas jarochas (harps) along with guitar relatives the jarana jarocha and the requinto jarocho. Lyrics to the song vary greatly, as performers often improvise verses while performing. The traditional "La Bamba" is often played during weddings in Veracruz, where the bride and groom perform the accompanying dance. Today this wedding tradition is not done as frequently as in the past, but the dance is still popular, perhaps through the popularity of ballet folklórico. The traditional song inspired Ritchie Valens' rock and roll version "La Bamba" in 1958. Valens' "La Bamba" infused the traditional tune with a rock drive, in part provided by session drummer Earl Palmer and session guitarist Carol Kaye, making the song accessible to a much wider record audience and earning it (and Valens) a place in rock history (inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001). The song features a simple verse-chorus form. Valens, who was proud of his Mexican heritage, was hesitant at first to merge "La Bamba" with rock and roll but then agreed. Valens obtained the lyrics from his aunt Ernestine Reyes and learned the Spanish lyrics phonetically, as he had been raised from birth speaking English. The song ranked in VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Rock and Roll and in VH1's 100 Greatest Dance Songs of Rock and Roll, both done in 2000.