La Bamba
“La bamba” is a traditional son jarocho wedding song originating in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Famously adapted by Ritchie Valens in 1958, it was the first Spanish song to reach No. 1 on the American charts, and the only non-English song to be included in Rolling Stones “500 Greatest Songs of All Time,” at #354.
The Latin American Music Center invited Mexico Remix participants to explore the history and current use of “La bamba” through a mix of public and university-specific resources. Here is a sample:
Ritchie Valens only recorded three albums before his tragic 1959 death in a plane crash, but had a lasting impact on Chicano and Latin rock.
"Ritchie Valens - the Best of" (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) by willemalink
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The earliest recording of “La bamba” currently available was recorded by Alvaro Hernández Ortiz, credited as El Jarocho, in 1939.
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"La bamba" is a son jarocho, a folk music style from the Veracruz region of Mexico. String instruments like the jarana jarocha, the requinto jarocho, the arpa jarocha, and the leona are commonly featured. Here are some other well-known son jarocho:
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Ballet Folklórico de México's dance to "La bamba" is iconic, and reflects the traditional dances that accompany son jarocho.
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Media Collections Online offers many unique versions of “La bamba” recorded by guest artists, students, and faculty of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Listen to these arrangements:
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Another traditional version of “La bamba” from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings can be found on IUCAT (the IU Libraries Online Catalog) through the Alexander Street database accessible by subscription via ProQuest.
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Listen to a version of “La bamba” by Richie Valens from the album The Ritchie Valens Story, which includes “Hits, unreleased demos, photos, and Ritchie's story, as told by producer Bob Keane."
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The soundtrack from La Bamba, the 1987 biopic of Ritchie Valens, which features music from Carlos Santana and Los Lobos, among others, is available on Media Collections Online (MCO).