The Latin Fury! Song Spotlight Series takes a closer look at the songs that are part of the show.
This song spotlight is on "La Bamba” – which also appears on the Latin Fury! EP, “Morado”.
A classic Mexican folk song that also features African, Spanish, and Indigenous influences, there are recordings of the song that reportedly date back to the early 1900s. Even so, it wasn’t until the mid-1940s that American Everett Hoagland brought it to a club in Mexico City, leading to its initial popularity.
Nearly 15 years later in 1958, young Ritchie Valens reworked “La Bamba” as a rock song which rocketed to #22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 before his untimely death later that year on the infamous Day the Music Died.
In 1987, Los Lobos brought “La Bamba” back and turned it into a smash, topping charts on multiple continents and introducing the song to a new generation of fans.
For the live Latin Fury! shows, we love the fast-paced, infectious, and crowd-pleasing nature of La Bamba. It gets the crowd on its feed and you can’t help but sing and dance along – leading to a memorable experience for both the performance and the audience.
Here’s a peek at “La Bamba” from the Latin Fury! PBS Special:
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