PBS presents documentary on Chicano rock

  The documentary "Chicano Rock! The Sounds of East Los Angeles" tells the inspiring story of generations of young musicians and audiences who proudly embrace and express the crossroads of their cultural identity in a unique style of rock 'n' roll. This music was born and raised in the country’s largest Mexican-American community: East Los Angeles.

 The video is being distributed by PBS. It is a film by Jon Wilkman and is narrated by the well-known actor Edward James Olmos.

  "I think Latin culture has been treated as a regional history, and it deserves to be made known to America’s mainstream," said Wilkman.  "Especially now that at the time that the culture, and the social and political Latino influence are growing. Just as we need to appreciate the European contributions to the history of this country, we need to include Latinos.

  "I not only chose Edward James Olmos as narrator because he’s someone very well-known but because I was looking for someone with a real connection to this issue," said Wilkman, an award-winning documentarian whose career began with Walter Cronkite in CBS.

  "(Olmos) grew up in East L.A. during the ’50s and ’60s and even played in a rock band. For me, he has what I needed and I was very pleased when he agreed to do it."

  Telling the story of Ritchie Valens, who brought in the Latin rhythms with the song "La Bamba," this video documentary comes out 50 years after his premature death.

  In this story, narrated in the first person, viewers will see and hear tapes and photographs rarely published and the ever-changing and lush music of artists such as Lalo Guerrero, the Father of Chicano music; the legendary Valens; classical music groups such as Cannibal and the Headhunters, who toured with The Beatles; Thee Midniters of Whittier Blvd.; El Chicano; Tierra; and Los Lobos.

 "Eight years ago, when I read the book 'Land of Thousand Dances' by Tom Weldman and David Reyes, I began to explore the idea of doing a documentary on the history of East Los Angeles’ music. Having grown up here, I'm old enough to remember the day that Ritchie Valens died and I have always enjoyed rock since its beginnings."

  This film starts during the era of so-called "pachucos" zoot suit at the time of World War II when the young Mexican-American initiated the musical dialogue with Anglos and African-Americans. Where they faced prejudice and injustice, both from U.S. and Mexico, pioneers such as Lalo Guerrero and Don Tosti define themselves in a sophisticated manner, with a unique language.

  More than all the music, they add a touch in Spanish, with rhythms of swing, boogie-woogie and jazz, with a musical mix that is the essence of Chicano rock.

 "As a film producer, I am attracted to stories that have been told, or things that are not very well-known with an unexpected attraction and meaning," said Wilkman. "I am also particularly interested in the often misunderstood history of Los Angeles, and two books have already been written on this subject and many documentaries have been done. But Chicano rock is a perfect item to express these passions," added Wilkman.

 The ’60s and ’70s created a generation more daring in the Chicano community of Los Angeles, proclaiming their pride in their Mexican heritage while openly protesting against prejudice and injustice during the Vietnam War.

 From the outset, caught up in two cultures, the Chicano rockers defined their dual identity with music.

 "I want Mexican-American youths to learn the proud role they played in the history of rock in the United States, but the rest of the people too. I hope that this film is informative, entertaining and certainly the main thing, that it may inspire them," he finished saying.

 The video is already available. For information on how to get it, visit www.shoppbs.org.

 The documentary was made possible in part through a grant from the Council for the Humanities in California and the Skirball Foundation as part of the California Stories Initiative.