Ritchie Valens

A biography of Valens with an analysis of the significance of his music which incorporated the Latin sound into rock and roll.

The Last Tour of Buddy Holly, the 'Big Bopper' and Ritchie Valens. The tragic deaths of these three fifties Rock n Roll stars was immortalised in Don McLean's classic hit American Pie. The poignant story of the build-up to, events of, and the fall-out from the infamous 'Day The Music Died' are told here in painstaking chronological detail. A must for any serious rock n roll fan or student.

(Guitar). Ritchie Valens was the first nationally recognized Latino rock 'n' roll star. He had a meteoric rise to fame in a career that lasted barely eight months, before his tragic death along with Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and pilot Roger Peterson, in a plane crash north of Clear Lake, Iowa. Ritchie's unique guitar style and high-energy performances made him a well-known figure in the "Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll." In Ritchie Valens: His Guitars and Music , guitarist and author Ryan Sheeler takes an in-depth look at Ritchie's music in a different light than other accounts. Included in the book are photos and information on his famous guitars, as well as an observation into how he might have approached his playing. This book also presents a brand-new transcription of "La Bamba" with accompanying guitar tablature of the famous intro riff and Ritchie's celebrated guitar solo. Join Ryan for a look back at one of the pioneer guitarists of early rock 'n' roll in Ritchie Valens: His Guitars and Music.

A Lil' Libros Bilingual Biography Introduce little ones to the life of legendary Ritchie Valens in both English and Spanish! Born May 13, 1941, Richard Steven Valenzuela, better known as Ritchie Valens, was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His musical journey began in Pacoima, California, at age 5, when his father encouraged him to take up guitar. In high school, he made his performing debut with his band, the Silhouettes. At age 17, Ritchie recorded his final record, which included the songs Donna and La Bamba. That record went on to sell over one million copies. To this day, Ritchie's music continues to live in the hearts of many! Unable to find bilingual first concept books she could enjoy reading to her baby, Patty Rodriguez came up with the idea behind Lil' Libros. Patty and her work have been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, CNN Latino, Latina Magazine, Cosmopolitan, People En Espanol, Cosmo Latina, and American Latino TV, to name a few. She is currently Sr. Producer for On Air With Ryan SeacrestiHeartMedia, jewelry designer for MALA by Patty Rodriguez, and creator of Manolos And Tacos. Ariana Stein, a graduate from California State University, Dominguez Hills, has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. Ariana spent the first eight years of her professional career in the corporate world. Her life changed with the birth of her baby boy. She immediately realized that bilingualism played a very important role in his future, as well as the future of other children.

A brief biography of the young singer from California who became the first Latino rock star, only to die in 1959, shortly after he had achieved stardom.

The hit movie La Bamba (based on the life of Richie Valens), the versatile singer Linda Ronstadt, and the popular rock group Los Lobos all have roots in the dynamic music of the Mexican-American community in East Los Angeles. With the recent "Eastside Renaissance" in the area, barrio music has taken on symbolic power throughout the Southwest, yet its story has remained undocumented and virtually untold. In Barrio Rhythm, Steven Loza brings this hidden history to life, demonstrating the music's essential role in the cultural development of East Los Angeles and its influence on mainstream popular culture. Drawing from oral histories and other primary sources, as well as from appropriate representative songs, Loza provides a historical overview of the music from the nineteenth century to the present and offers in-depth profiles of nine Mexican-American artists, groups, and entrepreneurs in Southern California from the post-World War II era to the present. His interviews with many of today's most influential barrio musicians, including members of Los Lobos, Eddie Cano, Lalo Guerrero, and Willie chronicle the cultural forces active in this complex urban community.

Latinos have contributed a tremendous amount to American cultural heritage, injecting energy, a unique style, and piquant flavor. This set profiles the big names from this century and the last who represent the highest achievement in their field and who have inspired, led, educated, informed, and entertained us. A diverse representation from the world of sports, entertainment, education, music, journalism, literature, and labor is offered. Biographical essays engagingly tell the story behind the icon, with background including family and education, career trajectory and highlights, and contributions and circumstances that have led to icon status. Along with these famous figures, several essays on other types of Latino pop culture icons—iconic characters from cartoons and comics and film and even iconic Latino foods—are included. Entertaining side bars and classic photos complement the essays. Perfect for student reports and browsing, with more in-depth coverage than an encyclopedia entry but less than a full biography, there is something fascinating and informative here for everyone. Readers will find that that a number of the icons profiled were influenced by other icons profiled or have an important connection to one another. For example, Tito Puente and Celia Cruz performed together for many years. Actress Jennifer Lopez portrayed the singer Selena in a biopic. Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta made the United Farm Workers union a reality. Furthermore, in telling the story of these icons, each essay relates so much of the historical and social issues of the times. Thus, together, these essays offer a good sense of recent Latino and Latin American history and progress. Icons include Desi Arnaz; Ruben Blades; Fabiola Cabeza de Baca; Cesar Chavez; Chiles, Tortillas, and the Mexican Food Explosion; Sandra Cisneros; Roberto Clemente; Celia Cruz; Placido Domingo; Jaime Escalante; Gordo, Speedy Gonzales, Dora the Explorer, Bondo, and La Cucaracha; Dolores Huerta; Jennifer Lopez; Rita Moreno; Edward James Olmos; Tito Puente; Ruben Salazar; Carlos Santana; Cristina Saralegui; Selena; Lee Trevino; Luis Valdez; Ritchie Valens; and Zorro.