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Artist
El Chicano
12+ albums
funkjazzlatinloungesoul
about
An East L.A Mexican-American band who started out on the circuit as the V.I.P.’s in the late 60s, El Chicano signed to Kapp Records and had a Billboard top 40 instrumental hit in 1970 with a Latin Rock reworking of Gerald Wilson’s Viva Tirado. While they've had numerous lineup changes through the decades, the initial band members in their early 70's heyday included the late Bobby Espinosa (keyboards/vocals), Mickey Lespron (guitar/vocals), Freddie Sanchez (bass/vocals), and Andre Baeza and John De Luna (percussion). After the Viva Tirado LP, El Chicano went on to record several more albums for MCA, including 1971's Revolucion, 1972's Celebration, 1973's El Chicano, 1974's Cinco, 1975's The Best of Everything, and 1976's Pyramid of Love & Friends. They remained active releasing indie titles and performing on the oldies concert circuit until the death of founding member Bobby Espinosa in 2010. Along the way, El Chicano had many personnel changes; members who didn't join until the '70s included Ersi Arvizu (lead vocals), Hector "Rudy" Regalado (timbales, vocals), Max Garduno (congas), Danny Lamonte (drums), Brian Magness (bass), Joe Perreira (bass), Jerry Salas (lead vocals, guitar), Rudy Salas (guitar), and Steve Salas (lead vocals), among others. (The Salas brothers went on to join another East L.A. band, Tierra, which was an El Chicano spinoff and is best-known for its hit 1980 cover of the Intruders' Philadelphia soul ballad "Together"). After creating a buzz in East L.A
