Ritchie Valens

Ritchie Valens is an important figure in the Chicano Wave, because he had a large part of beginning the movement. At only 17 years old, he became the first Mexican American rock n' roll artist. However, the record company told him that in order to be successful, he had to change his name to a more "American" one. So, he changed his last name from Valenzuela to Valens [1].

Although he had a short career because of his unfortunate and tragic death, Ritche Valens will always be remembered by his music, and specifically, his song "La Bamba." "La Bamba" is a hit that all Americans loved. Isn't it ironic that this single made Ritche Valens known in the United States? People didn't even know what the words meant because they're in Spanish. To see the lyrics for the song "La Bamba" along with the English translation click here. Valens brought Americans musically across the Mexican border through his music, and they instantly fell in love with the Spanish sound. Ritche Valens kicked off the movement that is known today as the Chicano Wave.

Check out Ritchie Valens' official website for more information!