Book Review: Barrio Rhythm: Mexican American Music in Los Angeles

USC_AMST 554
Readings in Chicano/Latino History
w/ USC Professor George Sanchez

Barrio Rhythm: Mexican American Music in Los Angeles. By Steven Loza. (University of Illinois Press, 1993.)

December 14, 2009

Published in 1993, "Barrio Rhythm: Mexican American Music" in Los Angeles was and continues to be a much needed analysis and documentation of music from a population of people. As a volume in the series “Music in American Life” Steven Loza adds a plethora of information from oral histories, primary resources, songs, and personal narratives on the historical and contemporary styles and genres of what is considered Mexican American music. Drawing from the origin and power of early California history, Loza explains the influence of the Spanish crown, the Mexican revolutionary era, the use of radio and the rise of popularity of radio stars like Pedro J. Gonzalez and Los Madrugadores. Clearly, throughout the history of California, “Mexican-American” music has been front and center to the many changes that have occurred throughout the state.

Loza outlines the business side of the music industry as he showcases the development of radio, both English and in Spanish and the role of the recording industries – some of which, if not most, took advantage and underpaid its talent. From early Boleros, to Corridos in the Spanish era, to Swing in Pocho Spanish by artists like Lalo Guerrero, to Salsa, to Mariachi, to Mainstream Rock and Roll, to what he calls “The Eastside Sounds” of the melodies of bands like The Midnighters, and El Chicano, to the new wave of the punk band scenes of the 80’s, "Barrio Rhythm" smoothly transitions from each period, showcasing its mass appeal to the general audiences and significantly showcasing the vast array of talent and musical ability of the Mexican American Chicano community of Los Angeles. The Eastide Renaissance and the legacy of Chicano music, in murals, literature, theater and politics was a large part of the identity of Chicano music in East Los Angeles – a framework that is clearly outlined in Loza’s work.

With photographs, song lyrics, sheet music and more, Loza covers a span of over 300 years of music history in California specific to Los Angeles and the Mexican American community. Most urgently he points, Mexican American music is not solely music created by Mexican Americans, but music that defines an experience, such as the birth of sounds and scences from East Los Angeles. In contemporary terms, as Loza points out, many of the artists, like Willie Heron and Los Lobos were inspired by European music, soul, funk, and even son jarocho. The creation of new and hybrid sounds and towards the early 90’s sets the tone for continued work in the future chronology of “Chicano Music” in Los Angeles and the many ways in which it may change and evolve. The book is an incredibility entertaining, luring and poetic way of attempting to answer the question “What is Chicano music?” With the evidence presented, Loza alludes that Chicano music has a history, is not synonymous with a time, space or style,  but instead, is a hybrid of many elements fused together to create a sound from a loud and booming perspective.