Chicano Rock!

CHICANO ROCK! The Sounds of East Los Angeles
Producer/Writer/Director/Editor: Jon Wilkman
Genre: Documentary
Length: 1 Episode/60 Minutes
Broadcast Date: December 14, 2008 on PBS

Narrated by Edward James Olmos, this landmark film chronicles more than 60 years of America’s largest Mexican-American community as generations of artists and audiences defined themselves with music. It began in the 1940s, with the Father of Chicano Music, Lalo Guerrero and continued with the brilliant but tragic career of Ritchie Valens in the 1950s. During the 1960s, bands such as El Chicano and Tierra produced national hits and reflected a new militancy. Also included is the amazing and inspiring story of Cannibal and the Headhunters, kids from local housing projects whose best-selling recording of “Land of a Thousand Dances” led to a tour with the Beatles in 1965, and Thee Midniters, whose song “Whittier Blvd.” captured the spirit of Chicano car culture and an East L.A. cultural renaissance. During the 70s and 80s, Chicano punk bands such as “The Brat” gave a voice to women and it all came together in the 80s and 90s with perhaps the greatest East L.A. band, Los Lobos , and continues today with the multicultural music of Ozomatli and Quetzal.

For more information, please visit the PBS website at: www.pbs.org/chicanorock.