“La Bamba” ~ Speakeasy Marty Vaz & L’ill Hustler 🫨💃🎸🎲🎲 at McDonaugh’s Pub in Keyport, NJ ~ 6/9/2024

"La Bamba" (pronounced [la ˈβamba]) is a Mexican folk song, originally from the state of Veracruz, also known as "La Bomba" The song is best known from a 1958 adaptation by Ritchie Valens, a Top 40 hit in the U.S. charts. Valens's version is ranked number 345 on Rolling Stone magazine′s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
"La Bamba" has been recorded by numerous artists, notably by Los Lobos whose version was the title track of the 1987 film La Bamba, a bio-pic about Valens; their version reached No. 1 in many charts in the same year.
"La Bamba" is a classic example of the son jarocho musical style, which originated in the Mexican state of Veracruz, and combines Spanish, indigenous, and African musical elements. The song is typically played on one or two arpa jarochas (harps) along with guitar relatives the jarana jarocha and the requinto jarocho.Lyrics to the song vary greatly, as performers often improvise verses while performing. However, versions such as those by musical groups Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan and Los Pregoneros del Puerto have survived because of the artists' popularity. The traditional aspect of "La Bamba" lies in the tune, which remains almost the same through most versions. The name of the dance referenced within the song, which has no direct English translation, is presumably connected with the Spanish verb "bambolear", meaning "to sway", "to shake" or "to wobble". In one traditional version of this dance performed at weddings and ballet folklórico shows, couples utilize intricate footwork to create a bow signifying their union.
Ritchie Valens learned the song in his youth, from his cousin Dickie Cota.In 1958 he recorded a rock and roll flavored version of "La Bamba",together with session musicians Buddy Clark (string bass); Ernie Freeman (piano); Carol Kaye (acoustic rhythm guitar); René Hall (Danelectro six-string baritone guitar); and Earl Palmer (drums and claves).It was originally released as the B-side of "Donna", on the Del-Fi label.
The song features a simple verse-chorus form. Valens, who was proud of his Mexican heritage, was hesitant at first to merge "La Bamba" with rock and roll, but subsequently agreed to do so. The song ranked No. 98 in VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Rock and Roll in 1999, and No. 59 in VH1's 100 Greatest Dance Songs in 2000. Furthermore, Valens' recording of the song was inducted into the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame and the Grammy Hall of Fame.
The song was listed at number 354 in the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine,[16] being the only non-English language song included in the list.It was also included in Robert Christgau's "Basic Record Library" of 1950s and 1960s recordings published in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981).Valens was inducted posthumously into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.[19] In 2018, Valens' version was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".It is also included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of 500 songs that were influential in shaping rock and roll.