Los Lobos

One of the most successful and most enduring Latino bands, Los Lobos found unexpected mainstream fame in the late 1980s when their upbeat dance version of the old classic La Bamba featured in a movie of the same name; a biopic of the Mexican roots rocker Ritchie Valens, who died in 1959. By the time the hit came around they were already widely respected as an exciting Tex Mex roots band, formed in LA in 1974 by a group of friends of Mexican origin, mixing rock'n'roll with cajun zydeco dance music. Their self-financed debut album Just Another Band From East LA in 1978 impressed enough people to lead to rave reviews for their second, How Will The Wolf Survive?, produced by T-Bone Burnett. With their high-energy good-time style, they also established a reputation as a thrilling live act before La Bamba became the first Spanish language song to top the pop charts in the US and UK. Their album La Pistola Y El Corazon - a deliberate attempt to get back to their roots after all the pop fame - also sold well, while the Kiko album of 1992 re-established their rock credentials. In 2004 they collaborated with the likes of Tom Waits, Elvis Costello and Mavis Staples on their 2004 album The Ride and diversified further in 2009 with an album of Disney covers, Los Lobos Goes Disney. They continue to be a hugely popular live attraction.