Customer Reviews

Pachuco Boogie

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An awesome collection of swinging, jazz-tinged California Chicano R&B from the height of the postwar "pachuco" scene. Most folks know this as a the music of the "zoot suiters" -- the latino hipsters who pioneered Mexican-American popular culture during the late '40s, and whose outlandish inhibitions met with a white backlash that became known as the "zoot suit riots." It's all fun and games as far as the music was concerned, though -- and this disc is a delight from start to finish. It all began in 1948 with the title track, "Pachuco Boogie," which was recorded as a goof by Don Tosti, a veteran big band bassist whose roots were in the barrio. The song features a super-catchy riff and a slang-filled rap in the barrio lingo known as "calo," a forerunner of contemporary Spanglish. The song was runaway hit in the Southwest, touching off a fad that lasted a couple of years. This collection has some of the best, and rarest, of the pachuco jazz singles. Although the most famous track, Lalo Guererro's crosscultural stoner classic, "Marijuana Boogie," a couple of other Guererro tracks do make the grade, along with a ton of Don Tosti's follow-up singles. This disc is a real find -- chaotic and fun, great music saved from oscurity and lovingly curated by our pals at Arhoolie.

This is a historic gem if you are looking for pioneering recordings that defined Mexican-American popular music. Some songs on this CD even influenced the emergence of rock & roll. During the 1940s the Pachuco movement was deemed a countercultural expression created by Mexican-American minorities in East L.A. In music, the pachucos adapted popular rhythms to their bicultural peculiarities. One of the most important musicians was Don Tosti, who formed his own orchestra and at times a trio and a quartet. Of the 21 tracks on this CD mostly recorded between 1948 and 1959, nine are recordings by Don Tosti's different musical groupings. Noteworthy are "Pachuco Boogie", "Wine-O-Boogie", "Guisa Guaina", "Los Blues" and "Chicano Boogie". The vocals of this last song are reminiscent of the singing style of Germán Valdéz, Tin Tan, an extraordinary actor/singer who was an icon of pachuco culture on both sides of the border. Don Tosti was probably an important influence on Tin Tan.

In addition, the CD offers three songs by Lalo Guerrero, the most famous chicano musician and composer, sometimes considered the "Father of Chicano Music." "Muy Sabroso Blues", one of his best melodies, is included. However, notably absent on the CD is one of his compositions that was most influential on rock & roll, his "Marihuana boogie" from 1949.

The rest of the songs cover different chicano styles. As a clear pioneering rock & roll sound, it is worth mentioning "Frijole Boogie" by Jorge Córdoba, as well as "El Pachuco Alegre" by Los Hermanos Yañez. In one part, this last song displays typical Rock & Roll style on the guitar as early as 1949.

In sum, this CD is a highly recommendable collector's item for those seeking the historical roots of Chicano music.

Back in the 1940s, Mexican-American youth experienced a surge in awareness that they were a group of people who were no longer Mexican but who were not yet fully assimilated as Americans either. This cross-cultural tension fueled the pachuco fashion fad and, in the world of music, led to some interesting sounds coming from the barrio.
Pachuco Boogie is a sampling of the different styles then in vogue in the young Mexican-American community and is a hip collection of tunes even a p....e gringo can enjoy. Pachuco music draws not only from Mexican influences, jazz and swing, but also from Cuban mambo and rumba which were popular throughout North America in the late 1940s. The music is simple, down to earth, and is best enjoyed in a party atmosphere as most of it really jumps.
Though there are no real classics here, I like the whole CD. My favorites are bluesy cuts such as Muy Sabroso Blues, Los Blues, the rumba Los Chucos Suaves and the more traditional sounding Las Pachuquitas. Also, there is some great piano work on songs like Guisa Guacha and Chicano Boogie. If your musical horizons are broad, you'll be sure to enjoy listening to this.

I grew up in East LA and love Latin music from that time. Pachuco Boogie is some of the very best music of that time. I only wish there were more available. If you enjoy music from the 50's, particularly Latin music, you'll love this CD. Every tune on it is excellent. Lalo Guerrero and Don Tosti are fantastic!

I was looking for some Lalo Guerrero material from the late forties early fifties era and came across this CD...what revelation! I discovered a whole new world. I am a huge jump blues and boogie fan, and the amazing combination of influences in this CD is mind blowing. I love the way traditional South American and Mexican stuff is mixed with jazz and blues...Mariachi and blues; mambo and boogie. The liner notes are great -lots of information about the artists and the LA scene of the time. The lyrics are fun to read - love the language, the slang and references to clothing and pachuco culture... a great piece of American musical heritage.

I,M A 26 YEAR OLD CHICANO FROM EAST OAKLAND CALIFORNIA AND I AM CURRENTLY WORKING ON A PROJECT ABOUT LATINO HISTORY IN OAKLAND AND I STUMBLED ON TO AN ARTICAL IN THE OAKLAND TRIBUNE THAT SAID THAT IN THE 1930SDON RAMON AND HIS SON DON TOTSI USED TO LIVE IN WEST OAKLAND BARRIOS AND DON RAMON WAS THE FIRST MEXICAN DJ TO HAVE A SPANISH SHOW IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA AND THEN I HEARD THEY MADE A ALBUM OF THERE SONGS AND I BOUGHT IT THIS IS A GREAT ALBUM IT SHOWS WHAT KIND OF MUSIC PACHUCOS AND CHICANOS USED TO LISTEN TO BACK THEN AND ALSO SHOWS THE ROOTS OF WHEN CHICANOS STARTED LIKING AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC SOMETHING THAT HASN,T CHANGED NOW CHICANOS MAKE AND LISTEN AND DANCE TO HIP HOP RAP MUSIC SO IF YOU SEE THIS ALBUM BUY IT I RECOMMEND IT .

If you like the music and know of the movement, then this is the seminal album for the Pachuco, later know as Chicano, boogie scene. There are very few songs on here that wont have you tapping your feet or wanting to dance to the rhythms. The Zoot Suiters have re-arrived.