Los Lobos is a group that made a splash on the American continent in the 1980s. The musicians' work is based on the idea of eclecticism - they combined Spanish and Mexican folk music, rock, folk, country and other directions.
As a result, an amazing and unique style was born, by which the group was recognized all over the world. The Los Lobos group has existed for almost half a century, and during this time a long creative path has been covered.
The Early Years of Los Lobos
The team was founded in 1973 in the American city of Los Angeles. The name means "Wolves" in Spanish. The musicians in interviews have repeatedly mentioned that they associate themselves with these animals.
The original line-up included:
- Cesar Rosas - founder, vocalist and guitarist;
- David Hidalgo - vocalist, guitarist, accordionist, violinist, keyboardist and banjo player
- Conrad Lozano - bassist
- Louis Perez - vocalist, guitarist and drummer.
Until now, the composition has not changed. Sometimes they were joined by other musicians. All participants are hereditary Hispanics. It is with their origin that the choice of Spanish and Mexican motifs is connected.
The Wolves were originally played in restaurants and at parties. The first album Los Lobos was released in 1976. It was a non-profit project - it was sold for charity. Subsequently, all proceeds were credited to the account of the farmers' union.
Then two more albums were released, already more professional. These albums were not very popular, but another victory was won - Los Lobos was brought to the attention of Warner Music.
In 1984, the album How Will the Wolf Survive? was released, which became the real debut of the band. Sold several million copies.
Critics unanimously praised the young group. The number of "fans" increased around the world. Getting into the charts, and even the title of one of the 500 famous albums (according to Rolling Stone magazine) is all thanks to the album under the Warner Music label.
The pinnacle of Los Lobos group success
The group then tried to draw the attention of the "fans" to their unique style. The next album was By the Light of the Moon. But the main event of 1987 was something else.
The film "La Bamba" about the life and work of American musician Ritchie Valens was released. The group Los Lobos made several cover versions of his hits, and they became the accompaniment to the film. The single of the same name cemented the group's fame.
The song La Bamba took the lead on all the charts in the United States. It was nonsense for Latin American music. Until now, the song is a constant hit of all concerts.
The musicians also recorded the soundtrack for the film "Desperado". For their work, they received the Grammy Award for the best Latin American group, which was presented in 1989.
Instead of continuing on the wave of success, the group returned to national motives.
From 1988 to 1996 The group released five more albums. They were not as popular as the previous two, but still the critics spoke warmly about them, and the "fans" bought up albums and concert tickets.
The album Papa's Dream, released specifically for children, deserved considerable attention. The musicians surprised both critics and "fans", but from such an experiment, love for them became even stronger.
The musicians also continued to record soundtracks for films and cover versions of hits from past decades.
Decay of the group
Despite being widely known, in 1996 the band stopped working with Warner Music. The label did not like the Colossak Head album and terminated the contract.
Los Lobos had a black streak. For three years, the musicians could not release a new album. The members of the group dispersed in different directions.
They were busy with independent projects. None of them enjoyed the huge popularity that the band had in the 1980s.
The band's return to the stage
In the late 1990s, the band signed a contract with Hollywood Records. In 1999 he released the album This Time. But the label didn't like this album either. The collaboration has ended.
However, the musicians did not want to give up. In 2002, they began working with Mammoth Records. Two new albums have been released.
With this, the band stated that they were not going to leave the stage so easily. They again drew the attention of the "fans" to their work and continued to work.
On their 30th anniversary, Los Lobos recorded two concerts and released their first live video. Another surprise for the "fans" was the Goes Disney album of songs, which was released in 2009.
At the moment, the group remains active and does not stop on the creative path. The 2015 album was critically acclaimed.
At the end of 2019, a collection of Christmas songs was released, in which the musicians brought a lot of new things. It includes both original songs and cover versions.
Also, the team does not forget about what it started with - the musicians still play charity concerts and donate all the proceeds.
Los Lobos is a band that was popular in the 1980s. Their albums were bought up in millions of copies, and the compositions occupied the leading positions of the American charts.
Los Lobos in 2021
At the end of the last spring month of 2021, Los Lobos presented a double single. The novelty was called "Love Special Delivery / Sail on, Sailor". In addition, the musicians announced that the release of the new LP will take place in mid-summer 2021.
