Si Se Puede!: Los Lobos and Friends

Editors’ Notes In conjunction with Cesar Chavez Day and filmmaker Diego Luna’s forthcoming Chavez biopic, the 1977 debut album from East Los Angeles’ Los Lobos—Si Se Puede!: Los Lobos and Friends—was rereleased digitally in March 2014. Originally, TV and music producer Art Brambila had wished to celebrate the work Chavez had done with the United Farm Workers. After reviewing more than 120 songs and speeches from UFW marches, Brambila created a list of songs for the album and wrote “Mañana Is Now,” the only all-English song on the album. After choosing the material, he knew he wanted Los Lobos—then only locally known—to perform it. This would be the band’s first released recording, two years ahead of their Just Another Band from East L.A. EP. In addition to Los Lobos, singers Carmen Moreno from Fresno, Geree Gonazales of East L.A., the Salas brothers of Lincoln Heights, and Tigre Rodriguez from Phoenix all assembled at A&M’s studio in L.A. in January 1977. Within two months, this album was completed, with a choir of eight-year-olds from a small Catholic school in East L.A. adding their vocals to “De Colores.”