Ritchie Valens

Paper Summary:

The paper describes how Luis Valdez's movie, "La Bamba" provides a fairly accurate account of the social trials endured by Ritchie Valens during his short life. The paper discusses how Valdez wrote a compassionate screenplay about Valens' rise to fame, his relationship with his family and the prejudices that he faced during that era. The paper explains that Valens succeeded in becoming famous for his music by combining the qualities of his Mexican-American heritage and creating a new unique sound. Valens succeeded in becoming part of both cultures; he was the first Latino teen idol.

From the Paper:

"Valens was just shy of his eighteenth birthday when he died in a plane crash with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper while touring. Valdez's movie opens with two planes exploding in the air while children are playing on a playground. Although this scene adds a note of sadness at the very beginning of the movie, it also provides the audience with an omen, a prediction of what is to come. However, it also is the first clue that the audience receives concerning Valens' fear of flying, and his superstitious nature, much of which was rooted in his Hispanic heritage."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Lyden, Jacki. 2000 July 15. Profile: Ritchie Valens' "La Bamba" one of the 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century. Weekend Edition - Sunday (NPR). Retrieved March 13 2006 from HighBeam Research Library Web site.
• Ritchie Valens. Retrieved March 13 2006 from:http://www.history-of-rock.com/ritchie_valens.htm
• Valdez, Luis. 1987. La Bamba. Columbia Pictures.

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