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    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1980s
    Movies - 1980s Movies - L 2 Mins Read

    La Bamba (1987)

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    Very traditional Hollywood biopic covering the rise to fame of Ritchie Valens, the Mexican-born rock star whose eight months of success were cut short when he took a fateful plane ride with Buddy Holly in 1959.

    La Bamba chronicles Ritchie’s meteoric rise from a life of poverty among California’s Mexican fruit pickers to a privileged seat in the rock and roll hall of fame.

    The road was full of potholes. Sick of racial prejudice, tortillas, and hardships, Ritchie’s dream was rock and roll, and his guitar was the key to his escape.

    Part Chicano, part Yaqui Indian, he had nothing to start out with in life but his own raw talent and the support of a mother who even paid for his first gig in an American Legion hall with her own rent money.

    Ritchie wanted more. He longed to perform the Mexican folk song La Bamba in his own rocking style. The rest is history.

    Valens is persuasively played by angelic newcomer Lou Diamond Phillips, but since he is characterised as such a good-hearted innocent it is left to his sinful, delinquent brother to provide the sleazy fun.

    A neat package that is content to be breezily superficial, and sneaks in most of Valens’ hits.

    Ritchie Valens
    Lou Diamond Phillips
    Bob Morales
    Esai Morales
    Connie Valenzuela
    Rosanna De Soto
    Rosie Morales
    Elizabeth Peña
    Donna Ludwig
    Danielle Von Zerneck
    Bob Keane
    Joe Pantoliano
    Ted Quillin
    Rick Dees
    Buddy Holly
    Marshall Crenshaw
    Jackie Wilson
    Howard Huntsberry
    Eddie Cochran
    Brian Setzer
    Lelo
    Daniel Valdez
    Curandero
    Felipe Cantu
    Chino
    Eddie Frias
    Mexican Ed
    Mike Moroff
    Rudy
    Geoffrey Rivas
    Mr Ludwig
    Sam Anderson
    Mrs Ludwig
    Maggie Gwinn

    Director
    Luis Valdez

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