Every year, Austin’s SXSW Film & TV Festival premieres music documentaries and concert films under the 24 Beats Per Second Section, and every year, I make it a point to watch at least one entry. Selecting Los Lobos: Native Sons was definitely a no-brainer for me, as I have been a fan of their music since the late 1980s. And though I know a lot of their music very well, I didn’t really know their history or origin story. Directors Doug Blush and Piero F. Giunti do a fantastic job of presenting this intimate portrait of the Chicano Rock group and celebrating their tremendous talent.
Before becoming nationally and internationally recognized, Los Lobos formed as a humble musical group in East Los Angeles. The sons of migrant farm workers, David Hidalgo, Louie Perez, Frank Gonzalez, Cesar Rosas, and Conrad Lozano, formed in 1973 and performed traditional Mexican music at weddings, parties, and club shows. After Gonzalez leaves the band, the remaining Lobos hire saxophone player Steve Berlin and evolve into a Chicano Rock ‘n Roll band. Their culturally diverse sound would help them achieve both success and critical acclaim. The group would go on to make top-selling records, including music for movie soundtracks like La Bamba and Desperado.
Perhaps I am a little biased, as I am a fan of Los Lobos, but I absolutely loved this film. It served as a wonderful celebration of their music and artistry and also a way for me to get to know the band’s members and their history. The directors and the band share lots of archival footage and reveal much about themselves in various interviews. The film also shows how well they are respected by their contemporaries and celebrity fans. The documentary features additional interviews with Linda Ronstadt, Rubén Blades, Tom Waits, Dolores Huerta, Danny Elfman, Jackson Browne, Cheech Marin, Edward James Olmos, Peter Frampton, George Lopez, and others.
Los Lobos: Native Sons is a music documentary I highly recommend, whether you are a fan of the band or simply interested in learning about a group of Chicano artists who helped pave the way for Mexican-American rock.