In 1981, threats to affirmative action admissions programs led to student protests at Universities of California in San Francisco and Berkeley. On a picket line at one such protest, a serendipitous meeting occurred between 3 young musician/activists: law school graduates Enrique and Antonio Ramirez on guitars, and college student Miguel Govea (CMC faculty) on guitarrón (bass). Despite having never met, the Ramirez brothers and Govea nevertheless shared the cultural and political influences that compelled them to immediately forge a bond that would continue and deepen for the next 40 years. They played, sang, and composed social justice movimiento music that borrowed deeply from their Chicano/Mexican-American/Latino heritage. They eventually recorded an LP entitled “Los Peludos” (1983) that featured their most popular songs played at countless cultural, institutional, educational, and political solidarity events in their San Francisco Bay Area stomping grounds and internationally. A new recording, entitled “El Regreso” (2024) is dedicated to the memory of Antonio Ramirez, who suddenly and< unexpectedly passed away before the project began. The new recording features original compositions by Enrique Ramirez (guitar, vocals) and instrumental participation by Miguel Govea (accordion, trumpet, sax, bass, percussion, vocals), Jarmon Balberan (percussion), Roberto Medina (percussion), Juan Ceballos (clarinet), and Nydia Gonzalez (harp).
A recording release will be celebrated on :
Sunday November 10, 2–5 pm
CMC Concert Hall
FREE
