Beyond La Bamba
The life of an undocumented Mexican immigrant in the U.S. changes dramatically when he's discovered as an heir to a 300-year-old musical tradition. Beyond La Bamba follows the story of Jose Luis Utrera, and what happens when this gifted musician working as a meat packing clerk in Milwaukee, is revealed as the grandson of Esteban Utrera, an icon of Mexico’s 300-year-old son jarocho musical tradition. This intimate, character-driven documentary is the story of how son jarocho, which blends African, indigenous, and Andalusian elements to birth songs such as "la Bamba," is at the core of a cultural exchange that defies borders.
Here, Noé Gonzales provides an acapella introduction highlighting Son Jarocho's core traditions of migration and verse.
Beyond La Bamba
A film by Marco Villalobos & Daffodil Altan
Produced by Flywitness Films, with support from Latino Public Broadcasting and the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture.
Currently in production
