Lalo Guerrero is internationally recognized as the "Father of Chicano Music." The legendary Mexican-American singer, composer, and icon enjoyed a career that spanned more than six decades beginning with the classic "Cancion Mexicana" composed in his teens. It remains the un-official anthem of Mexico song, first made famous by the late great Lucha Reyes in 1941.

It was the first of hundreds of songs penned and recorded by Lalo Guerrero, throughout his extra ordinary career, on various labels including Volcan (1937), Imperial (1946), RCA-Victor (1953), EMI Capitol (1962), his own record label, Colonial (1957-'72), and Break Records. His versatility is dazzling, writing and performing music in a myriad of styles un-matched by any other artist, music included, boleros, rancheras, mambos, cha-cha, salsa, tejano, big band swing, rock, comic parodies and even children's recordings with more than 25 albums of his hugely popular, "Las Ardillitas de Lalo Guerrero-series."

At the height of Lalo's recording career in the 1940's, 50's, 60's, and 70's his music dominated the Latin American music charts in the U.S., Mexico and South America with as many as three hits in the top ten, at the same time.

Lalo Guerrero loved celebrating his bi-cultural roots, and as a music pioneer, and political activist wrote their story in music. He was the first to compose and record bilingual songs, and the first to bring American swing together with Mexican music. The 1949 "pachuco" swing hits, "Vamos A Bailar, Marujuana Boogie, and Chicas Patas Boogie," became popular again in 1977, when American playwrite Luis Valdez brought Lalo's music to the Los Angeles and New York stages in Luis'"Zoot Suit" Lalo's music provided the life to his musical play.

Lalo's enduring melodies, like the beautiful bolero "Nunca Jamas" (1956) and the comic rock song "Elvis Perez" (1957) and "La Minifalda de Reynalda" (1968), were among many others. Many of Lalo's standards have become popular again with some of today's top recording artists, who still choose to record his hits of years ago.

But, his music has done more than just entertain. It has given a voice to his Mexican-American people. Lalo's "corridos" have told of the triumphs and struggles of Mexican-American hereos like Cesar Chavez and Ruben Salazar and brought their stories to wider audience. And he's used his unparalleled humor in songs of social protest like "No Chicanos on TV."

Guerrero, considered a cultural icon to the Chicano community, celebrated his 88th birthday on Christmas Eve of 2005, but the years only added luster to an already distinguished career. In 1993, Paul Rodriguez invited Lalo to co-host his popular talk/variety show, "El Nuevo Show de Paul Rodriguez" which aired nationally on Univision and throughout Mexico and Latin America bringing Lalo a huge new audience.

The popular East Los Angeles group Los Lobos asked Lalo to join them on the 1995 bilingual children's album, "Papa's Dream" and that collaboration garnered a "Grammy Nomination".

In January, 1997 brought Lalo his highest professional honor the 1996 "National Medal of the Arts" presented to him by President and Mrs. Clinton at a White House Ceremony for a lifetime of creative musical achievement. He considers that event the "pinnacle" of his professional career.

The honors have been many, including invitations to both the Carter and Bush (1) White Houses. In 1980, the Smithsonian Institution declared him a ""National Folk Treasure"" and he received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1991.

Lalo has been inducted into the Tejano Hall of Fame and been honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Mexican Cultural Institute representing the Mexican Government, Luis Valdez' The Teatro Campesino and Ricardo Montalban's Nosotros Organization among other prestigious groups have also honored him. Los Angeles, Tucson, and his adopted home of Palm Springs, California have declared "Lalo Guerrero Day" in those cities and proclamations have been awarded from numerous other cities and national organizations.

Lalo Guerrero was born in the Barrio Viejo of Tucson, Arizona on Christmas Eve, 1916. He was one of twenty-four children with only eight surviving to adulthood. His father's origins were in La Paz, Baja California and his mother was from Santa Ana, Sonor, Mexico. They were married in Cananea, Sonora and moved to Tucson in 1911 where they raised their family and remained the rest of their lives.

Lalo was greatly influenced by his mother, Concepcion, who sang and played the guitar beautifully. She was his first and only music teacher. It was his mother and father, Eduardo, who instilled a great love for Mexico in their son, Eduardo, Jr. (Lalo).

Lalo Guerrero dedicated his life, and career to the definition and enrichment of the Chicano experience in United States of America. He was once quoted modestly as saying, "I only wrote and sang about what I saw." But, in doing just that, he become the musical historian of a unique American culture, a culture with roots in two worlds.

Fellow Tucsonense Linda Ronstadt puts it best - "Lalo is the first great Chicano musical artist, he is the historian of social conscience for our community."

This prolific artist continued creating until the end, one of his last composition, "Barrio Viejo" - was a tribute to his beloved childhood neighborhood - bought a standing ovation from over 5000 people at the 1996 Tucson International Mariachi Conference where he shared the stage with Linda Ronstadt and Vikki Carr. He repeated that triumph writing a special English-language lyric for the 1998 Alma Awards, that aired to a national audience on ABC-TV when program host Jimmy Smits presenting Lalo with his special "ALMA" award.

Lalo continued to take his music and message to venues across the country including the new Getty Musuem in Los Angeles. He enjoyed in particular, performancing at colleges and universities like Harvard, and Yale where younger generations adopted Guerrero as their own.

In 1997, Lalo took his music to Europe for the first time. He made his debut at the prestigious Cite do Sone La Musique in Paris, France. He was accompanied by his friend and fellow musican Flaco Jimenez and his group of Tex-Mex musicans, both Lalo and Flaco performed to sell out crowds hungry for great music. The event was part of a three day Music Festival of American Music. Lalo, at age 83 has just completed his latest CD for music producer Benjamin Esparza of Break Records. Break Records a Los Angeles base record lable, decided to record the legend for a new musical CD of Lalo's swing and jazz music, for more information please visit www.break-records.com. The new project includes some of Lalo's 40's "Pachuco Swing and Salsa" hits. Hits on his new CD include, Vamos A Bailar, Marijuana Boogie, Tin Marin De Do Pinque, La Cosa, Mazanita, Nunca Jamas, Barrio Viejo, and many more of Guerrero's great tunes from the past, and present. The hits were treated to all new arrangements, with great new charts. The band was composed of a who's - who of todays best musical talent. All musicans on the CD are world class contemporary musicans. The CD is titled: "Vamos A Bailar - Otra Vez! with Lalo Guerrero", the CD project also includes a wonderful music video, produced by Anna Marie Esparza. The music video was filmed at the world famous "Palace Theater" on Vine Street in Hollywood, Ca. The CD and music video has received great reviews, and artistic praise. Lalo and Benjamin Esparza have very high hopes for the project, and expect to work together again for a second project. Mr. Guerrero has said of his latest CD, "It contains some of my best recording work, simply put, these recordings are HOT!".

A bio. book on Lalo' life has been completed, titled: "Lalo Guerrero-My Life and Music". The book details his life, and his musical rise to fame, his professional recording and even his brief movie career. The book is published by Arizona Press, and scheduled for release 2000.

Lalo was a music pioneer, always willing to stand on the front lines of social issues and cultural stuggles of the common man, and detailing the story of his Mexican-American people, a story best told through his music. For more than 60 years he stayed on track with his message, and when needed added humor to his message, but always telling it clear with pure and simple truth, that often crossed borders where language was never been a problem for this music icon. He recorded many social protest songs, one such recording caught the attention of the Latino Hollywood Community, they quickly adopted the song as their own, that song is titled: "Chicanos On TV", making a very real observation, and asking one simple question, Why! Lalo was also active in providing a voice for children's issues, and voicing concerns regarding basic human rights, social injustice, boarder relations, farm workers rights, working closely with the UFW, and on immigrant rights.

Lalo Guerrero was one of the worlds best selling artist with childrens recordings, his popular "Ardillitas" recordings for EMI-Capital-Mexico, They were recorded in the mid 50's and 60's, Guerrero recorded more than 25 LP albums with EMI-Capital. The Ardillitas are still very popular world wide, and are still enjoyed today. These and other recordings have gathered Guerrero many generations of fans around the world, for more than 60 years Guerrero became an important cultural icon, he created a world where children could be children, where they could laugh together along with their parents to Panfilo and the rest of the Ardillitas. Where age had no limit and fun had no boundries.