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Song of the Week: 'Viva Tirado' by: El Chicano
Off-Ramp with John Rabe Hero Image
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Dan Carino
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Dec 1, 2016
Song of the Week: 'Viva Tirado' by: El Chicano
This week's song of the week comes from soul singers El Chicano with the their cover of "Viva Tirado."
El Chicano sports knitwear better than you
El Chicano sports knitwear better than you
()

This week's song of the week comes from soul singers El Chicano with the their cover of "Viva Tirado."

This week's song of the week comes from soul singers El Chicano with the their cover of "Viva Tirado."

The song was written by black Latin Jazz great Gerald Wilson in honor of the suave teenage Mexican matador José Ramón Tirado.

It became a top 40 hit for El Chicano in 1970, helping usher in a wave of "brown-eyed soul." And if you're listening Saturday, you can see El Chicano and whole host of other throwback groups at the Art Laboe-hosted Chicano Soul Legends Concert at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Art Laboe-- still kicking after the great purge of musical talent courtesy of 2016, as is El Chicano.

And make sure to listen to the late great Bobby Espinosa talking about how El Chicano changed his life and gave pride to his fellow Chicanos in East LA, in this piece from the Off-Ramp archive.