The guitar tab (chords and melody) for “La Bamba” is available for download as a PDF.
La Bamba
“La Bamba” is a vibrant Mexican folk song rooted in the son jarocho tradition of Veracruz, with origins possibly tracing to 17th- or 18th-century Afro-Mexican influences from slavery and dance culture. The oldest known recording dates to 1938 by Álvaro Hernández Ortiz (El Jarocho), though earlier versions existed in wedding performances with improvised verses.
It became a rock ‘n’ roll landmark through Ritchie Valens’ 1958 adaptation, released as the B-side to “Donna” on Del-Fi Records. The 17-year-old Chicano pioneer’s upbeat, guitar-driven version reached No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and later No. 345 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs (the only non-English entry). Valens learned it from family and hesitated to rock it up, but it bridged cultures before his tragic 1959 death in the plane crash with Buddy Holly. Los Lobos’ 1987 cover for the biopic La Bamba topped charts worldwide, cementing its enduring crossover legacy.
Guitar Tab
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