El Jarocho - La Bamba

First performance: 31/07/1987


Coverinfo

Bruce has never performed it live in full as a standalone song but has often used a snippet of La bamba during  Twist and shout.
 
 
 
  • Snippet
2016-05-19 Bela Vista Park, Lisbon, Portugal
2016-05-17 Estadio Anoeta, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
2013-06-26 Estadio Municipal El Molinón, Gijón, Spain
2013-06-22 Goffertpark, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
2013-06-18 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland
2013-06-03 Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
2013-05-31 Stadio Euganeo, Padua, Italy
2013-05-23 Piazza Del Plebiscito, Naples, Italy
2013-05-11 Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden
2013-05-03 Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden
2012-08-24 Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
2012-07-31 Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland
2012-07-28 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
2012-07-14 Hyde Park, London, England (Evening)
2012-07-12 Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria
2011-11-04 Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, Pittsburgh, PA
2011-01-15 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ
2010-11-05 Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, Pittsburgh, PA
2009-08-23 Comcast Center, Mansfield, MA
2009-08-22 Comcast Center, Mansfield, MA
2009-08-19 Comcast Theatre, Hartford, CT
2009-08-02 Auditorio Monte Do Gozo, Santiago De Compostela, Spain
2009-08-01 Estadio José Zorrilla, Valladolid, Spain
2009-07-30 Estadio Municipal De Foietes, Benidorm, Spain
2009-07-26 Estadio San Mamés, Bilbao, Spain
2009-07-23 Stadio Friuli, Udine, Italy
2009-07-21 Stadio Olimpico, Turin, Italy
2009-07-19 Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy
2009-07-16 Les Vieilles Charrues, Carhaix, France
2009-07-14 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland
2009-07-12 RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
2009-07-11 RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
2009-07-08 MCH Arena, Herning, Denmark
2009-07-05 Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria
2009-07-03 Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Germany
2009-06-07 Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden
2008-08-18 Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, VA
2008-08-16 North Charleston Coliseum, Charleston, SC
2008-07-20 Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
2008-07-19 Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
2008-07-17 Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain
2005-04-10 Stone Pony (The), Asbury Park, NJ
2003-11-01 Stone Pony (The), Asbury Park, NJ
2003-10-04 Shea Stadium, New York City, NY
2000-11-03 Stone Pony (The), Asbury Park, NJ
1988-10-15 Estadio Antonio Vespucio Liberti, Buenos Aires, Argentina
1988-07-17 Olympia-Reitstadion Riem, Munich, West Germany
1987-07-31 Stone Pony (The), Asbury Park, NJ
1985-09-30 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
1985-09-29 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
1985-09-27 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
1985-09-23 Mile High Stadium, Denver, CO
1985-09-18 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA
1985-09-14 Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX
1985-09-10 Orange Bowl, Miami, FL
1985-09-09 Orange Bowl, Miami, FL
1985-08-31 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
1985-08-27 CNE Stadium, Toronto, ON
1985-08-26 CNE Stadium, Toronto, ON
1985-08-22 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
1985-08-11 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
1985-08-07 Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, OH
1985-08-05 RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
1983-12-28 Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
  

Songinfo

"La Bamba" is a Mexican folk song, originally from the state of Veracruz, best known from a 1958 adaptation by Ritchie Valens. "La Bamba" is a classic example of the son jarocho musical style, which originated in the Mexican state of Veracruz and combines Spanish, indigenous, and African musical elements. The song is typically played on one or two arpas jarochas (harps) along with guitarrelatives the jarana jarocha and the requinto jarocho. Lyrics to the song vary greatly, as performers often improvise verses while performing. However, versions such as those by musical groups Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan and Los Pregoneros del Puerto have survived because of the artists' popularity. The traditional aspect of "La Bamba" lies in the tune, which remains almost the same through most versions. The name of the dance, which has no direct English translation, is presumably connected with the Spanish verb bambolear, meaning "to shake" or perhaps "to stomp". Although an obscure and possibly non-existent 1908 Mexican recording has been cited, the earliest certain recording of the song is that by Alvaro Hernández Ortiz, credited as El Jarocho. Wich was released on the Victor label in Mexico in about 1939 .
 
 
 
Ritchie Valens : The traditional song inspired Ritchie Valens' rock and roll version "La Bamba" in 1958. Valens' "La Bamba" infused the traditional tune with a rock drive, in part provided by session musicians Earl Palmer and Carol Kaye, making the song popular with a much wider record audience and earning it (and Valens) a place in rock history.
 
 
 

Other cover versions

Bruce on the artist

Lyrics

Para bailar La Bamba, para bailar La Bamba
Se necessita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia
Para mi, para ti, ay arriba, ay arriba
Ay, arriba arriba
Por ti sere, por ti sere, por ti sere

Yo no soy mariner, yo no soy mariner
Soy capitan, soy capitan, soy capitan
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba, bam bam

Para bailar La Bamba, para bailar La Bamba
Se necessita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia
Para mi, para ti, ay arriba, ay arriba

Para bailar La Bamba, para bailar La Bamba
Se necessita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia
Para mi, para ti, ay arriba, ay arriba
Ay, arriba arriba
Por ti sere, por ti sere, por ti sere

Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, [fades out]