Malo at Plaza de Cesar Chavez

In Music August 23, 2018 by Nick Veronin

SUAVECITO: Chicano all-stars and SF natives Malo play Plaza de Cesar Chavez.

Founded in San Francisco by Arcelio Garcia and Jorge Santana (brother to Carlos), Malo has been churning out groovy, Latin-inflected Chicano rock since the early ’70s. They’ve seen many members come and go over the years—Garcia is now the only remaining original member—but they’re still going strong as they near the half-century mark. Their biggest hit in the U.S., 1972’s “Suavecito,” has been called “the Chicano national anthem.” They scored several more hits in Central and South America, including “Chevere,” “Nena,” “Pana,” “Cafe” and “Oye Mama.”