The hit movie La Bamba (based on the life of Richie Valens), the         versatile singer Linda Ronstadt, and the popular rock group Los Lobos         all have roots in the dynamic music of the Mexican-American community         in East Los Angeles. With the recent "Eastside Renaissance"         in the area, barrio music has taken on symbolic power throughout the Southwest,         yet its story has remained undocumented and virtually untold. In Barrio         Rhythm, Steven Loza brings this hidden history to life, demonstrating         the music's essential role in the cultural development of East Los Angeles         and its influence on mainstream popular culture.       Drawing from oral histories and other primary sources, as well as from         appropriate representative songs, Loza provides a historical overview         of the music from the nineteenth century to the present and offers in-depth         profiles of nine Mexican-American artists, groups, and entrepreneurs in         Southern California from the post-World War II era to the present. His         interviews with many of today's most influential barrio musicians, including         members of Los Lobos, Eddie Cano, Lalo Guerrero, and Willie         chronicle the cultural forces active in this complex urban community.