Exhibition Label

Born Los Angeles, California

In 1973, while living in East Los Angeles, Louie Pérez and his friends David Hidalgo, César Rosas, and Conrad Lozano played the Mexican folk song Las mañanitas as a birthday present for Pérez’s mother. Her emotional reaction to the performance revealed the power of affirming one’s cultural heritage through traditional music and prompted the formation of the group’s band Los Lobos (the wolves). Known for mixing rock, soul, country, Latin music, and experimental sounds, Los Lobos went from being a popular local group in Los Angeles to a national success with the album How Will the Wolf Survive? (1984). Pérez is the band’s main songwriter who also plays the drums and the jarana guitar. Harry Gamboa Jr. started his series Chicano Male Unbonded in 1991 to counter the racial profiling of Chicano men in the media with photographs of his peers who have promoted social equality.

Nacido en Los Ángeles, California

En 1973, cuando vivían en el este de Los Ángeles, Louie Pérez y sus amigos David Hidalgo, César Rosas y Conrad Lozano le cantaron a la mamá de Pérez en su cumpleaños la canción mexicana “Las mañanitas”. La emoción de la mamá les reveló el poder de la afirmación cultural a través la música tradicional y los impulsó a formar el grupo Los Lobos. Conocidos por su mezcla de rock, soul, country, música latina y sonidos experimentales, Los Lobos pasaron de la popularidad local al éxito nacional con el álbum How Will the Wolf Survive? (1984). Pérez es el compositor principal del grupo y toca la batería y la guitarra llamada “jarana”. Harry Gamboa Jr. comenzó en 1991 su serie Chicano Male Unbonded —fotos de hombres chicanos que han promovido la igualdad social— con el fin de contrarrestar el perfilismo racial que proyectan los medios de comunicación.

Credit Line

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; acquisition made possible through the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center

Restrictions & Rights

© Harry Gamboa, Jr.

See more items in

National Portrait Gallery Collection

2012

Object number

C/NPG.2016.74

Culture

Louie Pérez: Latino

Artist

Harry Gamboa Jr., born 1951

Sitter

Louie Pérez, born 29 Jan 1953

Topic

Costume\Jewelry\Ring

Costume\Dress Accessory\Eyeglasses

Costume\Jewelry\Bracelet

Louie Pérez: Male

Louie Pérez: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician

Portrait

Medium

Gelatin silver print

Dimensions

Image: 32.5 × 21.4 cm (12 13/16 × 8 7/16")

Sheet: 35.5 × 27.8 cm (14 × 10 15/16")

National Portrait Gallery

Type

Photograph