With the Supreme Court celebrating “Trigger the Libs Day,” I figure it’s time to once again dip into my mellow summer playlist. Play as necessary until feelings of rage subside.
Malo was a San Francisco-based band formed in 1971. Their sound capitalized on two then-current trends in rock — horn sections, typified by Chicago, and Latin-tinged rock, popularized by Santana. Malo had a leg up on the latter score — their lead guitarist was Jorge Santana, Carlos’ brother. He and half the band had played in the Malibus; the other half was in a band called Naked Lunch.
The single version of “Suavecito” cut out about half the song, but it became a surprise hit, making it to No. 18 in 1972. The band splintered soon after, and though it soldiered on with new members, they never had another hit. A version of the band that still includes original players, including Richard Bean, who wrote and sang “Suavecito,” is still performing. The song is in the repertoire of virtually every Latin rock band.
