Legendary Love Song

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 31, 2007 ) Sacramento, CA – In 1972, Latin rock music included El Chicano, Tierra, and Santana, gaining crossover audiences around the world. Wanting to capitalize on this emerging sound, Warner Brothers Records decided to record a group of musicians whose roots were as diverse as their individual creative styles. The band was appropriately named Malo (Spanish for BAD). That year, the group launched a monster hit about a boy expressing his love for a girl. The song was called “Suavecito” (Spanish for SOFT). As the song reaches the 35th anniversary since its release, “Suavecito” continues to be the staple song at Latino events including birthdays, baptisms, quinceneras, weddings, and anniversaries. Cover bands include it as a key song for couples to dance and perhaps fall in love. Radio R&B and oldies format stations keep it on their rotation. The group Malo continues to tour. And, the author, composer and singer of that hit love song continues to perform and sing “Suavecito,” but with another band? Meet Richard Bean, a former saxophone and timbale player whose hypnotic silky smooth voice sets the mood for a romantic evening in any language and any time period, whether it’s 1972 or 2007.“I would have never known to this day that that song would’ve been so popular worldwide and inspire so many people in so many different ways,” Bean tells Jonathan Perez, host of Americas’ Music Café on www.calmagazine.com.As a high school student, a young Richard Bean penned “Suavecito” as a poem to his girlfriend during algebra class. However, she broke his heart before he was able to present her with the now legendary song. “I ended up flunking this class because of all the poems I had written,” says Bean. “So I decided I was going to take this algebra class again and this time I going to pass. Well wrong. I flunked it again, but “Suavecito” was born out of that class.”After recording “Suavecito” with Malo, Bean left the group attributing his departure to creative differences. “Things happen all the time,” says he, “so I ended up leaving the band. Then, me and my brother, we decided to form a band again, called Sapo.”Sapo (Spanish for frog) captures that latin rock sound of 1972 and truly performs the original “Suavecito.” To experience the full interview, tune in to Americas’ Music Café on Channel 9 at www.calmagazine.com.Contact:Adrian PerezTel: (916) 396-4053aperez@calmagazine.com

CalMagazine.com
Adrian Perez

aperez@calmagazine.com