In 1976, Art Brambila, a television and music producer from Los Angeles,[5] was looking for a sponsor for his new Latin music television show, The Mean Salsa Machine. He had heard that Cesar Chavez, president of the United Farm Workers, had a relationship with Coca-Cola and asked him for help to secure a deal with the company. When Chavez succeeded in getting the sponsorship for the show, Brambila wanted to repay him.[1] Brambila decided to put together an album of songs honoring Chavez and the United Farm Workers, and chose Los Lobos, then a local Mexican folk combo called Los Lobos Del Este De Los Angeles, to be the backing band for the project. They would accompany a variety of vocalists performing songs celebrating Chavez's accomplishments and the struggle of farm workers.[2]
Vocalists Carmen Moreno from Fresno, Geri Gonzales of East L.A., the Salas brothers of Lincoln Heights, Ramon "Tiguere" Rodriguez from Phoenix, Brambila's brother Raul, and the Santa Isabel School Choir from East Los Angeles were selected to participate. Herb Alpert, President of A&M Records, donated studio time and, in January 1977, Brambila assembled the musicians at A&M’s studio in Los Angeles to record the album. In March 1977, the United Farm Workers Union was presented with 5,000 copies of the album. "I could utilize the talents of many local artists I’d worked with in my earlier years as a record producer and the union could sell [the album] at rallies, marches, and huelgas", Brambila recalled.[1]
Reissues
The album has been reissued on CD in 1994 and 2005 by Brown Bag Records and digitally in 2014 by Fantasy.[6][7][1]
^Chris Morris Los Lobos: Dream in Blue 2015 -- Page 30 1477308520 "The Making of Si Se Puede! and Just Another Band from East L.A. -- Art Brambila, the entrepreneur who brought Los Lobos del Este de Los Angeles into the studio for the first time.... According to Mark Guerrero, in 1976 Brambila came up with the idea of creating a benefit album to support the UFW's organizing and community efforts. It would be called Si Se Puede! after the union's longtime motto, “Yes We Can!”"
^Sí Se Puede! (Liner notes). Various Artists. Pan American Ent. 1977. PA-101.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
