The contribution of Hispanics to the vocal group harmony scene is widely underestimated and misunderstood. There are few, if any, books on the Hispanic contribution to rock n roll, much less on the history of vocal groups. In fact, there is no publication on Hispanic participation in the vocal group scene. Perhaps the reason for this is the fact that many Hispanics were in a unique position to play the “crossover” role in vocal groups. Hispanics were in a cross position to cross the fence on both sides of the racial-ethnic spirit; the reason for this is pretty obvious.

Hispanic racial makeup played an important role in the development of group singing. The Hispanic racial type ranges from blond hair with blue eyes to black and everything in between. Because of this composition, Latinos felt comfortable and at home with both white and black ethnic groups. The term Hispanic or Latino used here is used with a broad general stroke that includes all the peoples whose roots come from the Iberian Peninsula, the Caribbean and Latin America.

In the early development of the street corner sound, especially on the east coast of the United States during the 1950s, Hispanics, primarily Puerto Ricans, were the main vocalists who found themselves singing with black and white ethnic groups. They were involved in many of the popular vocal groups. The Crests, with Johnny Maestro, included Hispanics, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Tune Weavers, Five Discs, Vocaleers, and the Wrens had members who were Latino. Some groups like Claremont’s with Vince Castro and Four Haven Knights had Hispanic members. Various groups that came later, such as Excellents, Valrays, Devotions and others, played a fundamental role in shaping the group’s sound. On the west coast, the Jaguars, one of the first UN groups or interracial groups, had Manny Chávez.

Due to the unique position of being able to cross, some were found in all white groups and identified as white, usually Italians, such as mystics. Some were associated with black groups like Juan Gutiérrez de Diablo, and others were seen as predominantly Latino, like Los Eternos. Depending on what area or community Hispanics live in; some acquired the cultural characteristics of the prominent race or ethnic group within the community.

So it is found, some Hispanics gravitating toward black, Italian, Jewish or whatever culture prominent within their community. Regardless of who they sang and performed with, the Hispanic vocalist’s contribution to the vocal group’s harmony scene is significant but understated. Some were involved in administration, recruiting and writing, such as Raúl Cita los Harptones, Cliff Martínez de los Cuervos, Esther Navarro, the Cadillac and Cecilio Rodríguez de los Imperiales.

Taken together, the role they played in the image of the vocal group is significant, because they participated in uniting and building bridges of understanding across racial and ethnic boundaries that existed during the 1950s and early 1960s. Hispanics played a role in creating a bridge between racial groups and helped bridge the gap between races. The camaraderie between the group members and their friendship extended to their performances and had a significant impact on the audience. For this reason, Hispanics helped dispel the concept among white fans that rock n roll was a purely decadent form of black music. Additionally, many Latinos played a role in the overall development of rock n roll in general.

While the 1950s saw the participation of urban Hispanics in the vocal group arena, the 1960s was an explosion of Latino talent and participation. This was due in part to the East Coast phenomenon that took place along the corridor that stretched from Boston to Philadelphia. This sound corridor is called a cappella corridor. Warner writes: “From 1962 to about 1966, an East Coast phenomenon occurred in which lovers of harmony came into contact with hundreds of a cappella vocal groups and their recordings were created just for that audience.” 1

The 1960s brought many urban teenagers of all classes the opportunity to really record what they have been doing on street corners, bathrooms, and hallways. For the first time, teens were able to sing and record their own version of songs that their favorite groups recorded. All of these teens were going on and emulating the R&B group sound of the 1950s, which had taken a beating as a result of the musical and social changes that were taking place.

This opportunity opened the doors for Hispanics not only to get involved in groups that were multiracial, but also to develop and insert their own unique ethnic vocal group style. During the a cappella era, several strong groups with Hispanic members made a significant contribution; Among them were the Five Jades, Chessmen, Zirkons, Concepts, El Sierros, and Majestics, just to name a few. Everyone was looking for an urban sound that would express the unusual mix and infusion of cultures found in everyday life in the Jersey City-New York area. The a cappella era of the 1960s introduced these pioneers and preservers of the group sound; it was a move to record, capture, and continue the R&B group sound of the 1950s. The role Hispanics played in group formation helped pave the way for building bridges of understanding between races. This is one of the most important collective contributions Hispanics made, not only to the history of vocal groups but also to rock n roll in general.

1 American Singing Groups: A History 1940-1990

Jay Warner- Billboard Book 1992-Pg. 322

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