The fire that heats the sound of Latin Rock burns on in MALO (English definition - "bad",
as in bad boys, rock rebels with a Latin slant). The impact of their unique sound has
left a lasting impression on the history of this music.
Founder and vocalist Arcelio Garcia is known as an influencing force in the Bay Area music
scene. Arcelio was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in San Francisco, where his varied
musical interest developed into the creative force that is MALO. Arcelio played for several
years with The Malibus, a popular Bay Area band in the mid-sixties that started out as mainly
R&B but later added Latin to the mix. In 1971, Arcelio brought together a group of ten fellow
teenagers, using the framework of his earlier bands, including Jorge Santana, brother of Carlos
Santana.
In 1970 the Malibus changed their name to Malo and things started happening. By 1971, they were
signed to Warner Brothers Records and recorded their first album, simply entitled "Malo". Arcelio
co-wrote four of the six songs, including their classics "Nena" and "Cafe." Released in 1972, "Malo"
also included "Suavecito," which reached #18 on the Billboard charts in April of 1972. Their first
album was the #2 album in November 1972 and they were also Top 20 for the year.
Later in 1972, Warner Brothers released Malo's second album, "Dos", followed by "Evolution" in 1973.
In 1974, Arcelio was unable to sing for a year due to health problems, and Little Willie G., (from
Thee Midniters of East L.A.), came in and became lead singer for Malo. Willie did one album entitled
"Ascención" and toured with the band. Back in good health, Arcelio returned to singing. This
resulted in the release of Malo V in 1981. In 1986, Malo had an album called "Coast To Coast"
on the Blue Heron label. "Señorita" was released on GNP Crescendo Records in 1995. In 1997, two live
albums were issued, "Malo Rocks the Rockies," on an independent label, and "Latin Legends Live," on
Thump Records, featuring Malo, Tierra, and El Chicano.
Malo's current lineup includes: Arcelio Garcia, lead vocals; Julian Molina, bass; David George,
drums; Gabriel Manzo, lead guitar; Jay Rossette, 2nd lead guitar; Daniel Cervantes, keyboards;
Frank Bailey, lead trumpet; Pete Rodriguez, trumpet; Steve Rocha, trombone; Gibby Ross, timbales;
and Tony Menjivar, congas. Another addition to the current Malo is Arcelio's son, Octaviano, an
excellent singer and performer in his own right.
The current Malo can rock the house. Malo has kept the same energy even after 30 years together,
and their sound continues to evolve. Their music ranges from romantic ballads to high energy Latin
grooves. Malo's high-energy Latin rock sound resembles salsa. What distinguishes Malo's music from
traditional salsa is "the presence of a searing feed-back sustained rock guitarist and a trap drummer
playing a backbeat." Malo transcends genres with a unique, easily accessible style, often
interchanging with both Spanish and English lyrics. They have been credited for making salsa popular
with the general public, and setting the musical precedence for bands such as Los Lobos and Gloria
Estefan and Miami Sound Machine.
MALO has played all over the world, and has performed on the same bill with artists such as the
Rolling Stones and Queen. Malo has produced timeless hits, including "Suavecito" and "Nena", which
still have a major impact on today's artists. A few years ago, the band Sugar Ray recorded a hit
song called "Every Morning," which used the vocal hook from "Suavecito." It turns out, Sugar Ray's
lead singer, Mark McGrath, had seen Malo play at a car show he attended with his father, who is a
big Malo fan.
Malo has given back to the community by doing many benefits for schools and other good causes over
the years. They recently raised $35,000 to refurbish public baseball fields for Latino teams in the
bay area.
In 2003, Malo returned to the studio to record a brand new album on Arcelio's new label, Olam,
(which is Malo backwards). There are also plans with VH1 for a DVD which will include clips of
various television appearances Malo did in the early 70s including Don Kirshner's Rock Concert,
Dick Clark's American Bandstand, and "The Midnight Special." The DVD will also include clips from
Malo's recent tours.
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