Anniversary Screening – Connectivity: “Chulas Fronteras”

In partnership with the Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Music, the Carsey-Wolf Center is pleased to present a special fiftieth anniversary screening of Chulas Fronteras (1976), newly restored in 4K and paired with the 1979 short Del Mero Corazón. Directed by Les Blank and Chris Strachwitz, Chulas Fronteras celebrates the famed Mexican-American musicians of the borderlands, the migrant farming communities from which they come, the strong family bonds of Tejanos, and the social protest ethos inscribed in their music.

From joyous, lively dance tunes to soulful, political work songs, musica norteña fuses traditional Mexican harmonies with central European dancehall rhythms. The film brims with tender affection for its subjects, the vitality of their marvelous music, and the generosity of spirit that they show in the face of hardship. Del Mero Corazón (Straight from the Heart), directed by Les Blank and Maureen Gosling, is a lyrical journey through the heart of Chicano culture as reflected in the love songs of the conjunto tejano and musica norteña traditions. The film was constructed from outtakes from Chulas Fronteras and additional footage shot in California.

A performance by corrido singer-songwriter Gallo Armado (Fernando Ríos) will precede the screenings of Chulas Fronteras and Del Mero Corazón. Following the screening, filmmaker Maureen Gosling (assistant editor of Chulas Fronteras and director of Del Mero Corazón) and library science doctoral student Juan Antonio Cuéllar (longtime archivist of Arhoolie Records’ Frontera Collection) will join moderator David Novak (Director of the Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Music, UCSB) for a discussion of the two films.