Music exhibit celebrates sound of East Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES - "A Great Day in East LA: Celebrando the Eastside Sound" is a multimedia exhibition exploring the dynamic musical influences of East Los Angeles artists, who developed an eclectic musical identity and history. 

It centers on the portraits and oral histories of musicians taken by award-winning photographer and filmmaker Piero F. Giunti, who partnered with musician and historian Mark Guerrero. 

For years, they've been gathering belongings, interviews and more from the musicians that defined Eastside sound and those artistically influenced by them.

Guerrero knows a thing or two about the East LA sound. He formed his first band in 1963, following in the footsteps of his famous father, Lalo Guerrero — considered the father of Chicano music. 

Mark Guerrero's "East LA Music Stories" compiles one of the most extensive sets of interviews with musicians that define the genre.

Giunti has spent most of his working life photographing musicians, so this was a dream come true for the man who is presently working on a documentary on Los Lobos.

"It's a love letter to LA and especially the Eastside," said Dr. Jorge Leal.

The cultural and urban historian from UC Riverside is one of the co-curators of the exhibition, which he says "is particularly important these days." He is referring to the ongoing raids by federal agents targeting undocumented immigrants.

"During this time, to show that Chicano, Latinos, immigrants have contributed to the social and cultural patchwork of this country, and the world is so important right now," Guerrero explained.

The exhibition runs until August of next year, at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, just across from Olvera Street, in downtown Los Angeles. For more information on how you can attend, click here.