ChicoHarpo

Long Beach, CA, USA

Our story begins in the idyllic suburbs of Watts and Compton, California. Chico tells us, “Both my parents had the unique experience of growing up in a Mexican American household in Compton and Watts during the 1960’s. They both look back with fondness on those years and recall how many of their neighbors were happy families and proud homeowners; teachers, nurses, union members, educated and professional.” But that all changed when the tanks arrived in the summer of 65’. With the help of the 1970’s Chicano Movement inspired by the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement, Chico’s parents graduated from college, purchased a home in the sprawling suburbs of LA, and adopted a baby boy. Chico grew up in that suburban Mexican American home with musical influences ranging from Coltrane to Chente, Marvin Gaye to Los Panchos. He may not have had Patsy Cline or Johnny Cash albums playing at home but those albums were on in some of his friend’s homes. Immersed in the skate/punk subculture of So Cal, Chic