Jerry López:
Doing Santa Fe Proud
By Ana Pacheco
Santa Fe virtuoso Jerry López. Photos courtesy the López family.
Jerry Lopéz’ grandfather, Nicolás Escajeda, in 1932, at his loom at Gans Store on
the Santa Fe Plaza.
ots of people have cashed in on the
use of the name of Santa Fe, America’s
oldest city, to sell everything from
soap to cars. Fortunately, native son
Jerry López has done it with pizzazz. His
production company, Santa Fe Records, and
his professional musical ensemble, Santa Fe &
the Fat City Horns, do the Southwest’s crown
jewel proud.
Jerry and his family have a history tied to the
city. His grandmother Magdalena Griego Vigil
wrote the song used each year for the annual
celebration of the founding of Santa Fe: “¡Que
Viva la Fiesta!” The photo of Jerry’s grandfather
Nicolás Escajeda, at his loom at Gans Store on
the Santa Fe Plaza in 1932, graces the cover of
Volume 50 of La Herencia.
Anyone who was in Santa Fe in the 1960s
remembers the López Brothers. They were
regular performers, along with Genoveva
Chávez and Alan Muñiz. They performed for
every Fiesta de Santa Fe, political rallies and
other community events. Their innovative and
L
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34 La Herencia / Summer 2006
ambitious father, Gilbert López Sr., had his first
two children, Gilbert and Jerry, performing
professionally before they were old enough to
attend elementary school.
If you’ve ever wondered what became of the
López Brothers and you just happen to be in Las
Vegas, Nev., you can ask anyone, even the taxi
drivers. Since they left Santa Fe in the mid1970s, the López brothers have established
themselves as leading performers in Las Vegas.
At the behest of Nick Escajeda Jr., who is a loyal
subscriber to La Herencia and the López
Brother’s uncle, I flew to Las Vegas in February
to see Jerry López, 50, perform in the “Clint
Holmes Show” at Harrah’s Casino on the
famous Las Vegas Strip.
Meeting Jerry for the first time reminded me of
just how small Santa Fe will always be despite
the changes that have occurred in the last 30
years. It turns out that Jerry and I hung out with
the same gang of Santa Fe Mid-High School
hellions who terrorized the Plaza merchants back
in 1970. Although we didn’t remember each
other, we knew a lot of the same
people. Going back another decade,
to the 1960s, I found out that his
grandmother, Magdalena “Maida”
Griego Vigil, was a regular at my
uncle Henry and my aunt María
García’s weekly Sunday-night poker
game on Pacheco Street. I was
utterly dumbfounded to learn this
sweet little old lady was also a wellknown poet and composer.
Maida had followed in the
musical footsteps of her father,
Pablo Griego Sr., who was famous
for his secular and religious versos, cánticos y
poesías. Don Pablo was a featured poet in the old
Spanish-colonial style El Nuevo Mexicano, the
last Spanish language newspaper in the
Southwest (“La Prensa de Ayer,” La Herencia,
Volume 9, 1996). He was born in 1860 and died
in 1932. Keeping the Spanish traditions of her
father alive, Maida wrote poetry and composed
songs and hymns that are still used in churches
in Santa Fe and northern New Mexico. She
composed the beautiful tribute to La
Conquistadora that is sung each year on the
annual pilgrimage of Santa Fe’s revered
Madonna from Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis
of Assisi to Rosario Chapel. Maida even wrote a
humorous song during the Depression, when
rationing was mandatory, called “Racionaron la
Manteca.”
Maida was married to Nicolás Escajeda.
This shy, humble Mexican known throughout
Santa Fe as a noble gentleman was a singer
and weaver. Nicolás was born in Acensión, in
the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Finding it
hard to pursue a musical career in the village
of his birth, he headed for la frontera. His first
stop was Columbus, N.M., where Pancho Villa
and his renegades gave this town its place in
history. Villa raided this sleepy little pueblo in
1916 and quickly proceeded to set up a
command post he used for next four years. He
stayed in Columbus until the arrival of Gen.
“Black Jack” Pershing, who pursued him to no
avail through the mountains of Chihuahua,
where Villa received aid and shelter from his
supporters. The frustrated general reported
back to his superiors, “Pancho Villa is
everywhere and he is nowhere!”
Jerry and Gilbert López
performing in 1958.
Jerry and Gilbert López on the Santa Fe
Plaza in 1963.
Joanie and brother Lenny López performing
at the Santa Fe Fiesta.
Alan Muñiz and Jerry López performing at the
World’s Fair in Japan in 1970.
Jerry, Gilbert and Lenny López
performing at La Fonda, in Santa
Fe, N.M., 1972.
Promoter and composer Gilbert López Sr. putting his dukes up ready
for action in 1974 with his musical group Los Hermanos López.
Don Nicolás found his way to
Santa Fe in 1922, where he
married the beautiful Maida,
from one of Santa Fe’s old
A recent photo of Jerry’s mother, Margaret Griego López.
Spanish families. That their
paths should cross is no surprise
since Maida’s father, Pablo,
performed regularly with Los
folk melody. As he bent over his
Villeros Alegre, the leading musical
weaving frame, he turned to me and
ensemble of its era. The couple had two
asked: ‘Did you hear me sing last night?
children, Nicolás Jr. and Margaret, who
I won the prize in the audition. Now I
is Jerry’s mother. In addition to singing
go to Las Cruces to the state contest—
as a soloist in the St. Francis Cathedral
maybe I will win again—then I go to
Choir the singer participated in regional
Chicago!’ Nicolás turned back to the
music competitions. To the delight of
loom and began to hum the song again,
customers and tourists alike, Nicolás
one of those enraptured love songs that
sang the old tunes of Mexico at his
he had heard since childhood.”
loom. He was featured in the book
Jerry grew up in a humble abode on
Caballeros: The Romance of Santa Fe and
Kathryn Street, off of Agua Fría. He
the Southwest by Ruth Laughlin Barker,
attended St. Anne’s parochial school,
who reported the following anecdote:
Alvord and Salazar elementary schools
“In Santa Fe I was watching the young
and Santa Fe High and St. Michael’s
weaver from Old Mexico who sang a
high schools. By the time he was 12, he
Summer 2006 / La Herencia 35
Jerry López performing at Madison Square
Garden in New York during the “Livin’ La
Vida Loca Tour” in 2000.
Gilbert López backstage with Ricky Martin and Jerry López.
Albuquerque singer Diane Ulibarrí, aka Diane Díaz, with Luis Miguel and
Lenny López.
and his brother Gilbert had recorded 15
Mariachi records. The duo performed in early
1970s as strolling troubadours with the late
flamenco artist Vicente Romero at his club,
Zambra. Performing first as the López Brothers
and later in a larger group that also included his
younger brother Lenny, Gilbert López Sr. had
renamed the group Los Hermanos López. The
band played at local clubs like the Mariposa and
Johnny Vigil’s Pussycat Lounge. But Los
Hermanos López had outgrown Santa Fe.
“We were tired of playing rancheras, norteño
and TexMex music. We wanted to break into
pop music,” Jerry explains. So in 1975 the whole
family piled all their belongings into an old
school bus and headed for Las Vegas. “People
thought we were crazy, but we took a chance.
We had to do it,” Jerry recalls.
Jerry remembers those early years in Las
Vegas. “We worked the clubs in North Las
Vegas, which was a rough part of town. Back
then the Mafia was still running things. Our first
job was playing at a topless revue where we
were both the band and the bouncers.”
Before long Los Hermanos López were
gaining a reputation as a serious band and
opportunities began to open up. Since everyone
knew that the band was from Santa Fe, the
group started being known as Santa Fe. They
36 La Herencia / Summer 2006
Jerry López currently performs with Clint
Holmes at Harrah’s Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.
Jerry López performs with his band Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns every
Monday at the Boulder Street Station in Las Vegas, Nev.
quickly became part of the Las Vegas late night
scene, where other musicians and entertainers
would stop in to see them perform. The band
added more musicians and began to play all
types of music, from pop to rock to Latin jazzfusion. Today, Santa Fe & the Fat City Horns
consists of 14 professional musicians who
perform with Las Vegas’ biggest entertainers.
You can catch their show every Monday night at
10 p.m. at the Boulder Street Station.
Santa Fe & the Fat City horns is a mix of all
types of musical influences, with tributes to
musical heroes. “It’s the one night where
musicians can play to their heart’s content the
type of music that you couldn’t get away with in
a lounge, showroom or another commercial gig.
The show is completely live so there are mistakes,
and all of the things you can expect to happen in
a real live situation. The music comes from the
depths of our emotions,” Jerry explains. All of the
excitement and raw energy can be found on the
CD and DVD produced by Santa Fe & the Fat
City Horns and Roxie Video Productions.
Santa Fe & the Fat City Horns has never used a
publicity or marketing firm for its show, yet the
performers continue to fill the room by word of
mouth. Most of the audience consists of musicians
and headliners from other shows currently
running in Las Vegas. Each weekly performance
provides a showcase for people looking for top
musicians to take on the road. Jerry acts as point
man for the music industry in Las Vegas and west
coast cities, lining up musicians for different road
shows—when he’s not on the road himself.
In 2000 Jerry went around the world as part
of an ensemble that consisted of 100 people in
the “Livin’ la Vida Loca” Tour. He was Ricky
Martin’s lead guitarist and sideman. He also
performed with Ricky Martin on the Today Show
and at Madison Square Garden. It was an
incredible opportunity for him; the only
drawback was being away from his wife, Sari,
and their five children, whose ages range from 8
to 20. Oh yeah, they also wanted a punk rock
look for the band, so he had to die his hair a
blondish white. He never quite got used to
looking at himself in the mirror so he resorted to
wearing a baseball cap when he wasn’t on stage.
Jerry’s other professional gigs are too
numerous to mention, but he did perform with
Carlos Santana, Gloria Estefan and the late Celia
Cruz at the first annual Latin Grammy Awards
in a tribute to salsa legend Tito Puente.
Much of Jerry’s staying power in the
competitive entertainment industry has to do
with versatility. When he’s not performing, he
works as a writer and musical director. Jerry has
been a staff writer for Alchemy Productions,
Jerry López’s Santa Fe & The
Fat City Horns DVD.
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which produces music for shows,
Albuquerque native Diane Ulibarrí,
television and radio. He wrote the
who uses the stage name of Diane
Nick Escajeda Jr. with his parents, Nicolás Escajeda and Magdalena Griego.
English compositions for Mexican
Díaz. The CD title song, “Mía,” is also
artist Lorenzo Antonio. “Lorenzo
by Armando Manzanero. My other
needed someone who understood the
two favorites on the CD, “No Me
industry. His older brother, Gilbert Jr. lives in
old Spanish music and that could add a pop
Venga a Llorar and “Mi Soledad,” were written
Albuquerque and performs regularly with
element into it,” Jerry explains. For several years
by Gilbert López Sr. The work of Mexican
Frank Chiwiwi. He has also performed with Al
he was the musical director for Tiny Morrie’s
legend José Alfredo Jiménez can also be found
Hurricane, Tiny Morrie, Lorenzo Antonio,
children, New Mexico’s pride and joy, SPARX.
on the CD, along with other talented composers.
SPARX and Johnny Hernández from Little Joe
He also worked as the musical director for the
The Mía CD is a collection of boleros that
y La Familia. Gilbert López Sr., 76, Jerry’s
multimillion-dollar musical extravaganza Storm
should be a part of everyone’s music collection.
father, continues to write music professionally
at the Mandalay Bay Resort Casino.
And the fact that it was created by fellow native
for his sons and other singers in the Latin
Jerry’s true love is with the work that he does
New Mexicans is all the more reason to get a
music industry.
with his own companies, Santa Fe Records and
copy. Mía, the Santa Fe & the Fat City Horns
Leonardo López, 47, Jerry’s younger brother,
Manteca Music. “Manteca, which means ‘lard’
DVD and CD, and Jerry’s Negrita CD are
is a superb vocalist who plays 19 percussion
in Spanish, is a term that we latino musicians
available at Rubén Romero’s “World Music
instruments “When a top-notch percussionist or
use a lot. For us, it means something that is
Gallery at 66 E. St. Francis St., Gallery 12-A on
singer is needed, Lenny gets the call,” Jerry
really good,” explains Jerry.
the Plaza and at both the Santa Fe and Bernalillo
says. Lenny has toured, recorded and
Jerry’s CD Negrita is a brainchild of Manteca
Jackalope locations. For online updates on the
performed in shows with Luis Miguel, Elton
Music. The CD is a combination of music in
López Brothers, log on to www.jerrylopez.com,
John, Stevie Wonder, and many other star
English and Spanish written by Jerry and
www.santafeandthefatcityhorns.com and www.
performers passing through Las Vegas.
several others musicians, including his brother
santafeandthefatcityhorns.blogspot.com.
Lenny’s CD Mía is solid proof of his ability to
Gilbert and Clint Holmes. Jerry is the lead vocal
Nicolás Escajeda Jr., 77, moved to Las Vegas
hold his own with the likes of any of today’s
on most of the songs, using an array of musical
after living in Santa Fe for 60 years to be close to
Latin crooners. His musical style is akin to that
styles that keep the listener engaged. My
his sister Margaret, his nephews, his niece and
of Mexican superstar José José. I fell in love with
favorite songs on the CD are “Yo No Quiero
their families. He was executive producer on the
Mía as soon as his uncle Nick sent me a copy of
Que Te Vayas,” written by Gilbert López Sr.,
Mía CD, which he dedicated to his parents,
the CD. It’s all that I listened to at home and in
and “Let Me Come Back Home,” written by
Nicolás Escajeda and Magdalena Griego. As he
the car for more than a month. I just couldn’t get
Jerry and Gilbert Jr.
says of his endeavor, “I wanted to pay tribute to
enough of it, especially the song, “Contigo
With the exception of Jerry’s mother,
my parents, who both left such an important
Aprendí,” by Armando Manzanero, considered
Margaret, 75, and his sister Joni, 45, who is a
musical heritage.” Los Hermanos López proudly
Mexico’s leading romantic composer. The
homemaker, both living in Las Vegas, the rest
carries the torch of this heritage, which will
beautiful background vocals on that song are by
of his family is still involved in the music
continue to be shared for generations to come.
Summer 2006 / La Herencia 37