Valens scored several hits, most notably "La Bamba", which was originally a Mexican folk song, transformed by Valens with a rock rhythm and beat, that became a hit in 1958, making Valens a pioneer of the Spanish-speaking rock and roll movement.
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In 1987, the bio film "La Bamba" was released to rave reviews and starred Lou Diamond Phillips, as Richie Valens, Esai Morales and Rosanna DeSoto