La Bamba: Bringing to stage the life and legacy of Ritchie Valens
View(s):By Shannon Salgadoe
This April, Colombo will play host to a musical that promises not just spectacle, but a story of legacy, identity and cultural fusion. La Bamba! The Song of Veracruz, inspired by the life and impact of American singer Ritchie Valens, arrives in Sri Lanka under the direction of Paul Morrissey, founder of the London-based theatre company Paul Morrissey Ltd. The musical, presented by City of Dreams in collaboration with the John Keells Foundation, will have a five-day run from April 24 to 28.
The musical premiered in 2023, followed by a UK tour, a short West End run, and a production in Mexico. It was the Mexico staging that proved transformative. “It was an opportunity for me to go and see, culturally, how they responded to the material,” Paul who is the production’s executive director explains. “It was really interesting, really exciting, and I think it opened the door to new ideas for the show. When I was offered the chance to bring the show here, I thought it might be nice to expand on those ideas, to create the definitive production.”
For many, the story of Ritchie Valens is tethered to tragedy. He died at just 17 in a 1959 plane crash alongside Buddy Holly and JP “The Big Bopper” Richardson. Yet Paul was struck by how history has often foregrounded Holly’s name while overlooking Valens’. “Most people could tell you that Buddy was on the plane,” he says. “Not many would tell you Ritchie Valens was. And I think that is a sad indictment of the times.”
Initially, Paul intended to create a straightforward biographical musical in collaboration with the Valens estate. But the brevity of Valens’ life posed challenges. “He didn’t have a huge catalogue of songs, and there’s already a very famous film from the ’80s. I didn’t want to put that on stage.”
Instead, the production pivots from biography to legacy. Paul recalls being astonished when he heard Bob Dylan credit Valens as foundational to his own musical journey. “Without Ritchie Valens, there is no Bob Dylan,” he recounts. He later heard Carlos Santana echo the sentiment. “You realise how many artists came into Latin music because of Ritchie. That legacy is perhaps more powerful than the story of his short life.”
At the heart of the show lies that fusion Valens embodied: the blending of a traditional Mexican folk song with rock and roll to create the electrifying ‘La Bamba’. That spirit of collision shapes every aspect of the musical. The score draws not only on Valens’ music but also on contemporary Latin superstars such as Jennifer Lopez, Shakira and Marc Anthony, alongside original numbers crafted to serve the narrative.
Choreographically, the production fuses the athleticism and precision of Latin dance with the expressive demands of musical theatre. While Latin dance in its pure form does not always translate directly to the stage musical idiom, this iteration, choreographed by Adam Haigh, seeks to “smash” the two together. “Everything about the show is about that smashing together of things,” explains Paul. “That’s what Ritchie did. He took a folk song and rock and roll and smashed them together. The whole show is about that fusion.”
The show will run at The Forum at City of Dreams, a venue not originally conceived as a theatre space, but, rather than seeing limitations, Paul sees possibilities. “If anything, we’ve gone bigger,” he says. “Sometimes in theatres you can’t do certain things because the space is fixed. Here, we have the opportunity to build it from scratch.” That clean slate allows for bold creative decisions – a rare luxury in touring theatre.
Scenes from the London production (left and below)- photography by Pamela Raith and (above), Paul Morrissey (also pictured on our Magazine cover) at last Sunday’s audition with Soundarie David Rodrigo
Lankan performers have their chance While La Bamba! arrives in Colombo with an established creative legacy, this staging marks something distinct: a genuine collaboration between UK and Sri Lankan artists, both onstage and behind the scenes. Paul, as executive director, remains at the helm and brings the production’s overarching vision. Working closely with him are local associate director Kalakeerthi Jerome De Silva and local associate music director Soundarie David Rodrigo. “This is a really special production because we don’t just have me, Jerome, and Soundarie leading it,” he explains. “We have a UK creative team and a Sri Lankan creative team.” Months of Zoom conversations laid the groundwork before the teams met in person in Colombo. The process, he admits, comes with its challenges but also immense creative reward. The production will feature a blend of international performers and Sri Lankan cast members, with 12 adult roles and two children’s roles being filled locally. For Paul, experience alone does not define excellence. “It’s easy to assume seasoned performers are better because they’ve done it more,” he reflects. “But that’s not always the case. There’s a fire in people who are hungry for this – and a discipline you need for musical theatre. Bringing those two cultures together will create something really exciting.” In many ways, the collaborative model reflects the very spirit of the musical itself. Just as Ritchie Valens fused traditional Mexican folk with rock and roll, this Colombo production seeks to merge artistic traditions, training backgrounds and cultural perspectives into something newly vibrant. Ultimately, Paul remains reflective and proud. “It’s lovely to be at the start of something new,” he says. “I hope in 20 years we can look back and say it started with La Bamba.” | |
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