La Bamba The Musical At The Curve, Leicester Review

Reviewed by Lindsay Burton

Having grown up having watched La Bamba and therefore knowing the sad tale of the tragic death of upcoming Latino Rock and Roller Ritchie Valens, I was intrigued to watch La Bamba The Musical which is currently showing at the Leicester Curve. I only read a brief description about the musical and wanted to see if any connection was made to the 1987 film with the same name. I wasn’t sure what to expect and all I understood was that it was about a young Latino girl who wanted to fulfil her dream of becoming a superstar.

So, where do I begin?!?! From the very first second it started, we were blown away by the energy on stage. The colours and music and singing – we knew immediately that we were in for a treat with this feast for the eyes and ears. We meet Inês Fernandez (Sofia) early and my goodness, this very well may be her debut show but what a talented young lady! Her voice was absolutely ideal for the role and she truly lived and breathed every song that she sung last night. As she tells the tale of her life – how she came to love music and the challenges she had to face while growing up in Pacoima, one clearly feels the thread running through this musical which indeed echoes that of the 1987 film La Bamba and the discrimination faced by Mexican-Americans in the U.S. West and Southwest.

I was absolutely made up that this musical made connections with one of my favourite childhood films and referencing are made throughout the one and only Ritchie Valens, who was the first U.S. Latino rock star and the forefather of the Chicano rock movement – he become nationally successful at a time when very few Latinos were in American rock and pop music. We even got to hear Come On, Let’s Go, La Bamba and Donna – three songs that Ritchie Valens performed during his brief career.

There were many other well-known songs sung during the performance by a spectacularly talented cast. Massive shout out to Stefani Ariza who plays Sofia’s mother Elena, Siva Kaneswaran (from The Wanted) who played Sofia’s best friend Mateo and well known for all his contributions to Strictly Come Dancing, Pasha Kovalev who plays Sofia’s father Ricardo.

The dancing was out of this world, the energy was electrifying and the costumes mesmerising – the ensemble made up by Bethan Mitchell, Julia Ruiz Fernandez, Nicolle Matheu, Gabriella Rose-Marchant, Alex Sturman, Tristan Ghostkeeper and Luke Jarvis completed the cast perfectly.

The creative team Ray Roderick (director), Strictly Come Dancing’s favourite and Italian-Latin champion Graziano Di Prima (Choreographer), Erica Da Silva (Choreographer), Alfonso Casado Trigo (Musical Arranger / Composer) and Giada Lini (Associate Choreographer) truly completed the full package that is the success of La Bamba.
La Bamba is touring now and can currently be seen at the Curve in Leicester until Saturday, 5th August 2023. Ticket prices start from £20 and can be purchased from here.