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Cannibal and The Headhunters

BIG NEWS FLASH Cannibal and The
Headhunters A NEW BEGINNING is a
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Excerpt from “Romancer Nights, a Retrospective on The East Sound
and Chicano Rock” by Max Uballez.

What you have in Land of 1000 Dances are musicians from several
bands from the East Los Angeles Chicano community coming together
on this recording. For me, it has always represented the fulfillment of
the hopes and dreams of the eastside Chicano music community. It is
this spirit that, I feel, underlies the success of this recording. Their
manager pulled The Rhythm Playboys from backing the recording
session at the last minute. A series of last minute phone calls by Eddie
Davis and myself filled the room with musicians who came to support.
The Blendells were the core of the recording band that night, but I feel
the unrecognized East L.A. musicians who contributed their time and
spirit that evening were the reason for the success of this recording.
Cannibal and I created the arrangement in the studio, the musicians
and their girlfriends provided the large chorus - a true community effort.

Cannibal and The Headhunters were a four man vocal group. Land of
1000 Dances hit the charts and they toured with the Beatles. Sometime
in the late sixties, the vocal group disbanded. Maybe it was the memory
of being without a backup band that night in 1965 or being tired of
working with different bands, Cannibal decided to change the group
format and put together Cannibal and The Headhunters band.
Cannibal retired in March 1983 due to health concerns. The band
continued working as Cannibal and The Headhunters with Eddie
Serrano and Robert Zapata. Frankie “Cannibal” Garcia passed away in
1996, and his band played on. After Eddie Serrano’s passing, Robert
Zapata took over the band and they continue to perform as Cannibal
and The Headhunters. Original member, Joe (Yo Yo) Jaramillo passed
away in 2000. in the spirit of the original recording, the current group
lead by Robert Zapata includes some of East L.A.’s finest musicians.
The group members have changed, but the spirit of Frankie “Cannibal”
Garcia and the Headhunters recording Land of 1000 Dances lives on.

FRANKIE GARCIAS CANNIBAL AND
THE HEADHUNTERS

FRANKIE CANNIBAL
GARCIA AND EDDIE
SERRANO AND RON
REYES BAKERSFIELD
1975