CANNIBAL AND THE HEADHUNTERS
BIOGRAPHY
You would be hard-pressed to find a rocker who didn’t recognize that name,
and even harder to find one who couldn’t sing along with the "Na, Na, Na, Na, Na…" on the famous hit: "LAND OF A THOUSAND DANCES"
THEY ARE BACK IN FULL FORCE AND WITH A VENGEANCE!!!
The group now combines their Latino and Motown Roots with the sounds of
today’s music.
After a spectacular early career, which saw Frankie "Cannibal" Garcia and The Headhunters at a early age opening for acts such as The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Today the group continues to perform with major artist such as Chuck Negron former lead singer of Three Dog Night , Bobby Kimbal lead vocalist of Toto, also the Killer Jerry Lee Lewis and Janice Marie Johnson with the Taste of Honey. Cannibal and the Headhunter are still here a little older, wiser and more skillful and a hell of a lot HOTTER! Combining their past hits with outstanding new material, Cannibal and The Headhunters put on one steaming, get down, kick butt show with musicianship and vocal harmonies, rich in the tradition of the great rock and soul pioneers.
After several successful European tours and a 100 date tour with the Anniversary of Rock and Roll show, Cannibal and The Headhunters decided to head back into the studio. What was born was a new CD. If you want to dance, tap your feet or just chill, the CD will do it for you. This CD is a new beginning. A METAMORPHOUS.
The current line-up is led by old-time Headhunter and Drummer Robert Zapata.
Surrounding him are some of the hottest players in Los Angeles. Charlie Munoz, Karl Carrasco, David Goldstein, and new members of the group Louie Ruiz, and Mark Guerrero
Don’t miss Cannibal and the Headhunters……………………………………….
THE MUSIC WILL EAT YOU ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Excerpt from “Romancer Nights, a Retrospective on The East Side 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.
