Jonny Z

Latin bass artist from San Diego, California. Real name: Jonny Zazueta. He made a Latin version of Rodney O and Joe Cooley's classic "Everlasting Bass" featuring South Park Mexican a.k.a. SPM, and his first hit was "Shake Shake", based on Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock". Besides bass music, he also recorded some funk-influenced hip hop as found on his earlier albums. Among those early tracks, the Chicano anthem "Orale". On "Bass Balla", Mexico seems to be pictured as more of an exotic hinterland: "with this beat from behind the border..." he raps on the "Mariachi Twist", and on the Latin-tinged hip hop track "Barrio Anthem", Jonny glorifies America and talks about "Latin players" like Rubén Blades and Pérez Prado, but not about Chicano culture (in the strict sense).

Albums:

Jonny Z (1996) Pump Records

Sancho Villa (1999) One Lit'l Vato Records

Z 1 N Only (1998) Pump Records

Bass Balla (2000) Thump Records

El Catrin (2000) Thump Records

Hits and More (2000)

Greatest Hitz (2000)

Barrio Knights (2003)