Biography
Cesar Rosas serves as guitarist, singer, and songwriter within the core lineup of Los Lobos. Though he has generated fewer original pieces than the songwriting partnership of David Hidalgo and Louie Perez, his earthy songcraft, intense guitar lines, and rough-edged singing supply an essential counterbalance to the group’s overall texture. Anchored primarily in blues traditions, the material Rosas has contributed to Los Lobos encompasses the driving “Don’t Worry Baby,” which surfaced on How Will the Wolf Survive?, and the track “I Can’t Understand,” jointly authored with blues giant Willie Dixon and included on The Neighborhood in 1990.
Outside the band, Rosas issued his first solo album, Si Se Puede!, on the 24/7 imprint. In 1998 he took part in the Latin American supergroup Los Super Seven, whose self-titled release presented reinterpretations of traditional Mexican folk songs; the collection registered modest chart traction and prompted the ensemble to begin touring. Rosas stayed active by releasing Soul Disguise on Ryko in 1999, an energetic fusion of rock, blues, soul, and Latin music, and by appearing on the self-titled RCA album from blues icon Kid Ramos.
October brought a devastating loss to Rosas’ household when his wife Sandra vanished. Her body was recovered a year later from a shallow grave outside Los Angeles, confirming she had been murdered; her half-brother Gabriel Gomez was later convicted of the crime.
After a period of genuine withdrawal, Rosas recovered by sustaining a full schedule. Commitments to Los Lobos and Los Super Seven, the latter of which recorded Canto for Sony in 2001 and Heard It on the X for Telarc in 2005, consumed considerable time, yet he also accepted sideman roles on Rick Trevino’s Mi Son and Alejandro Escovedo’s conceptual album By the Hand of the Father. He further joined Texmaniacs—alongside bandmate Hidalgo, Flaco Jimenez, and other Latin luminaries—for the 2006 release Tex-Mex Groove.
One month after Los Lobos delivered the acclaimed Gates of Gold in November 2015, Rosas surfaced the following month with his third solo album, Live from the Galaxy, on the Los Angeles label, supported by accordionist Jimmy Baca, drummer Aaron Ballesteros, bassist Steve Falomir, and keyboardist John Kito.
Outside the band, Rosas issued his first solo album, Si Se Puede!, on the 24/7 imprint. In 1998 he took part in the Latin American supergroup Los Super Seven, whose self-titled release presented reinterpretations of traditional Mexican folk songs; the collection registered modest chart traction and prompted the ensemble to begin touring. Rosas stayed active by releasing Soul Disguise on Ryko in 1999, an energetic fusion of rock, blues, soul, and Latin music, and by appearing on the self-titled RCA album from blues icon Kid Ramos.
October brought a devastating loss to Rosas’ household when his wife Sandra vanished. Her body was recovered a year later from a shallow grave outside Los Angeles, confirming she had been murdered; her half-brother Gabriel Gomez was later convicted of the crime.
After a period of genuine withdrawal, Rosas recovered by sustaining a full schedule. Commitments to Los Lobos and Los Super Seven, the latter of which recorded Canto for Sony in 2001 and Heard It on the X for Telarc in 2005, consumed considerable time, yet he also accepted sideman roles on Rick Trevino’s Mi Son and Alejandro Escovedo’s conceptual album By the Hand of the Father. He further joined Texmaniacs—alongside bandmate Hidalgo, Flaco Jimenez, and other Latin luminaries—for the 2006 release Tex-Mex Groove.
One month after Los Lobos delivered the acclaimed Gates of Gold in November 2015, Rosas surfaced the following month with his third solo album, Live from the Galaxy, on the Los Angeles label, supported by accordionist Jimmy Baca, drummer Aaron Ballesteros, bassist Steve Falomir, and keyboardist John Kito.
Albums
