By Elia Esparza
Latino youth today are captivated with music performers from every corner of the globe, but for a generation Latinos growing up during the late 60s, 70s through the 80s, will remember bands like Los Solitarios, Los Moonlights, Los Freddy’s, Los Baby’s where one didn’t just attend a concert, they danced the night away as the band played live.
When one of our Latin Heat contributors, Gabriela López de Dennis, happened to mention that her dad had written a memoir about his life as one of Los Solitarios, well, you can imagine my delight. Yes, my heart skipped a few beats. Her father is none other than Daniel López, the composer and to who this day, plays lead guitar of Los Solitarios– a band whose music dominated my boy crazy heart in my youth. I know that somewhere in my scrapbooks, there must be photos of this iconic group that my friends and I took.
In the band’s near 58 years they’ve been recognized and awarded just about every music award in existence. In 2008, Lopez and band mate Agustin Villegas were recognized by the prestigious Sociedad de Autores y Compositores de Mexico (SACM) for their dozens of compositions of Mexican romantic ballads.
Gabriela helped us secure the interview with her father. Allow me to enthusiastically introduce you to Daniel López, a musician who up until the COVID-19 crisis, continued to perform. I immediately asked if he ever performed at La Terraza in Tijuana, and he said that yes indeed that was one of the main venues they performed whenever in Tijuana. It was also the one venue my mom allowed me to go with my friends. I think she had security on payroll to keep an eye out for us. Seriously.
LatinHeat: Did your breakout fame happen from your performances in Tijuana or what part of Mexico did it happen for Los Solitarios? Did you have any idea you might be as big if not bigger than Los Moonlights?
Daniel López: The group, Los Solitarios, became famous in Tijuana, but the breakout success was when we arrived in Mexico City and my group was in first place in numerous radio station music charts. It was then that we realized we had surpassed many other groups in popularity.
LH: Throughout your years performing, what was the best part, and what was the most challenging?
DL: The best part is when the audience receives us with excitement and big applause and sings along to our songs with us. The best part was also when we were on top of all the music charts in Mexico City. The most challenging part is performing alongside artists that are more famous than us. But you have to accept that everyone has their place. The most challenging part was also finding a way to continue making the hits to remain in first place on the radio stations, but I achieved it and at one point up to three (3) of our hits, songs that I wrote/composed, were on the top 10 charts at the same time.
LH: What motivated you to write your book and was it emotional ups and downs project?
DL: What motivated me to write this book was respect for my audiences who wanted to know about the history of Los Solitarios. Who else but me could tell the true story and biography of Los Solitarios, as the creator and founder of the group? At the same time, to tell of all the emotions I lived as a musician and from dreams realized. And how to get to more than half a century of creating hit songs. The publishing of this book fulfills one more dream in my life.
LH: How and where are you today?
DL: I started 2020 off with performances in Oaxaca México, Los Angeles, Oklahoma, and Chicago. And currently, I have upcoming projects for various cities in Mexico and the U.S. Only because of the situation we are living in due to the pandemic, everything stopped. But the group hasn’t stopped performing for 57 years. I now live in Los Angeles, CA.
LH: What do you hope your fans learn about you after reading your book?
DL: I hope my fans will learn from reading about the foundation of how the group they supported started, and know the sacrifices, joys, and triumphs. That they see that whatever you set out to do can be achieved with perseverance, work, and effort.
LH: What advise do you give those seeking success in the entertainment and music industry?
Ahora entiendo que el éxito está listo para quienes estamos preparados.”
[“Now I understand that success is ready for those of us who are prepared”] — Daniel Lopez
Daniel Lopez’s book, Un Sueño En Sus Manos, (A Dream in My Hands) was published in April 2020, and available on Amazon. CLICK HERE to read more on his book.