"Singing Our Way to Freedom" is now streaming on PBS Passport
Ramon
“Chunky”
Sanchez
Watch The Trailer
Singing Our Way to Freedom is a vibrant, multilayered look at the life of Chicano musician, composer and community activist, Ramon “Chunky” Sanchez. The film chronicles Chunky’s life from his humble beginnings as a farmworker in Blythe, California to the dramatic moment when he received one of his nation’s highest musical honors at the Library of Congress in Washington DC in 2013.
Special Clips
Here is your chance to watch special clips that didn’t make it into the documentary. From compelling songs during demonstrations to more testimonials of the people that knew “Chunky”.
About Ramon "Chunky" Sanchez
As a young man in the 1960s, Chunky joined the picket lines in the California fields with Cesar Chavez, demanding justice and better wages for farmworkers. Early on, he discovered that the music he was creating could be a powerful weapon in creating social change and overcoming prejudice and racism. He would eventually become Cesar Chavez’s favorite musician.
Chunky’s journey is a remarkable lens on a time when young Mexican Americans became Chicanos, inspired to use collective action to improve the lives of their communities. He performed on Joan Baez’s first Spanish language record and eventually formed a band, Los Alacranes Mojados (The “Wetback” Scorpions). Their first album included an iconic photo of the band crossing the barbwire fence at the U.S.-Mexico border in Tijuana. Today that fence is a militarized zone.
SCREENINGS
Check out past and future screenings for "Singing our way to freedom".
PRESS
The press is loving the documentary, check out what they are saying.
Meet Espinosa Productions
Get to know the team behind the story of "Singing our way to freedom".
More on the film
REVIEWS
“Possibly the most enjoyable documentary I’ve ever seen, as entertaining as it is inspiring. I’d recommend it to anyone.”
- Educational Media Reviews Online
“He just may be the best folk singer you’ve never heard of.”
-KCBS
“A compelling documentary that vividly captures the life of a charismatic musician and activist.”
-Dr. Olga Najera-Ramirez, University of California Santa Cruz
“A powerful story about Chicano resistance in the 1960s that resonates with today’s immigrant rights movement.“
-Dr. Sharada Balachandran Orihuela, University of Maryland
“An essential film for understanding U.S. history, popular cultural, and the civil rights struggles.”
-Dr. Maurice Rafael Magaña, University of Arizona
Festivals
Consulting Scholars
Dr. Luis Alvarez, University of California, San Diego
Dr. Estevan Azcona, University of Arizona
Dr. Richard Griswold del Castillo, San Diego State University
Dr. Jorge Mariscal, University of California, San Diego
Dr. Rita Sanchez, San Diego Mesa College
Dr. Michelle Tellez, University of Arizona
Dr. Jose "Pepe" Villarino, San Diego State University
FUNDERS
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(If you would like to make a tax deductible donation, please send a check made out to our fiscal sponsor "Media Arts Center, San Diego" to: 4452 Park Blvd, Ste 214, San Diego, CA 92116)
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