La Revolución de Emiliano Zapata

La Revolución de Emiliano Zapata was a 1970s music group in Mexico that broke sales records in Europe with their song 'Nasty Sex'. Breaking ties with their original concept, they continue actively interpreting romantic ballads.

Dizzying Start

In the era of psychedelic rock and under the influence of American hippies of the late 1960s, a young band from Guadalajara headed by Javier Martin del Campo, formed with the intention of interpreting contemporary popular songs of the era in their own style. Initially, their hobby led them to play at local parties, but the resulting fame soon spread beyond their city. The group won the most call-in votes during a contest organized by a local radio station called "Radio ondas de la alegria" "Waves of Happiness Radio", and earned themselves an audition with an important record label.

Initially reluctant, they signed a contract with Polydor Records, launching their brief but successful foray into the world of rock music. With an original musical concept and creative sense, the group moved to Mexico City, continuing to adapt their urban rhythms and establish a base for their new musical launches. In 1970, they released their first record, containing songs "Nasty Sex" and "Still don't (Not yet)", which quickly shot up the popular charts both locally and worldwide. The head office of Polydor Records sent the group five medals as recognition for their high level of sales in the Americas, United Kingdom, and Europe of their one big hit, "Nasty Sex."

The relative obscurity of the band did not reduce the great impact achieved in those far-off areas. Later, they recorded their second hit, "Shit City," which earned only moderate success compared to their first.

They were invited to perform in the Avandaro festival in 1972, but declined the invitation due to an already very busy schedule. In that year, they took part in the film "La verdadera vocación de Magdalena" "The True Calling of Magdalena", starring singer and actress Angélica María, which more or less seriously addresses the topics that concerned young people of the era.

The members of the group at that time were: Oscar Rojas (vocals), Carlos Valle (lead guitar, harmony vocal), Francisco Martínez Ornelas (bass guitar), Marco Carrasco (drums) and Javier Martin del Campo (guitar).

The Decline

Because the group's musical concepts varied between several trends and influences, the search for new hits was fruitless, producing only the song "Pigs," among the last to achieve fame. Adding to this was the emotional turmoil that the band members began to experience, unleashing a series of fights and disagreements that eventually led to changes in the lineup. Lead singer Oscar Rojas grew weary of both the city and the group environment, and left the group permanently in 1974, beginning the decline of "La Revolución de Emiliano Zapata".

180° Turnaround

Facing a somewhat hostile political and social reaction, the group's fortunes experienced a downturn. Changing musical trends ended by subduing psychedelic rock, and while some groups managed to survive on the fringes of Big Media (the group "El Tri" for example, becoming popular in suburban areas), the band members of "Rev" decided to radically change their musical style, becoming singers of romantic ballads, thus ending their time as a rock band. This change, according to Antonio Cruz, was carefully considered, and it was this decision that allowed the group to continue existing in the current musical climate.

Final Successes

Now part of a new record label (Discos Melody) with a new lineup of members that included: Jorge Gamiz (vocals), Servando Ayala Bobadilla (keyboard), Adrian Cuevas (bass), Antonio Cruz (drums) and Javier Martin del Campo (guitar), the group achieved a revival in their fortunes with two romantic songs that placed them once again on the Mexican pop charts. "Cómo te extraño" "How I Miss You" (1975) and "Mi forma de sentir" "The Way I Feel" (1978) allowed the group to find favour once again in the pop charts, and were the group's last successful hits.