Brava Presents
A Rockin' Jalapeño Tribute Concert: Celebrating the musical legacy of DR. LOCO
Sunday, December 14, 2025
4:00pm
Brava Main Stage
Brava! for Women in the Arts is honored to present A Rockin' Jalapeño Tribute Concert, celebrating the extraordinary life and music of José Cuéllar, better known as Dr. Loco, on Sunday, December 14, 2025 at 4:00 PM at Brava Theater Center (2781 24th Street, Mission District, San Francisco).
Honoring a Cultural Icon
José “Dr. Loco” Cuéllar is not just a musician — he's a venerable anthropologist, educator, and cultural trailblazer. As chronicled in KQED’s 8 Over 80 feature, at age 82, Cuéllar continues to live at the intersection of scholarship and soulful performance. KQED
His journey began with a fateful purchase of a saxophone as a young man — a spontaneous investment that would shape his future. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in anthropology from UCLA, teach Chicano studies, and lead research examining the cultural fusion of music and identity along the U.S.–Mexico border.
At Stanford in the late 1980s, Cuéllar embraced his alter ego Dr. Loco, forming Dr. Original Corrido Boogie Band which in the fall of 1989 became Dr. Loco's Rockin' Jalapeño Band. Their sound is a rich blend of New Orleans R&B, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, Mexican rancheras, and Tex-Mex soul — a musical embodiment of cultural hybridity.
Tribute Concert Highlights
Live Performances: Over 25 of the Bay Area's most renowned musicians from over three generations of the Rockin' Jalapeño Band will join together to perform the classic repertoire that inspired nearly 4 decades of Chicano/a/x musicians, artists, activists, educators, students, and professionals.
Storytelling & Legacy: Through spoken word and narrative, the concert will illuminate Cuéllar’s dual life as a scholar and musician, honoring how his work as an anthropologist informed his art.
Cultural Celebration: The evening is not only about music — it’s a gathering to celebrate Chicano heritage, identity, and generations of creativity.
Dr. Loco is more than a musician — he’s a cultural ambassador. As KQED notes, he’s been called “the last pachuco,” a title that underscores his role in preserving Chicano style, history, and resistance. His academic and musical work demonstrates how identity evolves, intersects, and resonates across borderlands, generations, and disciplines.
In a world where cultural traditions can fade, this tribute concert stands as a powerful commemoration — and a testament to Brava! for Women in the Arts’ mission to uplift underrepresented voices and histories.
