Zapata - The Lost Tape

Personnel

Zapata: The Lost Tape (1971)

Spring is Here
0:00
Tracks
1 Spring is Here
2 18th Street Royal Flush
3 Slow Riser
4 El Barrio
5 Danoota
6 Post Cibium

Finding Zapata

In the 1960s, a group of neighborhood friends formed Zapata — Washington, DC's first integrated Black and Latino music group. Their blend of rock, soul, Latin, and jazz promoted unity and cultural exchange across the city and helped establish a youth subculture that would influence future generations.

This is their story.

Ernie Herrera, Rudy Morales, and Pepe González in the mid 1960s
Ernie Herrera, Rudy Morales, and Pepe González (Mid 1960s)

Establishing Roots

Early 1960s in Mount Pleasant

Immigrants from Latin America had been establishing a presence in Washington since the early 1940s. By 1960, roughly 10,000 Spanish-speaking individuals were living in DC — more than triple the community's share of the population a decade earlier (McMahon, 2025) — and they were forming communities in neighborhoods like Mount Pleasant and Adams Morgan. The city was still segregated at the time, and Latinos faced discrimination from both Black and white residents alike. As the decade unfolded, young Latinos were struggling to find their place in a divided society and America's binary racial system.

Against this backdrop, three teenagers started playing music together in Mount Pleasant. Childhood friends Ernie Herrera, Rudy Morales, and Pepe González performed in the neighborhood — hosting shows for their friends in basements, garages, and community centers. Drawing influences from popular soul and rock music, they mixed these genres with their parents' cultural traditions to forge a unique sound that would later become Zapata.

"Mount Pleasant was a rough place in those times, you might walk into the neighborhood and get robbed, beat up, or both."

— Pepe González, Zapata
Mount Pleasant Crew
The neighborhood crew on the stoop (Mid 1960s)

The Outlaws

Creating a rebel identity as a means of survival

Rudy, Ernie, Pepe, and their friends seemed to find trouble wherever they turned in DC. Facing harassment from the police, biker gangs, racist Washingtonians, or other rival groups of teens, they adopted a street mentality and gang identity (The Outlaws) as a form of self-preservation and protection.

Decked out in denim jackets customized with gang insignias, they painted graffiti on walls, drank in the alley, used and sold drugs, and generally acted like some knuckleheads. They engaged in anti-social behaviors to resolve conflicts, assert their presence, and even have a good time. This kind of behavior and self-destructive mindset was prevalent in the city during this era, and their identity and attitudes reflected the social norms, popular culture, and societal challenges of the time.

Chino Bicicleta and Pepe posing with firearms in Mount Pleasant
Chino Bicicleta and Pepe pose with firearms in Mount Pleasant (Mid 1960s)
Neighborhood friends exploring African and Latin drum techniques with Pepe on upright bass in Malcolm X Park
A group of neighborhood friends exploring traditional African and Latin drum techniques with Pepe on upright bass in Malcolm X Park (Late 1960s)

There's Something Happening Here

Expanding consciousness and new perspectives in the late 1960s

As the Civil Rights and anti-war movements gained momentum, expanding the political consciousness of young people across the country, the rebel identity of the Outlaws crew evolved into a more positive and creative expression. They began to see themselves as artists and musicians, rather than gangsters, and used their music as a platform for social change and cultural expression. They experimented with new sounds, instruments, and styles, drawing inspiration from the psychedelic rock, soul, jazz, and Latin music of the era. They also embraced the counterculture values of peace, love, and unity, and used their music to promote these ideals in the community. It was this shift in consciousness that led to the formation of Zapata.

Pepe and Rudy jamming on the stoop in Mount Pleasant
Pepe and Rudy jamming on the stoop in Mount Pleasant (Late 1960s)
Zapata Performance
Zapata performing in DC for a community festival (Late 1960s)

From Rebel to Revolutionary

Embracing a new identity and purpose as Zapata

The group searched for a new band name and they looked to other revolutionary leaders for possible inspiration. Latin American Communist icons like Fidel Castro and Che Guevara were considered, but there were debates over ideology, dogma, and revolutionary tactics. Eventually the group chose to honor Emiliano Zapata, a Mexican revolutionary leader who fought for social justice and land reform.

Viva La Revolución
Poster by John A. Armendariz, courtesy of the National Museum of American History

Mejor morir a pie que vivir en rodillas.

Men of the South! It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees!

— Emiliano Zapata (c. 1877-1919), widely attributed
Zapata Full Band
Zapata preparing for a show, early 1970s

Finding Success in the Early 1970s

Zapata's unique sound resonates with audiences across the city

The band's reputation helped them expand from neighborhood venues to larger stages across the city. They frequently played at community events, nightclubs, and college campuses, bringing their high-energy performance and funky grooves to diverse audiences. During this period, they shared stages with Weather Report, Ramsey Lewis, Stanley Turrentine, Isley Brothers, Red Bone, and others.

In some sections of DC, Black audiences were often at first skeptical and somewhat hostile to these "spics" from the barrio; however, as soon as the music started, the grooves took over and a cultural exchange took place. By featuring timbales, congas, and bongos on funk and soul grooves, Zapata helped bridge cultural divides and expand the city's sonic palette.

Howard University Flyer
Flyer for Zapata show with Herbie Hancock at Howard University (1974)

Various Zapata Show Posters: 1971-1974 — From the Archives of Pepe González

Zapata found particular success at Howard and George Washington Universities, where they opened up for acts like Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Gil Scott-Heron, Roland Kirk, Exuma, Bohannon, and others. A 1973 show in Birmingham, Alabama opening for Sly and The Family Stone gave the band exposure beyond DC and created possibilities for becoming a national act. This pivotal show would prove to be the band's apex as events would soon unfold that would redirect their trajectory.

Losing Everything

But you can still go home

From 1971 to 1974, the band was busy playing live shows and recording an album that they hoped to someday release with a major label. The recordings were kept in the possession of the band's manager, who was responsible for keeping them safe. After a falling out with his girlfriend, she left his belongings on a street corner and within hours, every thing was gone, lost forever.

By the summer of 1974, Zapata was done. Lives were moving apart and the spark of innovation catapulted them in different musical directions. Rudy, Ernie, and Pepe later reunited for a one-off project with Paul Sears called Magick Theatre in 1976, but the friends eventually went their separate ways. Some returned to their anti-social street activities, and others found new musical callings in jazz and traditional Latin music.

Pepe González
Pepe on bass, Early 1970s

Earlier this century, Pepe discovered a cassette tape of a session that Zapata recorded some thirty years earlier. He had it transferred to CD but the quality of the recording was almost unlistenable and didn't do any justice for the band's legacy.

Thanks to modern technology, we are now able to finally share the music of Zapata with the world. This version was carefully remastered by Don Zientara and TJ Lipple in 2026 to preserve the original sound while enhancing clarity and detail to remove imperfections. We hope you enjoy this piece of music history and the unique sound of DC's latinidad.

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Acknowledgments

A heartfelt thank you to Pepe González for his invaluable contributions and keeping the history and memory of Zapata alive. Thank you for preserving your archives and sharing them with us for this project.

To the members of Zapata & the Outlaws, as well as your friends and families, thank you for your creations and contributions to DC culture. To those who have passed, may you rest in peace and your memory be a blessing.

To Sami Miranda and Franc Rosario: thank you for believing in this story, passing it down, and inspiring me to restore this important piece of DC cultural history. To Don Zientara and TJ Lipple, thank you for your work in remastering this recording. I am incredibly honored to collaborate with you both on this project.

To the incredible people of Washington, DC, thank you for being you and making this city and its culture great.

—PJ Urquilla, Upset the Setup

Credits & Sources