Familia y Cultura es Vida

Location: Guadalupe and Calaveras

Mural Dimension:  22’ X 9’

Lead Artist: Debbie Esparza and Juan Ramos

Blessing and dedication date:  May 6th, 1995

Mural Description:  Familia is the best example of direct documentation, through muralism, of barrio culture as it existed at that particular place and time.  The mural is located on a building that, up until 1999, was home to  Westside resident and neighborhood mechanic/accordionist, Paul Morada.  On weekend nights, Paul and friends, collectively known as Los Guadalupanos (in honor of their dedication to the Virgen De Guadalupe and the street where their music and art was created, Guadalupe St.), would gather on the front porch of Paul’s home/mechanic shop and play Conjunto music till the wee hours of the night.  Mr. Morada would go from rebuilding a carbeurator to reconstructing “Tu Traicion” by Cornelio Reyna in just a few hours. The mural was inspired by this ritual and depicts one such scene as visualized through the eyes of the artists: 12 year-old Debbie Esparza and co-founder Juan Ramos.  This mural was featured in a music video by Chicano music legends, The Royal Jesters.