Friend for Life is a recording that for all practical purposes should never have been made. It has nothing to do with anything that's out there on the gringo American music scene -- and that's part of what makes it so necessary. Until you've heard this record, don't say the words "alternative" and "music" in the same sentence again. It seems to exist out of time and out of place -- though not space. Ersi Arvizu will be virtually unknown to all but the most ardent of music fans, in particular those who loved the Latin soul sounds of East L.A. in the 1960s, or who were fans of the killer rockers El Chicano in the '70s. Even Ry Cooder, the album's producer, didn't know who she was until a few years ago when he discovered her voice on some old singles by the Sisters, a vocal trio (with two sisters) who scored nationally with Gee Baby Gee and Ooh Pooh Pah Doo, on Bob Keane's Del-Fi label. Cooder did his homework and found her in a recording studio cutting demos for an El Chicano reunion -- it is her voice you hear on the classic singles Sabor a Mi and I'm a Good Woman, which helped to cement the Latin rock explosion that began with Santana. Both songs are still regarded as East L.A. anthems, depending on your neighborhood. Cooder recruited her for his Chavez Ravine album, the wonderful concept recording that told the story of the biggest ruse in Los Angeles history where they bulldozed a neighborhood to build a ballpark. Arvizu played the part of Ms. Chavez Ravine on the album. She was hard to coax and cajole, but Cooder was able to use his charm, some money, and a future favor to cajole her into doing his project.

1		Windows of Dreams
2		El Arbol
3		En El Tambo
4		Mi India
5		Sin Tu Querer
6		Friend for Life
7		In the Closet
8		Soledad (Ya No Puede Ser)
9		Angel De Mil Voces
10		Mil Besos
11		Cruisin' to the Hop
12		Dichoso

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