Band History

Polly G. Vicars – PVNN  Banderas News.com

The eldest Bambino, Carlos Salinas Morelos, began his career jumping on city buses, singing for the passengers and hoping when he passed the hat he would pick up a few pesos. He progressed to singing with his friends José and Galindo in the group Luz de Luna in the restaurants of Puerto Vallarta and the surrounding beaches.

While Carlos was enjoying success both with the group and solo, his three younger brothers Lazzaro, Immer and Giorgio were playing and singing in the assemblies of their schools and their father, a musician who encouraged all his sons, suggested that they go out into the public and earn some money. Big brother Carlos spotted them one night hesitating in front of a restaurant, trying to get up their nerve to go in and ask people dining at the tables if they would like a song. Taking them in hand, they entered together, sang and played to enthralled diners.

The youngest, Giorgio, a plump 13-year-old at that time, whose voice had not yet changed, sang soprano like an angel! Lazzaro and Immer, 16 and 15, shy, slim, handsome young men, harmonized perfectly with older brother Carlos, 23, and “Los Bambinos,” the pet name their father had for them, were born! We knew that we were listening to future stars the first time they sang for us as we dined in the moonlight at our very favorite beachfront restaurant, La Palapa.

Soon this group of young musicians was attracting attention in Vallarta. People engaged them for private parties and in the restaurants a song at one table was almost always followed by many more requests from other tables. They produced their first recording, “Fiesta Music from Puerto Vallarta” that was soon a sell out.