of little joe y la familia and his new book on your joe "comunidad del valle." [music] [singing in foreign language] damian: oh man, there he is, the legendary little joe, little joe y la familia. we miss those days at rodeo. miss those days at the saddlerack with little joe, even at the moose lodge when little joe would come on down and entertain all of us.

joe, it's great to see you. [speaking foreign language] little joe: i'm doing great and i hope you and your family are doing well. and let me say first, gracias for having me on. second, i wanna wish everyone a great thanksgiving holiday, although we're in the situation that we are with the virus. and thirdly, i want to offer my condolences to all the families and friends of victims of the virus. it's just so heartbreaking. i do, on behalf of myself and my family, offer condolences and -- to all families damian: yeah, that's very nice of you, joe, and you're speaking from the heart and you're speaking in the first person because you went through it. talk about what that was like. we're gonna get into your book. we have the whole show with you. but talk about the--what it was like to go through it and you're still probably in recovery. i don't know if there's any lingering effects that you still have. little joe: well, i--

as far as lingering effects, i think i'm just a little short of breath. i hate the word "short." but it isn't--was an incredible experience for me. and from that, when i emerged from going through the covid-19 it's something that i can relate and talk about to the people that, you know, may not think that it's not what it is, it is a deadly virus and on my experience along with my niece, my daughter, and my wife, all four of us went down with the virus at the same time, and presently one of my kids picked it up but he's doing well. and so many of my friends and colleagues in music are now, you know, ruben ramos, experiencing it so the only thing we can do is we wish 'em

well and, like thousands of people that offered their well wishes and offered their prayers to me, which, you know, i'm totally indebted for their kindness, kind words. but it was quite an experience and i hope that people will follow the guidelines because right now it's happening and surging at a worse pace than as ever so it's just something that we cannot kid around, about, or with so [speaking in foreign language] take care of yourself so that you can take care of others. damian: that's well put, joe. we're glad to see that you're okay. always wear your mask, carry your mask wherever you go and is that important. glad to see that you're well. let's talk about your book. it is called "no llore, fregon." there's another word in there but we'll say, "no llore, fregon," here. and there it is.

this is kind of like your memoir. it's an american story, little joe of little joe y la familia. long time in coming, joe. talk about your thoughts. it's getting great reviews. your thoughts on your new book. little joe: well, you know, for years, as far back as in the 1980s, people had approached me, often book writers wanting to write my life story. i didn't feel that there was much to, you know, get to talk about that-- public interest and, you know, just human nature. i was too busy doing what i was doing and having a great time and didn't really want to have the book written. but as i got older and, again the word "short," shorter on time, i decided that it was time to tell the story. but i needed the right author to do it for me. and you know, i was just--i've been such a blessed and

fortunate person through my whole life and writing the book was just one of the luckiest things that--it happened in terms of finding the right person to write it for me. i wanted the story to be told and understood and i wanted the writer to understand me and emma gonzalez was perfect for writing the story because our backgrounds as childs were so similar. you know, migrant children working in the fields. but i also wanted the book to be about my family. it's really a little [inaudible] but it's a story of my family. i've always regarded them as my heroes and i didn't, we were about ninety percent done with the book and we moved our offices -- where we are now and in doing so we found a ledger.

my dad wrote his life story. there were, like, four or five ledgers and i happened to find the first ledger he started writing this--his life story and it was just perfect for opening the story of my family in my book and, you know, i feel so bad that i didn't keep up with the ledger but it's so lucky that i found the first one. and that's where the story begins, 1912, when my dad first arrived from mexico, the revolution of course -- him and his family damian: let's talk about that in our next segment, joe, because it's--and music was always a part, no matter how poor you were, no matter how bad things were, there was always music. we'll be back with lite joe of little joe y la familia. stay with us.

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[damian: and there he is with the chicano national anthem, "las nubes," with little joe, little joe y la familia. and again, music, it was a part of the family tradition in the hernandez family ever since they left mexico in search for a better life here in the united states. and joe, let me bring you back in because--did i get this right, you are--your grandfather was a colonel in the mexican army. little joe: that's on my mom's side. that was her father and he was [speaking foreign language] josé maría de león and my grandmother named me after my grandfather so i'm josé maría de león hernández. and he, during the revolution, sent my great-grandmother, grandmother, my uncle and mom to texas. they arrived here, my uncle and my mother were just children, 1917 i believe --

like my father was -- out of mexico, and it's a love story and a tragedy on my mom's side. on my dad's side, it was just--it's a story of survival, you know? and i wanted that story to be told because i know it relates to, i suppose, millions of people that grew up in this country like my family did, you know, especially migrant workers which are still out there today. and i wanted that part of the story told because it's so important that people, the young people of today, need to recognize all the great opportunities that have been bought and paid for by blood, sweat and tears -- our great grandparents, and there are so many great things that our children of this day can take advantage of.

but more importantly for me, i think they need to realize and understand who they are. be aware of their parentage, of their roots [speaking in foreign lguagan i think when we found out who we are, we just stand on more firm ground and we start to recognize and understand our characteristics because each culture has its own way of doing things and it's so important. it doesn't matter where you come from or who you are but it's so important to understand yourself and your blood line [speaking in foreign language] i think this makes us, like i said, a more grounded person. damian: and i guess you didn't have a choice in becoming a music legend, right, because back when your families were still in mexico, i mean, the crops weren't growing,

things were bad. let me pull out the guitar, let me pull out the violin. let's make something positive out of this negative. music was always a part of your growing up. little joe: yes, it did, i got on my father's side, my grandmother studied music and trained and she taught piano. she played piano. and my uncles, my dad's brothers, they all played instruments and sing and wrote songs. couple of my aunts sing as well. and so there was always music around the house. and my dad and mom's house, as a child i remember, there was always a musical environment happening and to me that was a gift because i didn't plan on being an entertainer or singer but i do remember all those beautiful songs that i heard as a kid and today still am amazed how a child of eight, nine, years old would remember these beautiful songs, a love

song with beautiful lyrics, beautiful melodies, profound words. and i had no idea how or why a kid of 8, 9, 10 years old would remember those songs which i -- record on later in my life. and for me it made a very, very important part in our family, and my brothers and sisters of all my siblings, music's always been a very, very important part of our lives. and for me, it's been an incredible vehicle, a conduit to parts of the world that i never imagined i could visit, all over europe, over spain, parts of mexico united states, and it brought me in contact with so many different people from walks of life. it's been an amazing story to me. and i owe it all to music. damian: ah, well,

and we are reaping those rewards joe [speaking foreign language] what you've done. it's same thing with us, i guess, when we're feeling down and out, just put on some little joe, throw a couple of [speaking foreign language] maybe a couple of [speaking foreign language] and makes us feel a lot better. we're talking about the new book by little joe, little joe y la familia. it's called "no llore, fregon." there's another word there but we'll use "fregon" here. it's out so make sure you get that and we'll talk more with joe hernandez of little joe y la familia. stay with us.

damian: and we're back withe] little joe of little joe y la familia, talking about his new book, "no llore, fregon." it's an american story, the life of little joe y la familia, who grew up, a family of a sharecropper, and look at the

heights that he's risen to now. we're honored to be joined here. i mentioned, before we were on the air, joe, that when i was reading the book, i'd go to bed and i'd wake up the next day and i'm thinking, "what episode did i leave that netflix show at?" because it felt like i was watching a movie, just reading your book. so i'm sure you've gotten a lot more reviews like that but it's really--it's a really easy, really good read, and makes you feel like--makes you feel like you're little joe. little joe: well, first, the books won two awards and one of 'em is now, you know, i wrote the book hoping to inspire the reader and so one of the awards is "most inspirational non-fiction," and though how this works is once you win the award, then they move the book to the tv, environmental, and the movie

department and they ask for more information regarding me and my music interests. send that to the movie department and then it happens. it's been for five different categories, i believe it was: short film/movie; documentary; series. so they'll let us know in december where that goes. but one of the most thrilling things for me was, of course, i mean, that's--that was unthought of that, you know, i would get a chance, that the book would go to those departments. but after--there's 220 judges that judge the books and after reading my book, my life story, they come up with a new category for the book awards and that's the "best family story." that was not a category in the book awards

so they're going to start a new category, the best family--history of the families. so i'm really honored and proud of that and, of course, excited. and yet, the book, as i said, was my intention to inspire people [speaking in foreign language] you know? but, you know, hard work and everything that comes along with succeeding. luck plays a big part in it and i've been so lucky. i've always told you, "i'm so lucky to call you my friend and to know you," and, you know, this is just something that happens in my life that i know that i have stood on so many people's shoulders to get to where i'm at. and i'm grateful and, again, i'm just real blessed and i always go to --

and they ask me, "well, how do you wanna be remembered -- i say, "blessed," [speaking in foreign language] i mean, i can't explain it in any other way. i just feel very, very blessed. damian: yeah, blessed, that word says it all, for sure. we're watching the music video that has the same video that is on the book cover here. talk about when are we gonna see this again, joe? i know that, again, you're still recovering but, boy, i really don't know. we'd love to see you back onstage. the saddlerack is not here anymore but we'd still love to see you back. any idea, any thoughts? little joe: i've been on--doing some shows. i prefer to do the--of course, i've been doing -- concerts. it is true that i had to postpone and repostpone and re-reschedule, but scheduling shows that we had in vegas and laughlin and other shows that, you know, the big shows like

december--september 12 i was supposed to do a show with the temptations in vegas. i was all excited about that. but, again, we had to reschedule -- but i am doing some shows. i just don't wanna do any indoor shows, especially if the venue doesn't have a big stage and, you know, well-ventilated air but i'm always excited when i think about coming to san josé and i'm looking forward to visiting with you guys as soon as this terrible virus allows us. damian: all right, well, we're talking with the legendary little joe of little joe y la familia. again, his new book is "no llore," an american story by little joe, little joe y la familia. we'll be back with this grammy award-winner, this music icon. stay with us. [music]

damihis new book, "noain with littllore," which is out." la you know, i think of myself blessed for doing what i do, joe, going on 26 years now, and i'm sure that what--i think i read you're 80 years young now and you're still going and it's on fire. i'm sure you feel blessed. you mentioned this a little bit but to be going as long as you have, to have been the mover and shaker that you have been. little joe: it's been an incredible journey. oh, regarding the book, i almost forget to tell you that we have the spanish edition now. damian: oh good. little joe: yeah, yeah, we just got it done last week, friday of last week. i was informed that we have now little joe's story in spanish

and i'm excited about that because so many other people that, as i was saying earlier, that arrived in this country from mexico and--during the revolution, because of the revolution, will now be reading their life story as well, so you can now get it in the spanish edition. you know, a big change in my life came when i started touring california, especially when i wound up in the bay area. that changed--that led me to change the name of little joe and the latinaires to la familia-- little joe y la familia. that was such a big move for me, musically, just awareness and so i was -- for many, many years my home away from home.

and of course it's been so many years and we've lost so many of my fan base back then but their families are still around and they still come to the show and i'm always happy to greet them and, you know. unfortunately, i don't have much time to spend with anyone anymore, on the go all the time, but i'm looking forward to get to visit you guys at the bay area now, talk about the good old times, and bring you some good old chicano tejano music. damian: no, we can't wait to see you again, joe, and, in fact, you wrote a song about your tour around california. you mention san josé in that song and so you're near and dear to everyone here. we wanna--do wanna play a music video so we can entertain our folks but any final thoughts, joe, before we let you go? little joe: i just wanna wish everybody well and i wanna thank you for giving me the opportunity to do this interview with you and, again, i wanna remind the people that they need

to take care of themselves, wear the mask, keep the distance, social distance, and, you know, washing your hands and all that. but if you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of your loved ones. and do any and everything you can to help others. right now, i'm in the middle of working with the food banks which is one of the most important, i think, one of the most acts of love that we can do to feed the hungry. so if you have a little extra that you can share and you can spare it, to feed--help feed others, come forward, do that. damian: oh, that's beautiful. wish we could spend more time and talk more about "la cotorra," your dad who, also a big part. but this is very--this is little joe y la familia, his new book, "no llore, fregon." you can buy it now and you can also buy it in spanish [speaking foreign language] there is the book cover. this is just a great reading, again. you feel like you're watching a movie.

joe, thank you so much. i'm blessed to have known you, to know you, and to have you cross my path. gracias, hermano. little joe: damian, gracias [speaking foreign language] and god bless you. damian: gracias. i appreciate you and, well, this is the end of the show, folks. if you wanna get a hold of us, we do have our contact information. you can follow me on twitter. my handle is @newsdamian, on instagram is @newsdamiantrujillo. also pick up a copy of "el observador" newspaper and support your bilingual weeklies all across the bay area. we thank you once again to la familia and to little joe for joining us here at "comunidad del valle." we're gonna leave you now with "cartas marcadas," buenos días. ♪ [speaking foreign language] [music]

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