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March 31 is Cesar Chavez Day. San Antonio held an early commemoration of the civil and labor rights leader March 22 with the Cesar E. Chavez March for Justice. Thousands turned out to pay tribute to Chavez’s legacy.
When the march began in 1997, a folkloric group of musicians known as Los Inocentes was inspired to create corridos — narrative ballads — about his life.
Los Inocentes was formed three years before San Antonio’s first Cesar Chavez march. George and Maria Zentella observed their children were losing their connection to their native Spanish language.
“So my husband and I decided to teach them the history and the culture,” said Maria Zentella, “the music, the Mexican music, the folkloric music. ... [They] loved it. They immediately learned to play guitars.”
One of George and Maria’s children, Binisa Zentella, said she quickly became enamored of corridos.
The first corrido she wrote was about Esequiel Hernandez, an 18-year-old U.S. civilian killed in 1997 by a Marine in the Texas border city of Redford, near the Big Bend. Hernandez carried a rifle to protect the goats he was herding. Marines said he fired in their direction. One returned fire, killing Hernandez.
Zentella said what struck her was that, at the time, they were both the same age.
“And so the way I channeled [it was through a corrido] because I was grieving for somebody I didn't know. … [It] really resonated to me, I think, because of my border experience.”
Los Inocentes became involved in musical advocacy and became involved in organizing San Antonio’s first Cesar Chavez march. The group of musicians were at the front of the line, leading the procession.
Maria Zentella said the march’s organizers had one request: “So they said, ‘Where's the corrido for Cesar Chavez?’ So [Los Inocentes] immediately composed the corrido … and La Temporada for the movement.”
The songs were written by Binisa Zentella. She said corridos are her canvas.
"I just loved building the lyrics telling a story because corridos are about telling a story,” she said. “And so seeing what was happening in front of me [at the first Cesar Chavez march], with all these people who were so invested in their community, who were trying to make a difference. At that time, I [didn’t] think it in those terms, but it was to leave something behind, a little bit of myself."
Los Inocentes was put on pause about a decade ago while its members started families of their own. But those families are growing up.
Binisa’s son, 15-year-old multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Wittwer Zentella, is the newest member of Los Inocentes. He knows the generational responsibility and cultural traditions he must carry.
“And as I continue forth with my musical journey and seeing them parallel with mine, as I'm starting up, I was just starting to see that musical correlation as I kind of connected with my generational roots, as part of this family,” he explained.
Jonathan’s entry into the family business ensures Los Inocentes continue for another generation of music and advocacy.
See Jonathan Wittwer Zentella and Binisa Zentella perform El Corrido de Cesar Chavez, recorded March 26, 2025, at Texas Public Radio:
