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Community members gathered in Potrero del Sol Park on Sept. 5 to celebrate the life of musical legend Arcelio \u201cMalo\u201d Garcia, founding member of Latin rock and roll band Malo. The Mission-based band rose to fame in the 1970s and helped shape the Latin rock movement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The day of the service, the outdoor stage was lit by bright sunshine, filled with musicians, and decorated with photos of Garcia, who passed away August 11 at age 74. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The memorial began at noon with spoken messages, prayers and songs from family and other members of Victory Outreach San Francisco. Current and former members of Malo then took turns making statements and playing favorite songs like \u201cSuavecito,\u201d \u201cCafe\u201d and \u201cIt\u2019s a Lovely Day.\u201d The soulful notes sounded through the park inspiring celebration. At the foot of the stage, fans danced and snapped photos. In shaded sections, people raised their hands and voices in honor of the Mission District\u2019s beloved rock idol and community member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Garcia\u2019s daughter and a lead organizer of the memorial service, Yvette Garcia Hernandez, reflected on her father. \u201cOur family was a very big part of the community when Malo was started. Because of him a lot of the local talent here were able to get their start,\u201d Hernandez said in an interview. \u201cIt was a road that he never wanted to travel alone. He always wanted to do this with his friends, family and community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Garcia\u2019s role in the community echoed throughout the day. Richard Segovia recorded with Garcia and owns the \u201cHouse of Latin Rock\u201d at 25th and York streets, which features a mural of Mission District Latin rock bands that have defined the genre. \u201cArcelio was like the Mission District\u2019s protector. He was like the ambassador. He left a mark here,\u201d Segovia said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Malo band member Pastor Martin Cantu also emphasized Garcia\u2019s leadership. \u201cArcelio took me under his wing and taught me,\u201d Cantu said. \u201cHe would give musicians from the Mission District the opportunity to be onstage. A lot of the musicians here today owe gratitude to him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Family gathered around sharing stories and memories, emphasizing that Garcia was a Latin rock legend and much more. They want people to remember that Garcia was a family man who always had a joke for everything. He was a great baseball player and boxer. He was kind and humble. When his loved ones picture him, they see him not only on stage, but also in grandma\u2019s kitchen while she cooks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe used to walk down the street together and I used to tell everyone \u2018do you want to meet my uncle the rock star?\u2019 He didn\u2019t like that,\u201d Garcia\u2019s nephew, Pele Garcia, remembered with a laugh. \u201cBut he always came back with a joke. I love my uncle and I am going to miss him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe is still with us,\u201d Garcia\u2019s nephew Raymond Garcia remarked, because \u201che\u2019s in everybody\u2019s hearts. He put a piece of his soul into everyone.\u201d His family agreed that Garcia lives on through the talent he shared with the world. As long as his music is played, he will be remembered. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Community members gathered in Potrero del Sol Park on Sept. 5 to celebrate the life of musical legend Arcelio \u201cMalo\u201d Garcia, founding member of Latin rock and roll band Malo. The Mission-based band rose to fame in the 1970s and helped shape the Latin rock movement. The day of the service, the outdoor stage was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":45443,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[315],"tags":[],"coauthors":[18445],"class_list":["post-45442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-gallery","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-obituaries-en","post_format-post-format-gallery","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n