Guitar heroes
Three generations of guitar builders stand behind the East Los Angeles institution of Candelas. Known for meticulous handcrafted classical and flamenco guitars, guitarrons, vihuelas, ukuleles, and the colorful sonorous timbre they resonate, Candelas has earned the respect and love of musicians everywhere, including Jose Feliciano, Charo (“Cuchie-cuchie!”), and Los Angeles’s own Los Lobos.
The story of Candelas starts humbly, in Torreon, Mexico. Two brothers orphaned in the early 1900s were raised separately but in the same town. One got to go school. The other went to work. Candelario Delgado Flores, known as Candelas, hit the books. Porfirio Delgado Flores ended up with a hammer and entered the carpentry trade. Candelas, a great singer and musician, convinced his brother Porfirio to make a guitar. And so the family luthier legacy launched.
Info
Address 2724 E Cesar Chavez Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90033, +1 323.261.2011, www.candelas.com, info@candelas.com | Public Transport Gold Line to Soto Station, then a .5-mile walk | Getting there Metered street parking | Hours Tue–Fri 9am–6pm, Sat 9am–3pm, Sun & Mon closed| Tip Check out Artists & Fleas (647 Mateo Street, Los Angeles, CA 90021), a local vintage and artisan-based flea market located just 2.5 miles southwest of Candelas (open every 3rd weekend of the month, 11am–5pm, www.artistsandfleas.com).
The business grew by word of mouth as more and more musicians discovered the quality of their instruments – delightful to play, like ear candy to hear. The brothers hopscotched from Torreon to Juarez to Tijuana to Los Angeles. They set up shop in Boyle Heights in 1948. At one time, Candelas Guitars swelled to five stores, from Tijuana to Hollywood, but they now centralize all work and sales through the current Boyle Heights location. The shop also offers lessons.
Porfirio’s grandson Tomas Delgado is the current face of Candelas and a fantastic guitar player himself. Lucky patrons can hear him testing instruments built by his own talented hands. With such fine craftsmanship, one might expect that only bona fide rich professionals could afford these guitars. Although not cheap, an amateur might augment the purchase of his or her very own instrument by holding a few bake sales or busking in the park. And who knows – with practice, the right location, and a Candelas guitar, one might even move from performing on the streets to the arena stage.
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