Biography.guide
Home › People › Painter › Roberto de la Rocha
Portrait of Roberto de la Rocha

Roberto de la Rocha

b. 1943

American artist, father of Rage Against the Machine singer Zack de la Rocha (born 1943)

Painter Graphic artsPainting
Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Roberto de la Rocha

Born 1943. Roberto de la Rocha is an American painter, graphic arts and painting.

Roberto Isaac "Beto" de la Rocha (; born November 26, 1937) is a Mexican-American painter, graphic artist, and muralist. He was part of the Chicano art collective Los Four for a few years. De la Rocha was also influential in re-establishing the traditional Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead in Los Angeles. He is the father of Rage Against the Machine vocalist and lyricist Zack de la Rocha. was responsible for numerous murals and public art installations in the Los Angeles area. According to Luján, he and de la Rocha emphasized "indigenous and local" aspects of Chicano art, while the other two members were more interested in the European tradition. According to Judithe Hernández, the first female member of Los Four, de la Rocha was also a "brilliant printmaker",

Reestablishing the Day of the Dead in Los Angeles De la Rocha was also influential in establishing the traditional Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead in Los Angeles, when he, along with Chicano artist Gronk and a few others, led a procession from Evergreen Cemetery up First Street in Eastside Los Angeles. Luján later said that de la Rocha "should be given credit for initiating this process—almost single-handedly. And what he did, he didn't get funding or he didn't ask permission from anybody, he just went and did it." According to The American Prospect, he was also the art editor of the United Farm Workers publication El Malcriado. In 1974, de la Rocha, along with the other founding members of Los Four, was featured in a documentary entitled Los Four/Murals of Aztlan. In 1999, de la Rocha was featured in a joint showing with Los Angeles artist John Zender at La Luz gallery in Long Beach, California.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1943, Wilmar
Birth century
Nationality
Education
California State University, Long Beach
Also known as
Robert de la Rocha, Roberto De La Rocha, Beto Rocha

Family & relationships

Child
Zack de la Rocha

People in Roberto de la Rocha's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Roberto de la Rocha's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Roberto de la Rocha?

American artist, father of Rage Against the Machine singer Zack de la Rocha (born 1943)

When was Roberto de la Rocha born?

Roberto de la Rocha was born in 1943 in Wilmar.

What is Roberto de la Rocha's occupation?

Roberto de la Rocha is a painter, graphic arts and painting.

What nationality is Roberto de la Rocha?

Roberto de la Rocha is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Roberto de la Rocha

· Wikidata: Q7351964

· DBpedia: Robert de la Rocha

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Roberto de la Rocha. https://biography.guide/roberto-de-la-rocha/

MLA: "Roberto de la Rocha." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/roberto-de-la-rocha/.

Chicago: "Roberto de la Rocha." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/roberto-de-la-rocha/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-26 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:14 UTC