Oakland’s Escovedo family marked a milestone on Oct. 21: Pete and Juanita celebrated 70 years of marriage with roughly 130 family members and friends at a party in Walnut Creek. Pete, the 91-year-old Bay Area Latin jazz percussionist, is known for his work alongside Santana. Juanita is 89 and affectionately known as “Moms” within the family.
Their connection began in Oakland. According to KTVU, they met as middle schoolers and later dated while attending separate Oakland high schools — Pete at McClymonds and Juanita at Oakland Technical. “I was 19 when I got married and Pops was 21,” Juanita told the station.
The couple raised four children — Sheila, Peter, Juan and Zina — in a family that KTVU describes as musically gifted. Their story is part of a broader Oakland music legacy that spans generations.
A Family Rooted in Music and Faith
Pete has spent decades as a prominent figure in Latin jazz. The Oaklandside describes him as a world-renowned, Grammy-award-winning percussionist who has performed alongside Santana, Prince and Stevie Wonder. Born in Pittsburg and raised in Oakland, Pete passed that musical legacy to the next generation: daughter Sheila E. is a Grammy-winning artist and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Recording category in July 2023, according to a press release from the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
From Santana to Azteca
A JazzTimes account traces another chapter in Escovedo’s musical career: after joining Santana, Pete and his brother Coke went on to co-found the jazz-funk-Latin ensemble Azteca.
The Escovedos’ Oakland ties remain part of their public legacy, although Pete and Juanita have lived in Los Angeles since 2000. Their youngest child, Zina, still lives in Oakland, The Oaklandside reports. In October 2023, Oakland City Council honored the family for Hispanic Heritage Month; the following year, the city renamed a stretch near the family’s former home, at 9th Avenue and East 21st Street, Escovedo Way, according to the same report.
From Hard Times to a Growing Family Legacy
The couple has described financial hardship in the early years of Pete’s career as a struggling artist. KTVU reports that they have said those difficult periods strengthened their bond, and that both have credited faith with helping them through hard times.
Juanita told KTVU that sustaining a long marriage takes work, conversation and laughter. The couple’s children call them every day, the station reports, and the family has described faith and prayer as important parts of their life together.
The couple has 12 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren, with another great-grandchild on the way, KTVU reports. Their daughter Zina joined them at the station’s Oakland studio for its coverage, while Sheila E. gathered celebrity video tributes for the anniversary, including messages from Snoop Dogg and Gloria Estefan.
The platinum anniversary follows earlier milestones: the couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in October 2016 and their 65th in 2021, according to The Oaklandside. Their seven decades together are also part of a family story closely tied to Oakland’s music and civic life.
