ALICE —
Whether the term is Chicano, Mexican-American, conjunto or ranchero, the musical roots are all the same.
Tejano music in South Texas is a cultural experience, and while some believe it is dying, others are working to preserve it.
The Tejano Roots Hall of Fame Museum in Alice is doing just that.
Read more via Tejano Roots in Alice struggles to keep museum, music alive » Corpus Christi Caller-Times.
It’s a well-known story — the one where European conquerors ravaged the New World with disease in the 15th century. That story repeated itself, in a very different way, in the early part of the 20th century in Texas.Only it wasn’t illness that German and Czech settlers were spreading to unsuspecting Hispanics, Creoles and Cajuns. This time, it was a musical instrument from which they would not recover
Read the rest of the article, which includes photos and audio clips, via Texas Gets The Accordion Bug And Never Looks Back : NPR.
Tony “Ham” Guerrero’s story begins in San Angelo, the real cotton fields of Western songs. Its chapters are soundtracked by time-worn vinyl records – treasured artifacts of another age. Illustrated by a half-century stash of photos, posters, clippings, and mementos, Guerrero’s tale embodies Chicano pride told through family and band.
Read more via Urban Tejano: Grammys beckoning, Tortilla Factory reopens for the next generation of business Austin Music – AustinChronicle.com.
Laura Skelding/AAS STAFF
The son of a violinist, Manuel Donley struggled in school, dropped out when he was 13 and then washed dishes at El Toro restaurant, saving some of his earnings to pay for a beat-up guitar. He taught himself to play and started performing for tips as soon as he knew two chords. ‘The guitar, that was my passion,’ he says. He was honored as a Mexican American Trailblazer by the Austin History Center this year
Read the rest of the article (which also includes a video) via At 83, Tejano music pioneer still playing.
Eva Ybarra was once known as the “Shirley Temple of the Accordion” — a child prodigy who taught herself to play when she was 4.
She has been referred to around conjunto circles as “La Reina” — The Queen — and can still hold her own on the button squeezebox in the male-dominated field.
Read more via “La Reina” jams at fundraiser held for her.
Juanita García can still recall the smell of the freshly grilled burgers her parents used to buy her at the late Sunday afternoon tardeadas in Weslaco and Hidalgo. Tardeadas were afternoon gatherings often held at town parks where families danced and listened to local conjunto acts in the 1950s and ‘60s. Juanita said her father, Cristobal García, spent most of his time on the dance floor with his wife Guadalupe.
Read more via Daughter of conjunto music producer recalls growing up in trailblazing studio. | recalls, garc, studio – Life – TheMonitor.com.
The first video is from FOX 26, and the other two are two different clips from ABC 13.
Click on each image to view each video. These videos are not embedded , so you will have to use your back button to get back to this page.
Posted in Tejano History, Tejano News, Tejano Videos
This is an article on Steve Jordan from the UK…
Esteban ‘Steve’ Jordan obituary
Hailed as ‘the Hendrix of the accordion’Jordan: Tex-Mex musician whose appeal crossed cultural divides
‘You probably have never heard of accordionist Esteban ‘Steve’ Jordan,” the Texas journalist David Bennett wrote in his introduction to a 1988 album of the musician’s work. For the Anglo audience he was addressing, it was a fair comment, but to anyone in Hispanic south Texas it would have been a joke. Jordan, who has died aged 71, was a leading figure in Tex-Mex conjunto music, his records on jukeboxes from Florida to California, a Chicano superstar
Read more via Esteban ‘Steve’ Jordan obituary | Music | The Guardian.
I was surfing around and saw this statue of Roberto Pulido at the Tejano Walk of Fame in Edinburg so I thought I’d share the link with information on the Tejano Walk of Fame in Edinburg, TX.
Since its unveiling, the Tejano Walk of Fame at 415 W. McIntyre St. has attracted hundreds of visitors who have come to see Edinburg’s tribute to Tejano music stars.
via TEJANO WALK OF FAME.
Posted in Tejano History
Tagged Edinburg TX, RGV, Rio Grande Valley, Roberto Pulido, Tejano Music, Tejano Music Walk of Fame
The following is what the person who uploaded the videos posted about them:
The documentary series “Rhythms of the World” broadcasted on TV in The Netherlands features Valerio Longoria and Esteban Jordan in one show recorded in San Antonio in the early 90′s.
I’ve been on the road all day and just read the sad news about Steve Jordan’s passing.
The video below is from a performance just a few weeks ago on 7-21-2010
The video below is one from back in the 80s with another legend, Isidro Lopez
The next one is an interview with Steve Jordan by NPR
Click on the links below to read some articles on Steve Jordan:
Steve ‘Esteban’ Jordan gave the accordion a new sound (Austin 360.com)
R.I.P. Esteban Steve Jordan (San Antonio Current)
Accordion legend Esteban Jordan dies (MySA Entertainment)
Posted in Tejano History, Tejano Interviews & Articles, Tejano News, Tejano Videos
Tagged Conjunto History, Conjunto Music, Conjunto Videos, Death of Steve Jordan, Esteban Jordan, Steve Jordan, Steve Jordan Articles, Steve Jordan History, Steve Jordan Videos, Tejano History, Tejano Music, Tejano Music Articles, Tejano Music History, Tejano Videos
Taking a break from looking for photos, videos and articles on the 2010 Tejano Weekend, to provide you with a Tejano History link. The link below is from the Journal of Texas History (written in 2001) posted at ecomons at the Texas State University.
Click on the image to read.
For more posts on Tejano History, or that include links to articles, videos etc of Tejano History go to my Tejano History Category
Posted in Tejano History
Tagged Arhoolie Records, Augustoín Ramírez, Beto Villa, border Music, Bruno Villarreal, Carlos Guzmán, Conjunto Bernal, Conjunto Music, Emilio, Freddie Martínez, Freddie Records, grupo tejano, Guadalupe San Miguel, Hacienda Records, Ideal Records, Isidro López, Johnny Herrera, Journal of Texas Music History, La Diferenzia, La Mafia, La Onda Chicana, La Sombra, Laura Canales, Laura y Carmen, Letty Guval, Little Joe, Los Dinos, Los Fabulosos Cuatro, Los Relámpagos del Norte, Lydia Mendoza, Mazz, Mingo Saldivar, Musica Tejana, Narciso Martinez, Nuestra Music, orquesta, progressive conjunto, Ramón Ayala y Los Bravos del Norte, Roberto Pulido, Roberto Pulido y Los clasicos, Royal Jesters, Rudy Tee Gonzales y Sus Reno Bops, Selena, Snowball & Co., Steve Jordon, Sunny Ozuna, Tejano Music, Tejano Music History, Tex-Mex Music, Texas-Mesican Music, The Country Roland Band, Tony de la Rosa, Valerio Longoria
This CD was brought to my attention by a post on the Tejano Journal by “Mando de Oregon”. For those who don’t know who Juan Manuel Barco is, he is the author of the song “Don Luis El Tejano”. Click on the image above to go to Juan Manuel’s website. Be sure to read the bio, a fascinating chapter of Tejano History , and go to the music section to listen to clips and for information on how to order a copy of the album.
Posted in Tejano CD Releases, Tejano History
Tagged Ama Petra, Don Luis El Tejano, Dona Prudencia, El primo Jacobo, Eliazar, Ell Nuevo Jardinero, Es mi Hermano, Juan Manuel Barco, La Casa Vieja, Latin Music, Mar de Estrellas, Mis Cinco Estrellas, No te Rajes Maria, Norma Linda El 56, Pintor Pinta a Mi Madre, Tejano CD Releases, Tejano CD's, Tejano Music, Tejano Songwriters
Click HERE to go to the Texas Monthly article( and to view the photo, taken in 1977 when David Lee was just 20, in a larger size).
Confirmed Guest Artists:
Los Palominos
Elida Reyna
Shelly Lares
Bobby Pulido
Ruben Ramos
Little Joe
Cristian Castro
Frankie J
Celso Piña
Confirmed Former Band Members (so far):
Leonard
Speedy
Adam
Michael
Rudy
Click HERE to order tickets from Ticketmaster
Posted in Tejano Events, Tejano History, Tejano Videos
Tagged A Music Legacy, Alamodome Events, Andy, Bobby Pulidio and La Mafia, Bobby Pulido, Celso Pina, Celso Pina and La Mafia, Cristian Castro, Cristian Castro and La Mafia, Elida Reyna, Elida Reyna and La Mafia, Frankie J, Frankie J and La Mafia, La Mafia, La Mafia 30th Anniversary, La Mafia 30th Anniversary show, La Mafia A Music Legacy, La Mafia events, La Mafia Former Band Members, La Mafia in San Antonio, La Mafia in the Alamodome, La Mafia tickets, Latin Music, Latin Music Events, Leonard, Leonard Gonzales, Little Joe, Little Joe and La Mafia, Los Palominos, Los Palominos and La Mafia, Michael, Michael Aguilar, Oscar de la Rosa y La Mafia, Oscar Leonard y La Mafia, Regional Mexican Music, Ruben Ramos, Ruben Ramos and La Mafia, Rudy, Rudy Martinez, Speedy, Tejano Events, Tejano Music, Ticket information for La Mafia 30th anniversary show, Ticket information for La Mafia at the Alamodome
This video has recently been making the rounds on Facebook, it has been uploaded on You Tube 3 times, once by the person who created it and by someone who copied it and uploaded it twice, and I’m sure that the other person who uploaded it was just doing so to make it easier to find on You Tube searches, BUT I believe in giving credit where credit is due. The creator of the video is Elicio Leal. The video below is his original upload. You can click HERE to view it on You Tube, you can also click HERE to go to his You Tube Channel where you will find a lot of other Tejano Videos.
The Tejano/Conjunto world is in mourning for Conjunto Legend Ruben Vela, who passed away earlier this evening. I saw the sad news posted on the Tejano Journal, and confirmed by several sources there and on radio stations and social networks. The articles are not online yet, but I found a bio on him which you can read by clicking HERE.
RIP Ruben Vela, you will be missed.
This was filmed in 1986:
Conjunto is Life Tejano Live DFW Tejano Music Coalition El Padrino’s Blog Pura Onda Tejana Latin Fusion TV Blog Tejano Rush Tejano Media Gringz’s La Mafia Weblog
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