Tejano History

Tejano History

Selena teaches Tejano History

Origin Of Tejano

In the 1690s Spain settled the area that is now known as Texas. In 1718, San Antonio was established as a midway point to the missions of east Texas.

In 1749, Spain settled the area we now call the Rio Grande Valley, thus was born the Tejano (a Texan of Mexican heritage). Because of the remoteness of South Texas at the time and its proximity of Mexico, Tejano culture was very much tied to the Mexican states of Nuevo Leon and Tamalipas. These ties continue today and are a strong influence on the Tejano culture.

In the 1850s Europeans from Germany, Poland and Czech republic migrated to Texas and Mexico. Bringing with them their style of music and dance. They brought with them the Waltz, Polkas and other popular forms of music and dance. However it was not until the Mexican Revolution ( 1910-1917) that forced many of these Europeans to flee Mexico and into South Texas, that their musical influence was to have a major impact on Tejanos. At the turn of the century, Tejanos were mostly involved in ranching and agriculture.

It was a rough life, but one of pride. The only diversion was the occasional traveling musician who would come to the ranches and farms. Their basic instruments were the Flute, Guitar and Drum. and they sang songs that were passed down through the generations from songs originally sang in Spain and Mexico. One of these musicians was Lydia Mendoza, who became one of the first to record Spanish music as part of RCAs expansion of their popular Race records of the 1920s. As these traveling musicos traveled into areas where the Germans, Poles and Czechs lived, they began to incorporate the ump papa sound into their music. Narciso " El Huracan del Valle" Martinez known as the father of conjunto music, defined the Accordions role in conjunto music.

Alice, Texas has long been recognized as "The Birthplace of Tejano" dating back to the mid 1940's when Armando Marroquin, Sr. of Alice and partner Paco Bentacourt of San Benito, Texas launched what was to be the first home based recording company to record Tejano artists exclusively. Ideal Records, which was based in Alice, the heart of South Texas and under the direction of Marroquin became the perfect vehicle for Tejano groups and artists to get their music to the public. Marroquin, who also owned and operated a jukebox company, insured that Ideal recordings would be distributed throughout South Texas. The songs recorded, which were contributed by Tejano and Mexican composers became very popular through jukeboxes placed in restaurants, cantinas or any other establishment that would have them, and the then very scarce Spanish language radio programs.

Usually, Tex-Mex refers to more the traditional styles such as its most popular sub-genre by far, norteño music. Tejano is usually more modern and is heavily influenced by Country music, and Polka.

Central to the evolution of early Tejano music was the blend of traditional Mexican forms such as the corrido, and Continental European styles, such as Polka [3], introduced by German and Czech settlers in the late 19th century. In particular, the accordion was adopted by Tejano folk musicians at the turn of the 20th century, and it became a popular instrument for amateur musicians in Texas and Northern Mexico. Small bands known as orquestas, featuring amateur musicians, became a staple at community dances.

Narciso Martínez (1911-1992) gave the accordion playing a new virtuosity in the 1930s, when he adopted the two button row accordion. At the same time, he formed a group with Santiago Almeida, a bajo sexto (twelve string bass guitar) player. Their new musical style, known as conjunto, soon became the popular music of the working class Tejano. Flaco Jimenez (1939-), the son of an accordionist and grandson of a man who had learned the instrument from a German immigrant, carried on Martinez's tradition of accordion virtuosity and became a fixture on the international World Music scene by the 1980s.

In the 1950s and 1960s, rock and roll and country music made inroads, and electric guitars and drums were added to conjunto combos. Also, performers such as Little Joe added both nuances of jazz and R&B, and a Chicano political consciousness.

The 1960s and '70s brought a new fusion of cultures. Popular Tejano musician and producer Paulino Bernal of the legendary Conjunto Bernal discovered and introduced to the Tejano music scene, Los Relampagos Del Norte with Ramon Ayala and Cornelio Reyna on his Bego Records. His Tejano infuence on their early recordings popularized this hot new act both to the Mexican-American as well as the Mexican audiences all the way until their breakup in the mid 1970s. Ramon Ayala still enjoys success on both sides of the border. Cornelio Reyna enjoyed a very successful career as an actor and singer and resurfaced in the Tejano scene with a major hit with his collaboration with Tejano artist La Mafia. He toured constantly until his recent death.

In the late 1980s and early '90s, Houston based artist La Mafia already with over a dozen Tejano Music Awards under their belt, originated a new Tejano style later to become a Tejano standard. La Mafia combined a pop-style beat to the popular Mexican-style cumbia and achieved success never before seen in the Tejano industry, becoming the first Tejano artist to sell over one million albums with "Estás Tocando Fuego" in 1992. With extensive touring of Mexico from as early as 1988, they eventually opened the doors throughout Mexico for such artists as Selena, Emilio Navaira and eventually, Intocable. Electronic instruments and synthesizers increasingly dominated the sound, and Tejano music increasingly appealed to bilingual country and rock fans. In the wake of her murder, Selena's music received attention from a mainstream American audience as well. Selena has since became the first and only Tejano music artist to win a Grammy and her album Ven Conmigo became the first Tejano album ever to go gold.
The elements of Tejano

Tejano music is an American invention, born in Texas. Although it has influences from Mexico and other Latin American countries, the main influences are American. Contemporary classic Tejano artists such as Jay Perez exhibit influence from rock, jazz, blues, funk and, country. Today's Tejano sound is in essence "country" performed in Spanish to a Polka beat.

It is important to understand that the Tex-Mex/Tejano music has various categories of music and bands. Three major categories are Conjunto, Orchestra and Modern. A Conjunto band is comprised of accordion, bajo sexto, bass, and drum. Examples of Conjunto Bands are Esteban "Steve" Jordan, The Hometown Boys and Jaime de Anda y Los Chamacos. An Orchestra consists of bass, drum, electric guitar, synthesizer, and a brass section on which it relies heavily for its sound. It can also have an accordion in the band at times. An example of an Orchestra is Ruben Ramos and the Texas Revolution. A Modern Tejano band consists of synthesizers, drums, electric guitar, bass and at times an accordion. It relies heavily on the synthesizer for its sound. Modern Bands are Jay Perez and Jimmy Gonzalez and his group Mazz. Other categories consist of Progressive, Pop and Urban Tejano music. All of these categories are classified as Tejano.

With the accordion, drum and the bajo sexto, a 12 string bass guitar from Spain, Tejanos now had a sound they could begin to call their own. In the 1940s, Valerio Longoria introduced lyrics to conjunto music. Further establishing the Tejano claim to this new sound. Tejano music did retain some of its roots in the old European styles, Polkas and Waltzes were still popular , also popular was the German habit of dancing in a circle around the dance floor. It can also be noted that Country Western is also danced in the same manner, but only in Texas.

In the 1950s, Isidiro Lopez further revolutionize the Tejano sound by taking out theflowery Spanish that Valerio used and used Tex-Mex instead. This created a newer sound and took us one step closer to the sound we have today. In the 1960s and 70s Little Joe and the Latinairs, later renamed La Familia, The Latin Breed , and others infused the orchestra sound into the Tejano sound. Taking their influences from the Pop, R&B and other forms of music. In the late 70s and early 80s, Brownsville Native Joe Lopez y El Groupo Mazz introduced the Keyboard sound to Tejano. This was influenced by the Disco sound of the era.

In the last Ten years or so there has been a rebirth of the accordion sound in Tejano Music. The Accordion has gone from an almost forgotten instrument to a "must have" instrument.

Groups like Los Chamacos, Eddie Gonzalez y Vida, La Tropa F and all the groups hitting today have the accordion .

At the turn of the 21st century, today's Tejano music, while far more pop-oriented than in its Depression-era roots, is one of the most vital regional musical styles in the United States.

The term Tex-Mex is also used in American rock and roll for Tejano-influenced performers such as the Sir Douglas Quintet; Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs; The Mars Volta; Louie and the Lovers; The Champs with "Tequila"; the Texas Tornados, featuring Flaco Jiménez, Freddy Fender, Augie Meyers, and Doug Sahm; and Los Lonely Boys.

Texan accordion music has also influenced Basque trikitixa players.

Contemporary Swedish-American composer Sven-David Sandström has incorporated Tejano music stylings in his classical music.
source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tejano_music

The Evolution of Tejano Music

In the 1690s Spain settled the area that is now known as Texas . In 1718, San Antonio was established as a midway point to the missions of east Texas.

In 1749, Spain settled the area we now call the Rio Grande Valley, thus was born the Tejano ( a Texan of Mexican heritage). Because of the remoteness of South Texas at the time and its proximity of Mexico, Tejano culture was very much tied to the Mexican states of Nuevo Leon and Tamalipas. These ties continue today and are a strong influence on the Tejano culture.

In the last Ten years or so there has been a rebirth of the accordion sound in Tejano Music. The Accordion has gone from an almost forgotten instrument to a "must have" instrument.

Groups like Los Chamacos, Eddie Gonzalez y Vida, La Tropa F and all the groups hitting today have the accordion .

In the 1980s, Little Joe proved to Columbia records that there was money to be made in Tejano Music. Major corporations have followed and Tejano is enjoying the recognition it had been denied for decades.

Will Tejano change? Of course it will. Will it go out of style? NO WAY. Tejano music is fan based and fan driven , it reflects their likes and dislikes.

As long as they put out Beer Drinking songs, Love songs, Tear Jerking songs and old Dancing songs. There will continue to be Tejano music, because Tejano is the music of the Heart.

As for my sources I will cite Galan, Acuna, My father Cesario"Challo" Leal Jr. (1924-1992) He was a DJ for KBOR in the 1950s and owned El Patio Mesquito in the 1950s & 60s in Olmito, Texas where many of the old time greats got their start or fine tuned their art. Among them Ruben Vela, Freddy Fender, Ramon Ayala, Gilberto Perez, Narciso Martinez, Chuy Villegas (father of Linda V and the Boys) the list goes on.
by Martin Leal
Texas History Teacher
Brownsville I.S.D.
B.A. History
mleal@ies.net