It’s the lead single from his upcoming album La Patria, an album dedicated to his late father, Tejano legend Henry Balderrama.
“I’ve been working on this project, which is a tribute to my dad, I’ve been working on it for a little over two years with Art Guillermo,” Rick told Tejano Nation radio affiliate Tejano 1600 morning host Melissa Santa Cruz. “This album I took songs that I would say are my favorite along with my dad’s favorites, half of them he wrote.”
LISTEN: Rick Balderrama on Tejano 1600
The album, scheduled to be released on March 14, also features collaborations with David Ledesma of LaDezz and Missy Garcia, and of course the lead single with Barrera.
“Never collaborated together, his dad was a musician who passed away as well, so we have a lot in common there,” Rick said about working with Barrera. “I’ve always looked up to him, he’s a great overall performer, vocalist, and drummer. He’s like a brother to me.”
“Mil Recuerdos” will be available at all major digital platforms soon.
Stripes revealed the second of three Selena cups to be released this year via social media on Thursday.
Caller.com reports photos of the newest Selena cup leaked on social media minutes after Stripes announced it would be released on March 9.
Stripes posted a short video on their social media platforms that feature a white rose with “03.09.19” in red letters. The post also encourages fans to purchase a Queen of Cumbia Cup while supplies last.
Who was one of the lucky ones that got a LIVE sneak peek on Facebook and Instagram? Keep an eye out for the official debut of our Selena Rose Cup.
Photos of the cup posted by a Facebook user shows several white roses on the entire cup, with a photo of Selena in a black sleeveless outfit and the iconic Selena logo in red with a red lid on top of the cup.
Rising Tejano singer and songwriter Jessie Marie premieres the official music video for “La Hija de Nadie” exclusively with Tejano Nation.
“I know everybody’s going to love it,” exclaimed Jessie Marie to Tejano Nation. “The whole reason I ended up doing this song was because of my mom, she’s in love with this song.”
“It’s a song that’s close to my heart,” she added. “I can relate to it on some levels.”
The music video, directed by Ryan Bazan, was filmed at The Woman’s Club of San Antonio, a mansion that is part of the National Registry of Historical Places.
“It was such an amazing experience to be in such a powerful house all ran by women,” Jessie Mare said. “It was a great experience and I couldn’t have asked for a better place to shoot my music video.”
The 19-year-old singer and songwriter is currently working on her debut album and plans to release it later this year after recording a few more songs to finish out the album.
Ashley Quintanilla has released a cover of “Si Supieras” as her latest single from her upcoming debut album.
The song was originally recorded by El Privilegio in 2006 and written by Latin Grammy winner Juan Treviño.
“‘Si Supieras’ is vocally my favorite song to sing live,” Quintanilla told Tejano Nation. “I love the rhythm. It’s fun to dance to on stage, or when I practice in the mirror.”
The tune is one of three covers that will be on the Corpus Christi, Texas singer’s debut album scheduled to be released this summer. Other covers include “Tanto Que Te Quise,” also by El Privilegio and “Soledad” by La Fiebre.
“‘Si Supieras’ is my favorite cover song I recorded,” she said. “I chose it as soon as I heard it.”
Quintanilla will soon follow up this song with another release on March 22 titled “Mi Desdicha Favorita”.
Epi Martinez & Friends newly released single, “Luckenbach, Texas,” adds Conjunto flavor to the iconic country song by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.
The track, which also features Epi’s mother Cruz Martinez, will be part of his upcoming album scheduled to be released in mid-March.
Epi’s first musical influences could be credited to his parents Epifanio and Cruz Martinez. His career spans from 1978 to the present time earning him an induction into the Tejano ROOTS Hall of Fame in 2018 for Bajo Sexto.
After many years of being in the shadows, now its time for him to focus on his own career in which he is dedicated to maintaining and carrying on his family legacy. This debut album will feature Epi and his mother singing old fashion Conjunto folk music. His father’s songs are on this album as well.
Epi Martinez has a resumé that is very impressive from working on commercials to performing at many prestigious festivals and honored with awards and recognition. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Tejano Album in 2003 as part of Frijoles Romanticos. Percussionist of the Year Award for the Texas industry at the Tejano Music Awards in 2007.
His goal is to travel and perform around the world with his music. At this time, there is no stopping this passionate and versatile singer and musician.
Tony Guerrero, the lead vocalist for legendary band La Sombra, is recuperating today in a hospital after surgery.
Latin Groove Music reports the singer is in the hospital for hernia complications and describes the situation as a lot of pain, lack of breath, and fainting spells.
Guerrero posted a video to Facebook on Saturday from his hospital bed thanking fans for support and apologizing for missing Friday night’s performance in San Antonio, Texas. His brother Gavino took his place as vocalist for the show.
Journalist and photographer Mariaelena Arocha has joined Tejano Nation as contributing writer and will cover Conjunto and Tejano events in San Antonio and South Texas.
Arocha is a freelance photographer and journalist, who specializes in documenting the Conjunto and Tejano industry.
“I feel that this genre of music is exciting and I have loved it since I was 14 years old,” Arocha said. “I have photographed many Tejano and Conjunto artists and bands and I have written many articles on Conjunto organizations and artists.”
“Mariaelena’s passion for capturing the joy of each musician in her photographs and writing is very exciting to see and read,” said John Henry Medina, Digital Managing Editor at Tejano Nation. “She will help TejanoNation.net remain the premiere website for Tejano and Conjunto music and news with fresh, exciting content for fans of the genres from all over the world.”
For the past two years, she has written a monthly Conjunto column in Street Talk Magazine and helps San Antonio radio station KEDA 99.9 FM with advertising and photographing their events.
“Conjunto and Tejano music mean very much to me because it’s a culture of music that at 14 years old I was not accustomed to,” she said. “I was born in Chicago, Illinois and moved to San Antonio when I was 14. I had no idea what Tejano or Conjunto music was, I couldn’t speak Spanish and I came here not knowing the culture at all. My mother is Jewish and my father was born in Mexico, so I come from a mixed nationality background and English was only spoken at home. San Antonio and Tejano/Conjunto music gave me a way to learn Spanish and learn about the history behind it and that’s why it’s very important to me to document and photograph whatever I can to preserve this genre of music.”
Arocha currently studies journalism and digital art at Palo Alto College.
“I also do studio photography from my home for many musicians and up and coming young talent,” she said. “Supporting the new artists, students, and up and coming musicians has become a very big part of my life. I love to see the determination and excitement they feel when a live crowd is cheering for them and supporting their dream.”
“My photographs have been featured in magazines, as album covers, banners, commemorative magazines, and as promotional flyers,” she said. “My style of photography I think is unique because I love close-ups. To see the twinkle in the eye, to see sharp detail of fingers on a Bajo Sexto, to clearly see the emotion in someone’s face is how I would describe my photographs. I am very honored to have my work be used to further this culture of music.”
“I am very grateful to be joining Tejano Nation and would like to thank Mr. John Henry Medina for the opportunity to continue to do what I love on a higher platform, with Tejano Nation,” she added. “I have so much to learn, but I photograph and write from the heart and I have made many friends by doing this.”
Jimencio dropped a teaser of his upcoming single “Para Que”.
“Welcome to the new beginning of Jimencio. Brand new music, brand new sound and brand new me,” Jimencio told Tejano Nation about his new single.
The crooner is working with Wences Romo on this project and with musicians like Lalo Morales and more on this new single.
“My band and I are excited to share the new sound and movement with all of you,” he said. “We hope this song can really reach all of you. The story behind the song is very relatable.”
The song is about a couple going through trials and throughout the song, he asks his significant other why she decided to love him the way he loves to be loved when in fact she had other plans in mind,” said Jimencio. “Make him fall in love and when things got good she walks away.”
“So this song basically calls her out,” he said.
“Para Que” will be released at all digital music platforms on March 7. The official music video is scheduled to be released on March 21, sponsored by Miguel Herrera Realty Group and Will Esquivel, Crystal Quintanilla, the Mortgage Gurus with Gold Financial Services.
For booking and management, call Tesoro Entertainment at 210-232-4835.
“Listening Back with DLG and MT III” launched in January to record and help preserve the history of Tejano and Chicano music.
“You can go to any library in town and check out twenty books on the history of jazz and the history of rock’n’roll, or any kind of music that had a big mark in the American music industry and you can’t find that for Tejano,” Torres told Tejano Nation.
Torres, co-leader of La 45 and former musician with Little Joe Y La Familia, felt that his career as a Tejano musician put him in a unique position to document the careers of many of his peers and legendary musicians.
“I get to talk to these people very candidly,” he said. “I got to talk to people who were there, who did it, who were involved and I get to hear their stories.”
Garza became a part of the podcast when Torres thought of who else would be interested in speaking on the history of Tejano music.
“He’s a historian too,” said Torres. “He loves the story, he loves hearing who was on the album and how they were made. I know he’s a big fan of all eras of Tejano and Chicano music, and he also has a lot of connections, everybody knows him.”
The podcast has already featured classic albums from Little Joe, Conjunto Bernal, and Los Unicos. Upcoming episodes will also feature guests, including singers, musicians, and producers of the classic albums featured to give more insight into their history.
“Hopefully people will be able to get some insight into some of these musicians, some of these albums and really into the growth of our music.”
Learn more about “Listening Back with DLG and MT3” at their official Facebook page here. Listen to the latest podcast episodes here.
HOUSTON (KHOU) — After performing for a record-breaking crowd at the Houston Rodeo Friday, Cardi B gave us a little taste of why she calls herself the ‘Trap Selena’.
Backstage after the concert, the Grammy-winning rapper recorded a video for her Instagram next to a Selena poster and told us the Queen of Tejano inspired her look in her new music video “Please Me” with Bruno Mars. She then ended the video singing one of Selena’s greatest hits, “Como la Flor.”
“I was maaaaa hype to see this picture before I got in my dressing room cause out of all her outfirs there’s a picture hanging on the wall of the outfit I got my inspiratioin from for Please Me music video. It was like a lucky sign,” Cardi B wrote on her Instagram page.
“I had such a bad migraine, I had to get a doctor backstage to give me two shots and ain’t rehearsed cause I been working all week and ain’t really know what I was getting myself into until I got in the venue,” she wrote.”
Cardi beat previous record holder Garth Brooks by just three people.
“Dices Que A Ti Te Vale” is the very latest single from colorful Kingsville conjunto Los Enmascarados.
Written by bandleader and accordionist JD, this song continues the band’s trademark punchy edge: all-original, no holds barred lyrics, killer harmonies, strong accordion melody, and the unrelenting beat of Los Enmascarados’ tighter-than-tight rhythm section.
With top-notch production, musicianship, showmanship and original songwriting, Los Enmascarados continue to prove they’re one of the best conjuntos in the game today and have been for the past 20 years.
This single is available for sale and streaming on all digital platforms and will be released on the band’s next album later this year on Rancho Alegre Records.
Los Enmascarados are well known for wearing customized luchador masks at live performances. Initially, there were benefits and drawbacks to such a strategy. Very much like in the luchador tradition, the mask gives Los Enmascarados a certain mystique about them. Members wear their mask with a sense of pride and enjoy the added benefit of anonymity. Of course, Los Enmascarados have had to fight off critiques pegging them as a gimmick band. Once you see Los Enmascarados perform though, you know they’re legit!
Learn more about Los Enmascarados at their official Facebook page here.
The vocal and musical versatility of Ramos shines through with the variety of song choices on the project. Whether it be a Tejano style on tracks such as “Las Miradas”, solid accordion Conjunto flavor on “Fluid Polka” or the old school funk rock sound on “Come and Get Your Love,” this 12 track project has something for everyone.
A heroic Texas deputy saved a Conjunto musician’s wife from a burning home early Tuesday in Harris County, Texas.
Harris County Sheriff Deputy Roberto Martinez smashed through a window and hoisted a 63-year-old woman out of her burning home in Baytown, CBS12.com reports. That woman was Eloisa Martinez, wife of legendary Conjunto musician Bernardo Martinez II of Bernardo Y Sus Compadres.
Crews took the deputy and the woman to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, both are expected to be fine.
Mrs. Martinez said also in the home were her husband, her son, his wife, his wife’s sister, and Mrs. Martinez’s two grandchildren.
Bernardo and Eloisa Martinez / GoFundMe photo
The Baytown Fire Department believes the fire started on accident. The house was destroyed. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the family.
Bernardo y Sus Compadres has been a part of the Conjunto scene since the 1970s, providing audiences with old fashion, Taquachito-style dance music for over 40 years, according to the Pharr From Heaven blog. Bernardo was inducted into the Tejano ROOTS Hall of Fame in 2007.
Pop star Camila Cabello became the latest RodeoHouston performer to pay tribute to Selena with a cover of “Dreaming Of You” during her performance at NRG Stadium on Tuesday.
The “Havana” singer told the crowd in attendance, “Usually this is the part of the show where I’d sing you a love song. But, then I realized one of the most beautiful love songs in the world was sung right here on stage by someone who called Texas home.”
The crowd began to erupt with screams and applause.
Cabello continued, “We should take a moment to sing it together because you think she can hear us up there right?”
The singer began to perform a beautiful rendition of the 1995 posthumous hit from Selena. Selena performed at the Houston Rodeo in 1995, it was one of her last performances before she was killed by her fan club manager.
Country star Kacey Musgraves and Latin singer Prince Royce also paid tribute to the Queen of Cumbia during their performances at RodeoHouston. Rapper Cardi B sang “Como La Flor” backstage after her rodeo performance.
Impozzible released their new album Showtime on March 2. It’s the ninth album from the Conjunto group from Houston, Texas.
The album showcases the group’s style which features brothers Bobby Torres as vocalist and accordionist and Lawrence Torres, vocalist and bajo sexto player.
“Our style is more progressive, but we can go old school or progressive,” said Bobby. “Throughout the CD we did a little bit of old school Conjunto and new school Conjunto.”
The lead single from the album is “Luna De Miel,” a cover of the 1990s cumbia hit made famous by La Tropa F and written by Jaime Farias.
“We turned it into a ranchera,” said Bobby. “My brother Lawrence, he’s the one that brought the song to us and of course like any other song it was iffy at first, but once we put it together I was like ‘Yeah man, I can get jiggy with this’.”
La Tropa F is just one of the influences of Impozzible, who have been on the scene for 20 years now. Other influences include Mingo Saldivar, Steve Jordan, and Los Chamacos.
Showtime features nine songs from Impozzibile and is available now at all digital music platforms and record stores.
Bobby Martinez | Photo: Thomas Vasquez / Tommy Gunz Photography
Bobby Martinez of legendary Conjunto band The Hometown Boys was critically injured in an auto accident on Wednesday (March 6).
Tejano Wild West, a music venue in Amarillo, Texas, released a statement on Wednesday afternoon saying the scheduled Hometown Boys live performance for Friday, March 8 was canceled.
The statement said Martinez, who is a founding member and bass player of The Hometown Boys, was involved in an accident that caused his vehicle to roll over.
“As of 1:15 p.m., Bobby was hospitalized in critical care pending emergency testing to find the severity of injuries sustained,” said the statement. “As of this release, no other information is available.”
The Hometown Boys released a statement via Facebook on Wednesday afternoon, “At this time We’d like to ask all of our friends, family and most of all fans to keep our bass player and manager Bobby Martinez in your prayers. As he was involved in a serious car accident yesterday afternoon. He is in critical condition at this moment. We do ask on behalf of The Familia Martinez and Hometown Boys to respect their privacy at this time. There will be further details and updates at a later date.”
Tejano Nation will have more information as it becomes available
One of the most celebrated groups of their era, The Hometown Boys started out as a family band many years ago and went on to become one of the most popular conjunto acts in the Southwest. The Grammy award winners have been known for songs like, “Mi Ranchito”, “Somos Dos Gatos”, “El Pintor”, and many more great songs. They were the first Hispanics to be inducted into the “Buddy Holly Walk of Fame” in Lubbock, Texas, alongside Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Waylon Jennings, and other Texas legends.
IRVING, TEXAS (March 6, 2019) – Stripes Stores will release “Selena Rose”, its second limited-edition, collectible cup featuring Selena, known as the “Queen of Cumbia”. The 2019 Selena commemorative collectible cups will be sold at participating Stripes stores in Texas and Louisiana, while supplies last.
Stripes officials have said they expect the cups to go fast. Selena fans will be able to purchase the second of three unique cup designsSaturday, March 9th at 10 a.m. – limit two per person, while supplies last. Customers and Selena fans may begin lining up at participating Stripes stores as early as 8 a.m. March 9, prior to the 10 a.m. release.
To publicize the cup launch, Stripes released a video today on Facebook revealing the second of the three 2019 designs, “Selena Rose,” along with information on when and where to purchase. The final design will be released in April to complete the three-cup collection. Official release dates will be announced later this month.
Company officials worked with Selena’s sister, Suzette Quintanilla, to create the three designs for the 2019 collection featuring the music legend. “Selena Rose” features the music legend against a backdrop of white roses along with the bright red Selena autograph logo that matches the cup’s lid. This year’s cups hold either hot or cold beverages and are double wall-insulated, dishwasher safe, and BPA free.
“Our customers and Selena fans showed their support for our Queen of Cumbia cup last month, and their excitement is growing with the release of our second cup, ‘Selena Rose,’ which features an actual photo of Selena and her signature white roses,” said 7-Eleven (Stripes) Senior Vice President, Brad Williams. “Our cups are limited-edition and we have limited supply, so we encourage Selena fans to get their cups early, while supplies last.”
For updates and information on the sale of the Selena cups both at Stripes and FDLF, visit the Stripes Facebook page. The official hashtag is #SelenaStripesCup.
The 2019 Selena commemorative collectible cups are a limited-edition, limited-supply item, and Stripes officials are expecting the cups to sell out quickly. Customers are encouraged to review the Selena cup FAQs regarding the release and sale of the cups. They can be found at www.stripesstores.com/Selena.
Univision celebrates International Women’s Day with the initiative “Juntas Somos Súper Mujeres.”
MIAMI – MARCH 6, 2019 —Univision Communications Inc., the leading media company serving Hispanic America, announced that it will join the international commemoration of Women’s Day on March 8, 2019, by celebrating the extraordinary contributions of women in front and behind the camera. Under the theme “Juntas Somos Súper Mujeres” (“Together, We Are Superwomen”), special programming will recognize women at the company who build stronger communities, deliver award-winning news and content, and help each other reach their personal and professional goals.
Throughout its history, women have reached many milestones in media in the U.S. Teresa Rodríguez, co-anchor of “Aquí y Ahora,” broke barriers by becoming the first woman in history to anchor a national primetime newscast in Spanish. María Antonieta Collins, co-host of “Crónicas de Sábado,” started her career as one of the firsts female Major League Baseball correspondents. Ilia Calderón, co-anchor of Univision Noticias, was the first Afro-Latina anchor of a nationwide Spanish-language newscast, and Iris Cisneros, Univision Deportes sportscaster, was the first woman to call a soccer match in Spanish on U.S. television.
“At Univision, women play an important role at every level year-round—from our studios to our editing bays, newsrooms and DJ booths, and management, our súper mujeres are key drivers in our company’s continued growth and leadership position,” said Vince Sadusky, CEO of Univision Communications Inc. “During International Women’s Day, we are proud to celebrate their achievements and through this tribute, recognize the positive impact that Latinas have on the communities we serve.”
As part of the “Together, We Are Superwomen” tribute, Univision’s women in front and behind the camera will wear purple to show their support and excitement for this important date globally and the digital look and feel will mirror the same palette. Furthermore, Univision will feature special segments and vignettes during its flagship network shows, as well as specials on Univision.com, social media platforms, Univision Deportes Network, and Univision Deportes Radio. Some of those include:
“Despierta América,” the Emmy® Award-winning and most-watched morning show on U.S. Spanish-language television, will celebrate on its air and on social media the superwomen who have devoted themselves to empowering other women. In addition, there will be an all-woman edition of the “Sin Rollos” roundtable discussion segment.
Univision’s most-watched entertainment program, the Emmy® Award-winning “El Gordo y La Flaca,” will showcase five original stories of women from the entertainment world who have broken barriers as mothers, entrepreneurs and role models. The show will also recognize prominent journalist María Elena Salinas, the longest running female network anchor in the United States, for her groundbreaking work, commitment to journalism and lasting impact in the Hispanic community.
For the first time on Spanish-language television in the U.S., Univision Deportes will broadcast a soccer match produced and called exclusively by women. The game between Veracruz and Santos Laguna will air on Friday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET on Univision Deportes Network. Additionally, to highlight the role of women in sports, all Univision Deportes shows will have a female analyst on set. Throughout the week, “Contacto Deportivo,”“Locura Deportiva,”“Fútbol Central” and “Línea de Cuatro” are highlighting women who are making a difference on and off the field and inspiring future generations to follow their dreams of having careers as professional athletes. On digital platforms, Univision Deportes will present the stories of 10 powerful women, infographics featuring the main achievements of world-famous women athletes. Univision Deportes Radio will continue the celebration by interviewing female talent in front and behind the scenes through Sunday, March 10.
All Univision local stations will support this initiative with integrations and segments on their respective community shows, including interviews with local female community leaders and Public Service Announcements on women empowerment. Additionally, stations in Phoenix and San Antonio will host the Arizona Women in Leadership Symposium and International Women’s Day 2019 Summit, respectively.
Viewers can visit www.Univision.com/supermujeres to learn more about this initiative and participate for a chance to win a trip for two to Miami by sharing who is their superwomen in their lives.
A Selena mural that was painted in downtown Austin was taken down less than 24 hours after it was created.
The commissioned mural was placed on a wall at Mala Vida, a bar on Austin’s iconic Sixth Street, by award-winning Dallas artists Jeremy Biggers and Hatziel Flores. The mural features a photo of Selena on a purple background with the words “Baila Esta Cumbia”, the title of the late Queen of Cumbia’s 1990 hit song.
Less than a day after it was painted it was taken down by the business owner because the venue did not have proper permits or permission, according to a statement.
Photo: Facebook / Vannia Gonzalez de Perez
“We want to clarify the situation with the Selena mural at Mala Vida (at the Gatsby),” the venue posted on their Facebook page. “We wanted to surprise Selena-loving SXSW fans with an overnight mural, but we did not have the proper permits or permission and had to remove it.”
