Marlissa Vela has released “No Voy A Ser Tu Tonta”, the latest single from her new album Aqui Estoy.
Vela, who is the daughter of the legendary Ruben Vela, dropped her new album from CHR Records in October 2018.
She spoke about her late father in an interview with “Domingo Live” recently.
“My dad was a really simple person, I mean even though the way he played sounded simple, but it really wasn’t,” she said. “One thing he did tell me, because I write a lot of my own music, and he would tell me just keep it simple. Just don’t get complicated, do the bubble gum songs, the songs that stay in your head, which is great because I wrote half the album and you can tell their bubble gum songs, they repeat the same thing.”
“Bobby is still in critical but stable condition,” the band posted on their official Facebook page. “He had a surgery and these next 24hrs will be critical. The power of prayer is an amazing thing and we can’t thank you all enough. Please continue to pray for Bobby. Thank you and we love you all.”
Martinez, who is a founding member and bass player of The Hometown Boys, was involved in an accident on Wednesday that caused his vehicle to roll over.
The Grammy-winning group had to cancel scheduled shows in Amarillo and Lubbock this week because of the unfortunate accident.
More updates will be kept to a minimum, according to the Facebook post. 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. They have been known for hit songs “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.
KEDA radio personality Leroy Sha Na Na | Photo: Mariaelena Arocha
San Antonio radio station Radio Jalapeno KEDA 1540 AM and 99.9 FM is celebrating its 53rd anniversary with a three-day music festival at Rosedale Park, March 8 – 10, 2019.
KEDA was founded by Manuel G. Davila on March 17, 1966. “La Tejanita,” as it was called in its inception, was one of the first Tejano radio stations in the United States and continues to support local Tejano and Conjunto acts after 53 years.
The station was bought by Jerry Benavides in August 2011 and continues its reign as the longest running family-owned radio station in San Antonio. It was recently added to the FM dial at 99.9 and is broadcast worldwide at KEDAradio.com and the free KEDA app for mobile devices.
There have been over 1,000+ women who have affected the Tejano and Conjunto music industry since its inception.
By Veronique Contributor @Veronique956
Tejano and Conjunto music started as a seed, planted in the farmlands of Southern Texas, and while at first it was predominately sung by men; women have broken out in every generation and broken societal gender roles through not only their music but their presence and their active role within their communities.
At the start, women were seen as an adornment or background vocalist to a male lead group. It wasn’t until the 1930’s that the industry began to see women take the lead, some of the iconic females to break out during this time were: Lydia Mendoza, Carmen y Laura, Eva Garza, and Chelo Silva. Many of these women garnered acclaim not only in the U.S border region, but also in Mexico, Cuba, Columbia, and South America. These female artists would play to as many as 20,000 fans at a time.
But despite this great leap, women would teeter the line of social norms, as many were expected to retire from the stage once they married to raise a family. Lydia Mendoza, Carmen y Laura, Eva Garza, and Chelo Silva were an exception to this rule, as they continued their work even after marrying and having children.
It would be 40 years before women would aggressively strike out again, as solo acts. In the 1970s and 80s women like Laura Canales, Elsa Garcia, Lisa Lopez, and many more females would strike out and create a wide path that would usher in what many call the GOLDEN AGE of Tejano (1990-2000’s) that saw great women like Selena Quintanilla-Perez, Shelly Lares, Stefani Montiel, Elida Reyna, Jennifer Pena, Stephanie Lynn and many more make their mark on the every expanding and flourishing market that we have today.
So for International Women’s Day, we ask you to join us in celebrating the past, present, and future of Tejano and Conjunto music. May we continue to honor and uplift each woman and girl in our industry, share their stories and rise further together.
Los Chamacos have released “Fueron Tus Celos”, the first single without former frontman Jaime DeAnda.
“This is the first song that we actually did on our own,” said Roel Joslin of Los Chamacos told Tejano Nation. “It felt pretty good…I just love music, I love to go in and record.”
It’s the first production done by Los Chamacos at Joslin’s recording studio in over 10 years since the Freedom Tour in 2008.
Los Chamacos plan more songs for their next album to be written by band members, including Joslin, Ruben Mendoza, and Edward “Chato” Ordonez.
“We have some tunes that we are ready to release as well,” said Joslin. “I’ve been writing songs since back in the 90s…Edward has always put one song on every CD. We have 20 CDs or so, he’s got like 20 songs out there.”
DeAnda left the group in December and Los Chamacos and the four remaining members of the band have decided to “continue as Los Chamacos without Jaime,” according to the statement released in January.
Jaime Y Los Chamacos entertained fans with their high-energy, signature sound since 1982 and released many successful albums and classic hits including “Yolanda,” “Mi Musica Favorita,” and many more. The band has received multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations and was inducted into the Tejano R.O.O.T.S. Hall of Fame in 2011.
“It takes a big man to come in and fill-in Jaime’s shoes,” Roel Joslin of Los Chamacos told Tejano Nation. “He’s willing to take on that responsibility and do it. He put on a good show.”
The 37-year-old East Texas native debuted with Los Chamacos during a show in San Antonio on March 8.
“It felt great, a little nervous,” Moreno told Tejano Nation about this debut performance. “Still building confidence. It’s not something you just get out there an ace it, you know. We’re going to be perfecting it soon, definitely great shows to come.”
Albert Canales of Un Nuevo Oro had been filling in as the accordion player for Los Chamacos over the past two months and played on the band’s new single, “Fueron Tus Celos,” released this week.
Jaime Y Los Chamacos entertained fans with their high-energy, signature sound since 1982 and released many successful albums and classic hits including “Yolanda,” “Mi Musica Favorita,” and many more. The band has received multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations and was inducted into the Tejano R.O.O.T.S. Hall of Fame in 2011.
Tejano Highway 281 are working on their next album and the group gave Tejano Nation all the details after their performance at the 2019 Tohono O’odham Nation Rodeo and Fair in Sells, Arizona on Feb. 2.
The Best New Group at the 2012 Tejano Music Awards spoke to Tejano Nation contributor Fanny Gurl about a big surprise for fans on their next project, a new spin on a song from the past. They also spoke about what they love about Arizona and much more.
Learn more about Tejano Highway 281 at their official Facebook page, @TH281.
Xplosion spoke on new projects and more with Tejano Nation after their performance at Apache Sky Casino in Winkelman, Arizona on March 2.
The El Paso, Texas showband told Tejano Nation contributor Fanny Gurl they are working on their third album and their second project with their new Country band called Jesse Colt.
Learn more about Xplosion at their official website at Xplosion915.com.
Shelly Lares revealed the cover art of her highly-anticipated new album Obra De Amor on Monday.
“Little Miss TNT” shared a video of the cover art on social media with the caption, “You’ve been asking for it. So I’m going to go ahead and give it to you The REVEAL!” The cover art was designed by Jimencio.
“It’s everything love in all different forms,” Lares told Tejano Nation. “I have gone through so many things the last three years as most of my fans know. I started the CD, probably in 2015 is when I released ‘Trato Y Trato’, which is the first single off this CD and had about three singles and lost dad and things were on hold, but I guess it’s all in God’s timing.”
Lares, who celebrates 37 years in the Tejano industry this year, lost her father Fred Lares in July 2016 after a brave battle with cardiac ailments. He was very instrumental in the career of his daughter and this will be her first album since his passing.
“I was just so used to being that racehorse where you have to release an album every nine months,” she said. “I think at this point and time the fans love and respect me and you know I have to give them the best of me and if it takes longer, it takes longer.”
“I worked so hard on this CD from every aspect ’cause I wanted to give yall my heart and soul on another level,” she added.
Lares said she will sell copies of Obra De Amor during this week’s Fan Fair in San Antonio, Texas. The album will be available at digital platforms on March 18 and in stores next month.
La 45 paid tribute to legendary band Latin Breed in a live concert album recently released.
There is no greater honor or feeling of accomplishment for a musician than when one’s peers pay homage to their art. La 45 set out to perform the hit songs of one of the most iconic bands of the 1970s Chicano music scene and they have admired and studied for decades, The Latin Breed.
“It was just a total dream come true, I’m a huge Latin Breed fan,” La 45 co-leader Mike Torres III told Tejano Nation. “Anyone that knows me knows that’s number one and this was something that was super, super close to my heart that I didn’t think I would get to do.”
The live concert album was recorded on December 2, 2018, at Pueblo Hall in San Antonio, Texas. The event was billed as “Take It To The Top” a tribute night to Latin Breed, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2019.
The “Take It To The Top” tribute was the brainchild of the legendary Henry “Pepsi” Peña, Torres and La 45 co-leader John Ontiveros. The Latin Breed was a major influence on the band billed as The Next Generation of Chicano Music.
“Their music left such a mark on the world that it made it through time to us and influenced us so much that we wanted to pay tribute to them,” added Torres. “I thought that there was nothing better that we can do than do what we do best and it’s play music. How do we show these guys the appreciation we have for them? Well, we play their music and show them how much we studied it and how much we tried to emulate them and let them hear how much influence they’ve had on us.”
The Latin Breed have secured several chapters in the history books of Tejano music for their colorful grooves, soulful vocals, and epic entertainment values.
LA 45 are sending huge waves through the Tejano world and beyond. Since their debut performance at the 2017 Tejano Music Awards Fan Fair in San Antonio, this young supergroup has been impressing music lovers with their high energy performances, superior musicianship, and ability to seamlessly fuse the past and the present together while presenting an unforgettable show.
Take It To The Top by LA 45 features some of The Latin Breed’s biggest hits and many B-side fan favorites. It was produced by 14-time Grammy winner Gilbert Velasquez and is available now from Cobra Records at CDBaby and record stores.
Jordan told the Cruz Control with AC Cruz Behind The Mic podcast about a documentary in the works, a book and releasing new music from the archives of his world-renowned father called the Jimi Hendrix of the accordion. He also shared stories from his upbringing, his father’s extraordinary music and role in the comedy “Born in East L.A.” with Cheech Marin and Paul Rodriguez. He even discusses the myths of his father’s drug use.
Listen to the full interview with Esteban Jordan III on the latest episode of the Cruz Control with AC Cruz Behind The Mic podcast below. Hear previous episodes and get more details at CruzControlWithACCruz.com.
AUSTIN, Texas – Mia Garcia, the Austin sixth grader who made international headlines in late 2018 for being the youngest artist to ever win a Tejano Music Award, continues to have an eventful year. Not only has she released more music since winning the honor for Best New Artist – Female, she also has some exciting events scheduled for March.
On Thursday, March 14, Mia will perform with Austin-based rapper/singer-songwriter SaulPaul during his “Parks, Rec & Chill Official SXSW Day Party” at the Doris Miller Auditorium in East Austin. Mia and SaulPaul have taken the hit song “Rise” and put a Latin flavor to it, where Mia sings the chorus in Spanish. Mia will be part of the SaulPaul All-Stars, a collective of talented young musicians handpicked to join the artist himself, and will join an extraordinarily diverse lineup of accomplished musicians, including Uncle Devin, South African Jazz musician Sy Ntuli, and the multi-talented SierraShanté. Doors open at 1 p.m., badge required. More information available here.
WATCH: Mia performs with SaulPaul at the Official SXSW Next Stage
On Sunday, March 17, Mia will return to the official lineup at Rodeo Austin. She and her band are scheduled to perform at 4 p.m., as part of the Rodeo Austin’s Dia Del Vaquero showcase on the E2Open Stage. Rodeo admission required. More information available here.
In between these performances, Mia will make a special appearance at Tejano Music Awards Fan Fair in San Antonio, where she will be given a special honor during the annual multi-day Tejano music block party extravaganza, presented by the Tejano Music Awards. This will take place on Saturday, March 16 at 7:30 PM at the Wellmed/Gateway Stage. Details on this will be posted on Mia’s various social media accounts.
For more information about Mia, visit miamusictx.com and follow her adventures, including her hobbies like karate, gymnastics, and horseback riding in addition to being an aspiring musician, on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Her music is available on CD and on all digital platforms including iTunes, GooglePlay, Spotify, Tidal and Amazon Music.
Texas country stars Kevin Fowler and Gabe Garcia performed the classic Tejano hit “Tonta” with Tejano music Legend David Lee Garza during a recent benefit concert in San Antonio, Texas.
The fun jam session happened during a benefit for the daughter of Texas country singer Mario Flores at the Rebecca Creek Distillery on Tuesday night. Country singer Bri Bagwell was also onstage as she was there to perform at the benefit.
BocaMar Records announced the release of “Fuego Cruzado” featuring Mariano Bocanegra, lead vocalist of La Preferencia, which will be part of a full-length album set for release late 2019.
“Fuego Cruzado” was selected by Bocanegra from the Telemundo telenovela “Guerra De Idolos” and performed by Daniel Elbittar. It was penned by Edgar Barrera, Yoel Enriquez, Alfonso Lizzarraga and Andres Saavedra.
The song features musical arrangements to create a Tejano ranchera style tune, a sound that is well known for La Preferencia. It features a mixture of the bajo quinto, accordion, and keyboard creating the orchestral signature of traditional Tejano music. The song relates to a love that was taken lightly and now he knows how much she meant to him and misses her a great deal and is trying to cope with her absence. You feel the void in its lyrics and his desperation.
“Fuego Cruzado” is available now at all digital music platforms and features Bocanegra, lead vocalist and recording studio engineer for BocaMusic Group (BMG), in collaboration with Joe Leal, Jr., music editing and mastering of MP Recording for Boca Mar Records; Roger Pena of Los Fugitivos, producer and musical arrangements, and Gerardo Alvarez, bajo quinto and harmonies.
Amor Prohibido is an iconic album from Selena and it was released 25 years ago this week and it influenced many of today’s Latin Pop stars.
Released on March 13, 1994, Amor Prohibido featured many of Selena’s biggest hits including the title track, “No Me Queda Más”, “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom”, “Si Una Vez”, and many more.
“This whole album just embodied her artistry,” Latin Pop star Becky G told ET Más about the album. “The song ‘Amor Prohibido’ is such a big Selena record. It has that like ‘Romeo & Juliet’ kind of story and it doesn’t matter where we come from or what we look like or what our families think or society tells us we’re going to be together because that’s what real love is.”
Pop star Ally Brooke spoke about another iconic song, “No Me Queda Más”, to ET Más, “The passion in her voice, the pain that she exudes through her emotions is just, it really touches your soul.”
Amor Prohibido left a lasting mark on today’s Latin Pop stars, including Jennifer Lopez, Natti Natasha, and more. Find out what they had to say about Selena and the iconic album. Read the full story at ETOnline.com.
Tejano legend Patsy Torres is teaming up with Michelle for an upcoming duet and the pair gave Tejano Nation exclusive details.
“We have a big surprise for everybody,” said Torres. “We have recorded a duet and we’re going to ‘do it’.”
“We are,” added Michelle. “We’re going to be doing our new duet and promoting it.”
The duo didn’t give a lot of details but promised Tejano Nation will get the exclusive first listen in about three weeks from Hacienda International, who just opened a new studio in San Antonio, Texas.
“I’ve got to tell I’m very, very proud of Michelle,” Torres said. “She’s worked so hard, they’ve got this beautiful studio we’re pumping out the music. We’re shooting a video that will be so cool and you will be the first to know about it.”
The duet and music video from the twosome will premiere exclusively with Tejano Nation.
Isabel Marie Sanchez | Photo: Facebook / Isabel Marie Official
Young singing sensation Isabel Marie Sanchez released her third album XOXO – Hugs & Kisses in August and she gave Tejano Nation details on her new album, recent Jimmy Gonzalez tribute and more.
Tejano Nation caught up with Isabel Marie at Tejano Music Awards Fan Fair in San Antonio and the 16-year-old star spoke exclusively with Tejano Nation special correspondent Ms. Forty-Niner from Pancho Pistolas Radio about plans for her next album.
“We’re starting our fourth album right now,” she said. “I don’t know if you guys saw the Mazz medley, it was such an honor for me to record those songs. It was really, really fun, just an honor to pay tribute to the late and great Jimmy Gonzalez and Grupo Mazz.”
Gonzalez was a pioneer, a legend and multiple Grammy award winner. He co-founded Grupo Mazz in 1978 and went on to achieve international acclaim as one of the most successful Tejano groups ever. He died of cardiac arrest in June 2018.
Isabel Marie, a Tejano Music Awards winner for Best New Female Artist in 2017, is also the first and only Tejano artist to team with Facebook to give fans exclusive content through a new subscription service offered by the social networking service.
“I’m very excited about that,” she said. “They get to pay a monthly fee and they get 50% off merchandise. They get vlogs behind the scenes and we’re also doing a daily vlog for our subscribers at Fan Fair.”
Fans can subscribe for the exclusive content for just $4.99 per month on Isabel Marie’s Facebook page here.
Ernestine Romero is celebrating 20 years in music this year with the release of a new album that features a duet with Shelly Lares.
The New Mexico native released Mi Tesoro this week at Tejano Music Awards Fan Fair in San Antonio, Texas. The 2018 Tejano Music Awards Female Vocalist of the Year nominee gave details on the new album, including the collaboration with “Little Miss TNT”.
“It’s called ‘Estupida’,” Romero said. “It’s one of my original songs that we wrote and it’s a really fun song for two women to get together and do.”
Romero displayed her passion for music at the age of 3 and began her professional career at the age of 8. She released her first album at the age of 11 and looked at her father as a mentor all her life.
Mi Tesoro is the 10th album from the 31-year-old singer and features 13 tracks. It will be available at all digital music platforms soon.
Learn more about Ernestine Romero at her official website ErnestineRomero.com.
“Fiesta Latina” was produced by James Galvez featuring additional vocals David L. Garza. It’s actually the follow-up to Cruz’s debut single “Ven a Mi,” a cover of the hit song from Jennifer Pena.
“I really loved the song, I always wanted to make a cover of it but I never knew how or who to go with,” she said. “We went with a guy from Eagle Pass and he helped me put the song together and I really enjoy the tune.”
The South Texas native from Asherton, Texas has always loved singing since she was a little girl but decided to sing in public for the first time two years ago at the Young Tejano Talent Show. She is planning to record more songs and eventually releasing her debut album.
Stevie D talks about his start in Tejano music, his upcoming sophomore album, rumors and much more with the Cruz Contol with AC Cruz Behind The Mic podcast.
His debut album, De Repente, earned the singer a win as Best New Male Vocalist at the 2018 Tejano Music Awards and signing with new record label VMB Music Group that will release his highly-anticipated sophomore album Ahora Sigo Yo.
Stevie D also spoke about his time in the Navy and working with Joe Lopez as a backup vocalist for many years.
Listen to the full interview with Stevie D on the latest episode of the Cruz Control with AC Cruz Behind The Mic podcast below. Hear previous episodes and get more details at CruzControlWithACCruz.com.
