Is Tejano music still relevant? A look at the rise, fall, future of genre (Full Segment) 

I’m 22 years old and I grew up in the RGV. Tejano is played at every party along with all the cumbias. 102.1 is our tejano station down here, and the only radio station I’ll listen to. I hope it never goes away. I hope one day I can play in a tejano band, but who knows con el covid.

Tejano is music that never goes away. It's over 50 years old, and it's still going STRONG!!!! We need more programs like this to keep Tejano going. It's alive from coast to coast and border to border, not to mention worldwide.

I'm from Guanajuato and I always play Tejano Music, Little Joe, Mazz, Emilio Navaira, La Mafia, The Texas Tornados, Los Palominos, Garcia Bros, Fandango USA, Selena, and others

I still play Tejaño in my house almost every day.

What makes me mad is when Selena died it seems like everybody gave up and that’s not right I love Tejano music it needs to come back and I need to come back stronger than ever for whoever died it is like rock music and any other music in any era in any decade it needs to be brought back so all of you down all stores pick up your instruments and get your butt to work for us because we still want to hear you and we still love you

I hope Tejano music comes back one day

As a musician who grew up playing many genres including “Tejano” and “Mexican” music back in the 80s/90s, IMO, Tejano music is so diluted today and it is definitively not what is was back then. It’s so diluted to the point that almost anything is categorized into the “Tejano” genre. I don’t mean it as a bad thing, it’s just an observation. “Back in the day”, Tejano bands included Mazz, Ram Herrera, Gary Hobbs, Little Joe( older school), etc… There was also “conjunto” like Los dos Gilbertos, Los Chamacos etc. You then had artists who somewhat rode the line between Mexican music and Tejano like Selena, La Mafia (the 80s version is one of my all time favorite bands) etc…The evolution of all this can partially be attributed to demographic change(s) during that era. You then had “Mexican music”, which I also played in. Bands like ranged in all sorts of genres like regional Mexican (Ramon Ayala, Los Cachorros, etc..), la onda Pegasso all the way to pop rock. There were artists/bands like Maná, Los Bukis, Cristian Castro, Juan Gabriel, Vicente Fernández, etc. Tejano as a sub-culture of Mexican music was never going to compete against the Mexican music industry (Mexico is a powerhouse in the Latin American music Industry). Each had their crowd they attracted. In my experience on stage, playing in all these genres, Mexican music, by far and not even close, attracted the biggest crowds on both sides of the borders. The energy in these venues was incredible that rivaled mainstream music. As I commented, those artists that rode the line between Mexican/Tejano, they also had success in the Mexican market. You will still find Tejano music popularity in Monterrey Mexico albeit in smaller non-mainstream groups. Times change, things change and music is not exempt from this: including Tejano music. I got out of the music industry back then as I felt it was time for a change to pursue other things. What we have now is anything that includes an accordion and the musician was born in the US, that gets categorized in what is left of Tejano music. The bands who still remain like Siggno, Intocable etc… those would have never been considered Tejano music back when I played music (although they still have good music).

I am from Houston and I grew up with tejano music my parents are from San Luis Potosí and Chiapas and they used to put me tejano and Mexican music growing up and I still love my culture till this day

I grew up in Central Mexico during the mid 90’s and the genre was huge down there, Bobby Pulido, La Mafia, Grupo Mazz and Selena y los Dinos of course. I’m 34 now living in Houston and out of all my friends even the chicanos of my age group, I’m the only one that still jams to Los palominos, Emilio Navaira, La tropa F etc. The genre does need to be exposed more.

Didn't grow up in south Texas but my grandmother did, I took an interest in tejano after listening to it so much at her house so now when I listen to it i get a sense of pride with where my family came from.

Born in Michigan raised part of my life in TEXAS, grew up listening to it always loved it always will

Wish more bands of the 60's and 70's had been featured, like Little Joe & The Latinaires, Sunny and the SunLiners, Carlos Gusman, Joe Bravo, and Los Unicos. Sunny Ozuna is a San Antonio native who crossed into the English music at an early age, but he always returned to his roots.

I love to see more interviews like this one. Born and raised listening to La Onda Chicana in California. I'm always down to learn more about our culture. Great job on this segment.

H town loves tejano music too !!! We as Mexican American need to push our music that defies our culture !!!!!

Thank you for this episode, I still listen to Tejano. I’m my first tejano song that I found catchy and loved as a kid was Mazz’s “Estupido Romántico” . I also enjoyed the Orchestra Tejano, Synthesizer Tejano, Conjunto. I’ve got tons of cassettes that I plan to pass on. Tejano won’t die in my family.

Especially with Emilio Navaira's music you hear alot of synth and country aspects

I feel I missed out not hearing Tejano growing up, but I am going to make up for it by crossing over to this amazing music in my career. I will do all I can to keep it alive, it is soooo great, I feel like it fits me perfect to sing!

Reminds of the Genre in Japan called City pop ( which was actually just 80s Japanese pop lol)

Tejano is still going strong but we need the Young generation to push ahead and their parents to help Robert plant said it very clear remember us as we were but support the new bands are coming out that would happen at tejano everybody listen to the old stuff but don't support the new bands are coming out just like rock they say rock is dead no they're plenty of GarageBand band out there that want to be ahead but the old guy still stick with the little guns and don't let the new ones rock band play I went around the country and I thought it had oldies and goodies rock and roll please support the new bands that is for a generation it ain't dead I still living different because we got to screen online for support the new bands that was all about thank you

I Grew Up With Tejano Music With KQQK In Houston Everytime I Went To SA I Used To Tune In To KXTN

Tejano music is the voice of every son r daughter of this great state, orale Raza, don't let this become something from the past, this musica runs thru our veins, from ancestors, great great grandparents on down to this day, to us. This is our music, I know deep in my, urs,n our heart this will be our greatest legacy to all our TEJANO FAMILIAS, let's not let this die, GOD BLESS.

It peaked and went back to what it was prior to the peak due to many factors. Once big money got involved, it changed. The record companies signed everyone they could to create clones of Mazz, La Mafia, Selena to cash in causing an oversaturation. Radio was deregulated in 1996 that removed the cap on radio ownership. Big media companies like Clear Channel began buying out the local stations. Radio became centralized and lost local control as the mega media companies consolidated the industry. This caused small record companies to lose influence of radio play. This shifted record and radio control to the large companies further weakening local influence. The companies aren't as concerned about what serves the local markets as much as they are in profits. In the late 90s early 2000s , the internet came along and removed the control of distribution of the music removing the money from there. After the oversaturation, what was left of radio and records wanted something different when they decided norteno was fresh and more profitable. The big labels and non local radio stations dropped all of the tejano artists and went on to the new shiny objects of norteno. The same cycle played out for norteno and the rest is history. The only radio stations that still play Tejano are the locally owned ones in smaller markets. Tejano will never go away but it has gone back to its roots of being part of the local culture of South Texas before the big money came in. It will always be a part of South Texas and the people who experience it as part of their lives. That's what makes it different and will keep it alive. It just might not be as big again as it was when it peaked. It was indeed a special time for the people and artists who were able to experience it.

Now a days a conjunto could probably do better than a big band or tejano orchestra when it comes to popularity it’s more up to date with what most people are listening to like norteño etc that’s why intocable kind of did a huge change to the tejano music industry, because their style is a mixture of norteño and conjunto, In other words many Tejano Bands haven’t adopt or evolved they stayed with the same old style

Tejano music is still strong

Nice job youngblood. But I was born in 63 and Tejano to me is Los Fabulous Quatro with Carlos Guzman. Talk about progressive. Listen to the intro of prieta Linda. I was there. My brother was a bassist for them. Art Galvan. As for Pio Trevino y magic.and The Jokers. Esteban Jordan was a Grand Master. Jimmy Edwards. To me Tejano is mostly is that era of the 70's it started being water down with Mazz ect. The 80's(Pio Trevino) part of it. But in the 70's it was influenced by the 60's blues jazz country Rock soul Mexican Cuban Puerto Rican. That was the real Tejano. Infused by all these other entities into One😊it was pure then.

Don’t forget Sunny and the Sunliners, El hijo de San Anto.

Will it eventually be merged or assimilate with Regional Mexicano Genre? I'm a Gringo living in Arkansas, so my exposure to Spanish Music is higher than what many people may think.....

When I go to Tejano Dances or concerts there is usually a large number of people there. I feel that its getting more popular and not the reverse.

Forever more nothing but Tejano. Started out listening to Little Joe and The Latineres. Along with Freddie Martinez, and Augustine Ramirez. Then it was La Mafia, Mazz, and Selena and Ram. Was totally pissed when KQQK and Puro Tejano. Went off the air in Houston. Along with Old School Country and Eighties. It will be nothing but Puro Tejano for me personally. To Hell with the rest !

Anybody know the song at the beginning?

Pura onda chicana tejana 🇺🇸🇲🇽🔥👌🏻👍🏻

One thing that they left out. Lots of people coming in from S. America, Central America that changed the music. Segregation in schools changed the tradition to other types o music that younger hispanics prefer. Country, rock, salsa, merengue, norteno. If you back to the 60's, you have big brass music. Nothing like it, anywhere. So sad.

La Música Tejana Sigue Activa pero En El Undergroum, La Música Chicana Tejana Tal vez Ya No Es Tan Popular Como En Los Años 90s O Principios De Los 2000, Pero Aun Hay Muchos Artistas Y Bands Pero En La Escena Undergroum, Aun Existen Muchos Y Actualmente Existe Una Nueva Generación Que Están Levantando La Cultura.

Songs played in the back?

no mention of Tony De La Rosa?

Our Tejano music is a treasure that the millenial messianic workings have won for the Chicanos. We love our Tejano music!

I would say My Father Johnny G Perez had a little part to do with the History of Tejano Music He had his own band out of Uvalde Tx Los Gorrioncillos my Father was his own writer when in mid 80s He signed with CBS Cara records with Bob Griver out of San Antonio which back then was compared to the Mo Town of Tejano Music he saw his writing Talent Sensaciones a big hit of my Father's launched Emilio in to his solo career out of David Lee Garza if you see the Bob Griver interview ksat 12 did he talks about it my Father also made hits for Ram,La Mafia, Xelencia, La Fiebre ,Joe Posada ,Davis Marez and more song writers don't get much recognition other than Royalties but with out writers songs influence and heart felt songs to make that Artist belt out The Beautiful 🎶 music my Dad would ride in a Limo with Bob Griver to the Tejano Awards and walk the red carpet and sit with him next to the Big Artist in that Tejano moment like Selena .Mazz ,LaMafia and more Guerro Polkas a Big Tejano Radio Dj once told my Father Johnny I don't think Tejano knows what you did for the industry a great story my Dad tells me as he still lives and writes out of Uvalde and I'm following his footsteps out of Colorado was that when Sensaciones Came out Emilios manager heard the song and said that is the worst song ever he called Bob and told him to call the radio stations to stop playing it Bob Called and told them to not play it the Djs told Bob are you Crazy this is the most popular song in Tejano now since no telling so Bob left it alone and now look lol little tid bits you might have not known of stories my Father has lol 😉 that was the Golden age and yes Tejano isn't what it is I haven't seen another talent like Selena or Emilio Rip since hopefully one day it will rise again we also try to get in touch with New and upcoming talent as we are Sara Musica on Fb but it seems some reject our Help in trying to get songs out to them not knowing the history my Father has in the industry my Father did an Emilio Tribute song years back on RU-vid his best Friend We still write but alot of people don't want help so it's hard to push good songs to bands now a days My Father also writes Country Nortenio music and more He also did a Tribute with his band to The Nasa Challenger Shuttle mid 80s that he Did with Bob Griver and Manny G also on RU-vid with Bob Griver that didn't get recognized due to the fact that when the press released the vinyl cover they didn't put a picture of the shuttle so that kind of got swept under but just a tidbit of some Tejano Music History Thank you if you happen to read this 😉 🙏🎶

No mention of Narciso Martinez smh

Nowadays what I hear what's old-school is Bronco,Los Muecas,los Freddys,Los Caminantes,los temerarios,Los bukis,bryndis,los Baron de Apodaca,los mier as known as grupera or banda sinaloense music from the 90s like banda brava, banda original el limon, los recoditos,los coyonquis,la costeña,banda hermanos urias,banda petatlan,banda los guamuchileños and el recodo.

Bring it back baby bring it back we need the hot on music back man all these other Spanish got Hunter or whatever they’re talking about no break the handle back brake Tejano bands back I bet you people will be much happier

Unfortunately, many younger Hispanics no longer speak Spanish. This leads to many not listening to this genre of music any longer.

No Bajo Sexto?

I like ' Tejano because, locally the younger haven't incorporated crappy rap hiphop and autotune to it. They still play it with tradition. I can't say that about the commercial Mainstream stuff tho. You'll have to play it like the promoters or producers want. So it might very well be destroyed by them one day. I hope every new generation can understand this.

Conjunto is still King and always will be

VIVA TEJANO

You left a lot of major names and players in the Tejano music industry out of your story. Valerio Longoria, Narciso Martinez, Joe Lopez y Super Grupo Mazz was the group that introduced the synthesizer to Tejano music. Even Tony De La Rosa, more than 100 records to his name!! Flaco Jimenez, Ruben Ramos, Little Joe y La Familia, these were the bands that left the footprints for others to follow like Selena, Emilio, Jay, Ram, David Lee Garza etc. etc. It's the air play that is killing Tejano music. Stations like KXTN and others who no longer wish to support and decide to move on. It's like you parents not teaching you to speak Spanish much less showing Tejano music to their children, this is how we are losing our culture. "Que Viva La Onda Musica Tejana"

Siggno isn’t tejano

If you don’t know learn so when they ask or comment anything about tejano or an other subject people called that wisdom.

Eddie Gonzales !

Augustine Ramirez Roy montelongo Alfonso Ramos joe bravo Carlos Miranda little Joe Hernandez

“Alvaro Del Norte” is definitely not tejano music 😂😶

A tejano told me along time ago, "If you want to make money...call your self a Norteno band. If you want to go hungry call yourself Tejano artist." I didn't understand him 25 years ago.....I understand it now. This is probably why Intocable didn't call themselves Tejano.

So true in El Paso no one really cares about Tejano music.

Tejano music will be around longer than these two fools. It’s in our Mexican and Chicano Roots. That’s like saying country music is irrelevant because it’s morphed into pop music.

Is English music still relevant?

I believe the main reason that Tejano music wasn't played anymore was for the reason that the Tejano stations were bought by the Mexicans and they pushed out the Tejano and started playing their music. Kinda like '' if the Tejanos don't want to play our music I'll just buy the radio station and hire someone who will play our music.'' Selena and Emilio's deaths had nothing to do with Tejano being eliminated from the air waves. There were still plenty of good groups that were releasing plenty of good Tejano music for radio deejays to play. And one of the other things that also changed was cumbia music. All of a sudden all you heard was cumbia music. Tejano was never cumbia music, it was rancheras, boleros, valses and then once in a while.....a cumbia or a rock and roll song just to change the course of the music. Now I could be wrong about this but I think Selena was the one whose music was more cumbia than anything else. Then everyone jumped on the cumbia train and started playing cumbias. Then Tejano groups started recording cumbias so they could get their music played on the Mexican owned radio stations but they never were. My theory is that is what happened to Tejano music as I knew it. I used to be a radio deejay, strickly Tejano and bilingual and I would get calls from some listeners that would say that they couldn't understand the English words I was speaking. I did the radio thing on a part time basis and finally gave it up. I still listen to Tejano music from my collection of records, 8 tracks cassettes and cds and I'll die knowing Tejano music was my preferred music!

Yeah back in the '70s '80s and '90s but after that and tejano's econo music so a lot of bands out there but the old DJs on the radio and all promoters just kept so how much you kind of going they don't want to support the new bands because they said they don't sound like Chicano and tejano bands that a lot of good talent up there but they didn't want to support it that was a downfall of tejano and Chicano because of the ODJs on a radio in the old promoters is like country music yeah I did a lot of old people stick with the guns when a new talent come out they called himself contemporary country music The the old DJs and the old promoters and the old country singers like a looking at the new talent they don't sound like country they don't know what they're playing but you have to remember the Young generation they don't want to hear mom dad Grandpa Grandma songs and good memories for them but they want their music like when you all grew up you listen to your music when you were young Robert plant said it very clearly from led Zeppelin remember us as we were and support the new bands and you can't get better than that so now you know what the downfall was at the Chicano and tejano music they didn't want to support the new bands and push them out there they're a lot of good talent out there and they still struggling to get to the top give him a chance they need and the Young generation our kids need to learn of Chicano and tejano music it's all you DJs and promoters and old musicians give them a chance the new talent of Chicano and tejano music

Tejano music, sad to say, is dead. It’s over people. The tremendous influx of Mexicans and South Americans coming across the border bringing their music and culture have, and are changing the music and culture in Texas.

You talk about the rise and fall of this music but you left so much out and I can tell you why this music fail because it’s Texas music and you lost so many fans because you cut out 49 states by calling it Tejano music should’ve left it alone when it was called Chicano music that all Latinos from all states you try to make it your own yes Selena was good and Emilio was good, but you forgot about the Latin Breed, a Tortilla Factory and Big Lou and so many more And without those bands those bands you got no Tejano music and the other problem of the fall was the eagle of the Texans people did not want to allow other Bands into the area to play because they were not from Texas and one of them was by the name Tobias, so next time you want to do a show, make sure you do it right and don’t leave nothing out. And shame on Johnny Rodriguez for leaving out those bands of that time of the 60s and 70s just remember without Chicano music you have no Tejano music

It’s the millennials, they aren’t picking it up!! Just saying.

A big misrepresentation of tejano music. 👎👎

Tejano is dead. You can blame the fans of the genre. These mf’ers won’t spend a dime and want everything free.

Tejano music was no longer profitable for the big radio companies. That's just business. You can't blame the radio station owners for wanting a massive audience that will translate into $$$. You can't blame it on not having enough airplay . There isn't enough creative song writing. This is because most tejano musicians today can't speak Spanish properly and end up writing very shallow songs if anything at all. The issue is a very natural process called assimilation. Each generation becomes culturally closer to the dominant culture (American or white culture) each generation speaks less Spanish than the one before and lean more towards sounding like the dominant culture. A lot of conjunto musicians hate hearing that Narciso Martinez the father of conjunto was born in Reynosa , Mexico and was crossed over at 3yrs. He never went to school. I wonder why. Listen to his interviews or Valerio Longoria. They speak almost exclusively Spanish with ease. Today's tejano and conjunto musicians speak like Hip hop artists and dress like that as well. It's because of assimilation. The generations before them didn't teach them that language is one of the most important aspects of culture and if it fades, so does tradition. They didn't teach their children that those Mazz, 2gs , Selena , songs that they love so much were originally Mariachi songs. That's on the generations of the golden era. Playing copy songs as the primary repotire for 30 and sometimes 50 years is a formula for stagnation, that's not the radios fault, the 'demographics' fault 😆 , it's not the fault of the listeners if they are bored with the same old songs. It's not another genres fault if Tejano and conjunto musicians can't write impactful, meaningful original songs with any regularity. You have to know Spanish very very well for the most part. Assimilation. There's the big reason. You can't be throwing gritos at the club and then rub elbows with maga types. That's called faking the funk in American terms. Culture vultures that speak Spanish to make some cash but won't learn Spanish properly because of personal ego. They'll sing Mexican rancheras as the bulk of their material for dances but look down on Mexican musicians from across the border. Lucky Joe once said ' No'ombre estas Bien perdida... They've lost touch with their cultura and it shows in the music unfortunately. Cultura and nostalgia are not interchangeable words.

Learn how to speak to Spanish before you try and reach anyone about tejano music

I live in the south Texas valley McAllen area . The real TEJANO music is only played on the radio station on the weekends no longer during the week days. All they play is music from Mexico or new norteño music, not that I don’t like the Norte music but it’s the new lame ones that I don’t like it gots no feeling to all they sing is selfishness and keep saying the bands name. BRING BACK THE REAL TEJANO TO THE RADIO AND THE REAL NORTEÑO TOO. Not that crapy music

The new Mexican that came out with 30 years bringing the banda norteno music over here they pushed it beyond the limits they don't listen to hano they don't like tejano or rock and roll only like to speak English that's pretty sad I sat down with my mom with the little kids all dressed up like cowboys when they grow up they're going to be Americanized and they were and she understand what I mean what tejano still lives a lot of people listen to him I spread the news and always well tejano always going to live just like rock and roll

It's all crap

Tejano is dead. Mojado music is killed Tejano. Now, mojado music us being call tejano music on the internet. Nortnio music sucks and pointy boots sucks.

Face it..the music sucks...you can only hear um clank um clank so many times...same beat over and over...