What is Tejano Music to You?
On the way to my day job this morning (yes, we do have regular jobs), I switched from CD to radio mode. Needless to say, I was enraged at the discussion that was taking place.
So, a couple of DJs were talking about the whole Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo mess. You know, the one where Go Tejano Day features Duelo and Los Horoscopos de Durango (which are actually from Chicago? LOL). Before I go on, let me give you a little bit of history: Because Go Tejano Day is featuring these bands this year, many people are very upset. They say that Duelo and Horoscopos are not Tejano. However, the HLSR big wigs say Go Tejano Day never meant Tejano Music. A boycott for the event is currently being organised.
The DJs were genuinely asking, “So what is Tejano music?” One says “You know, music with horns and keyboards, like Little Joe y La Familia, Emilio Navaira, David Lee Garza, [etc.].” The other says “Well I thought Tejano music was like, Intocable, Costumbre, Siggno, and then the other ones you mentioned.” It was also mentioned that a Tejano star said Duelo should not play because they are not Tejano, and Horoscopos even more because they are Duranguense.
Both DJs were actually right. Here’s how we, at the Bloodline, define “TEJANO.” Tejano is both a classification for a specific genre of music, and also an umbrella classification. What does this mean? The”genre” Tejano is a style of music that can be basically characterised as having blaring keyboards/synth sounds, brass instruments, not too much accordion, along with an electric bass, electric guitar, and a simple percussion rhythm (I’m not going to get too technical here). Excellent bands you should use for reference are Grupo Mazz, Roberto Pulido y Los Clasicos, Little Joe y La Familia. Now, as an “umbrella,” Tejano can also mean Norteño, Norteño Light, and Conjunto music; “Tejano” can refer to the Onda as a whole. For example, when you’re listening to a Tejano radio station, you’re not just hearing Tejano music, you’ll hear plenty of norteño light at any given moment, sometimes even a little bit of conjunto. Duranguense is clearly not, and should not ever considered, Tejano music.
What upset me was that the DJs of a Tejano station couldn’t give the public a straight answer.
The public, along with Tejano music stars, should not bear down on Duelo; by our terms, they are classified as Tejano music because they fall under that umbrella. Los Horoscopos de Durango, however, should be thrown into a metaphorical pit full of angry metaphorical bulls. That is, of course, if Go Tejano Day meant to play only Tejano Music.
So HLSR says Go Tejano meant something to the effect of “Go Texas,” only it was in Spanish to promote Texas based hispanic acts. Even as they pose that argument/suggestion, one has to wonder why they hired Los Horoscopos even on those grounds. They are from Chicago after all…
Extra Info
Norteño music uses the electric bass, bajo-sexto, accordion, and drums. The arrangements are usually not complicated, the beat is a bit fast, and the accordion is usually not playing while there is singing. Norteño light features depressing love songs with emotional progressions. Conjunto music uses the same instruments as norteño, but is a little bit slower, features more arrangements and complicated accordion riffs, the bajo-sexto and bass harmonise between progressions, and the accordion plays throughout the song most of the time, even while there is singing.
Examples:
- Da Krazy Pimpz - Conjunto
- Boni Mauricio y Los Maximos - Conjunto
- Los Badd Boyz del Valle - Conjunto
- Tony de la Rosa - Conjunto
- Los Tigres del Norte - Norteño
- Ramon Ayala - Norteño
- Los Cachorros de Juan Villarreal - Norteño
- Siggno - Norteño Light
- La Costumbre - Norteño Light
- Intocable - Norteño Light
- Jimmy Gonzalez y Grupo Mazz - Tejano
- Emilio Navaira - Tejano
- Veronica y Avance - Tejano
- Elida Reyna - Tejano
Thats way too much classifying to me. This is very simple to me. There is Chicano. Under Chicano there is Tejano. Under Tejano there is Grupo, Conjunto, and Orqestra.
Norteno is not in any classification of Tejano.
Tejano is Tejano. Norteno is Norteno.
Under a Norteno “umbrella” is where I would say bands are “Norteno light”.
Now they are very close because at one point it was all Norteno. The roots of Tejano music is the same as Norteno. But it is a different genre completely because the music has evolved differently.
Now with music, everything is always evolving… styles seems to sound similar so If I wanted to classify a band, I would defer to how they classify themselves. If a band says they are norteno… I accept them as a norteno band. If a band classifies themselves as Tejano… I consider them Tejano.
The reason for this is two fold. One… because it just seems like the most common sense thing to do. And Two, because if a band says they are Norteno to one of their fans… by proxy that fan becomes a Norteno fan. And the same for Tejano. If you go back and forth, you just create confusion, and that is fucked up to do on purpose.
There are bands that ride the fence on purpose because of the money. Those bands piss me off the most. If Tejano is big they say they are Tejano… If Norteno is big they call themselves Norteno. Grow a pair and be true to your craft. Have the balls to say and represent what you play.
Personally I don’t consider Duelo as a Tejano band. Now I’m not some huge expert on music but it would seem to me that if Duelo did consider themselves to be Tejano… they could nip this whole HSLR thing in the bud by just saying so.
I know if I played Tejano… and someone said i didn’t, I’d be pissed. Not getting a very “pissed” vibe from Duelo. Whereas Little Joe is taking it to the streets, complaining at the GRAMMY’S and calling press conferences and shit.
In short, be true to your music. Represent who and what you believe your music is, and not what a record label is telling you to say about your music so they can push more cd’s.
TAP said this on February 28th, 2008 at 12:32 am
This discussion could go on endlessly…
I kind of compare this discussion to “the whole latino race” theme…
I do not consider myself ‘latino’- I don’t freakin’ speak Latin.
However , when spoken of in general, we are referred to as Latino; but that’s the whole “umbrella” I think V-dub is talking about.
In that umbrella (Latino), anyone that speaks spanish , anyone could fit in. But needless to say, we have Tejanos, Mexicanos,
PuertoRicans, Salvadoreños,Panameños, …and the list goes on forever.
So , yes, I think depending on which way you are looking at it,
Tejano could be an “umbrella”.
So what is Tejano to me? Musically, it could be from Intocable to Michael Salgado to Ramon Ayala to Boni Mauricio to Little Joe…anyone that fuckin’ represents Texas (musically) not Matthew Mcconaughey (whatever)
what isn’t Tejano to me? Invasores, Tucanes, Los Bukis, Mana,
AC/DC…..catch my drift?
Plus I would rather hear Duelo instead of that other-”pointy boot, taco hat, electric-slide dancing ” shit any day!
jesus chacon said this on February 28th, 2008 at 11:06 am
OMFG! You know I gotta comment on this one. Well, to begin. Tejano is to me like mentioned above, you got keyboards, horns, electric guitar..etc. Duelo now (since they are a big issue it seems) are conjunto/norteno.
Jaime/Albert Z.-Conjunto
Jay P./Little Joe- Tejano
Los Tigres- Norteno
AND…Norteno originally has SAX that harmonizes the ACCORDION. I know. I grew up with Norteno music. My dad plays that stuff. So Intocable and Costumbre…Thats not freakin Norteno dude. They should be catagorized differently.
If you look up the word TEJANO its a term used to identify a person of Hispanic decent that is a Texan ,and Tejano music (TEX MEX) is music originated in TEXAS..
So no I dont for no reason the Horoscopos de Durango should be for any reason preforming at a Tejano function. No way.
Talking bout this subject is like talking or discussing religion..it has no end.
shevi said this on February 28th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Duelo, a conjunto/norteno band?? wtf. since when?
JuaquinIII said this on March 1st, 2008 at 12:01 am
who the fuck said duelo is a conjunto / norteno band??? WTF
Vincent Winterbourne said this on March 1st, 2008 at 8:39 am
I think the term that people should start using more is “Regional”. Not everything is Tejano. Not everything is Norteno. There does lie an in between and that is “Regional”.
Duelo fits into that category. As does Ramon Ayala, and Michael Salgado.
TAP said this on March 1st, 2008 at 10:12 am
“Duelo now (since they are a big issue it seems) are conjunto/norteno”
JuaquinIII said this on March 2nd, 2008 at 5:53 pm
i for one, love the blurring of musical borders. the kind of bands or songs you cant define. but when i think “tejano” i think of brass and guitar or accordion and bajosexto…… and lots of beer!!!!
izzy atx said this on March 2nd, 2008 at 8:23 pm
haha REGIONAL TEJANO. lmao
Vincent Winterbourne said this on March 2nd, 2008 at 9:32 pm