Write-UP: Tejano Bands Leaving Tejano
 
In a scene where old fundamental ideas are still very prevalent, we are in a time right now where Tejano bands are confused. What exactly are we talking about?
To start things off, lets take a look at Juanes and Enrique Iglesias.  Both have released Tejano and Norteño sounding versions of their recently popular singles. Radio stations are playing the crap out of these releases (not to mention the original versions). We see things as, “Oh, ok. Nice try.” They’re not as catchy as their original version, but you don’t see them going all out with a full blown Tejano production.
Now, lets see the Tejano side. An industry with only a target audience (ask yourself “Who listens to Tejano music?”) and very limited resources to push bands and the music across the nation. An industry currently suffering from creativity where every band is copying each other (in my opinion). Our own scene is suffering. So, its bad enough when we’re not receiving the support we need from our fans. But then we have bands, good, great, awesome Tejano bands that start thinking: “Hey man, lets go international, dude. It’ll be cool.”
Well I’m here to tell you its not cool.
Think about all the time and resources you’ve already invested in your band as a Tejano band. When you make the drastic switch from Tejano to international, oh man, you better know your instruments better than the stoners at Guitar Center know theirs.  You will need skills to try to compete with big bands like Mana. What else is there to consider when going international? Contacts. How are you going to meet your contacts? You can’t run an international band like you do a Tejano band. Things happen on a much larger scale. Sometimes, even knowing the right person isn’t enough. And if you are a true musician, well you can forget about expressing yourself. When you’re in the studio, most of the stuff on your album will have already been pre-manufactured sound, someone else’s ideas, that you’re playing. Its not coming from YOUR heart, it comes from someone else’s.
Tejano bands, if you’re thinking about going international, just stop right there. Your own industry needs your support. You will only struggle more. Its not impossible, but highly improbable.
Why was this posted? Because I know four Tejano bands that are considering going what they think is “international.”Â
I agree. It seems as though whenever Tejano bands get big enough and are in a position to truly represent the industry on another level… they drop the association to Tejano all together.
I hear what you are saying about the studio. Alot of times people don’t realize that. Say what you want about the current state of our industry, i personally love it. I love being in a “niche” market where everything is wide open and there is so much room to be creative its ridiculous. Bands need to start taking advantage of the opportunities to be creative and different.
… and bands need to stop getting “cover song happy”, even if it might win you a Grammy.
TAP said this on April 25th, 2008 at 10:55 am
Im glad to see this board back Vincent!
(uhh i mean new stuff)
Tejano fans have grown up…and there was no behind the scenes effort to renew or replenish the talent.
In Norteno…Serca is the leader in that genre…and they ARE ALWAYS replenishing the talent….to the point were everyone sounds the same…but hey…at least theres always new bands to choose from…out of every 30 norteno bands to come to market…1 rises to the level of success.
They have 2 new groups that are rising in status and packing shows everywhere…LA Leyenda and Los Hererredos…both featuring young members…I personly can not stand either….in my opinion they are lacking on the talent…but hey? 1 million flies on shyt cant be wrong right??
My point is Tejano has no one like SERCA….and thats what it needs.
Tejano also needs new face…and a whole new generation of fans.
The hell with the old fans…I know thats shytty to say…but we have to progress already. We need to capture the youngsters 9-21…and trust me it is SUPER Possible…how do I know?
Cuz my band is doing it…and not just mine but several others…
We’ve have been playing to packed Highschools all across TX in hardcore Mexican Community’s…and not for free either. These kids pay $8 presale and $12 at the door…just 1 of our secrets i’ll let you in on.
It helps that our singer speaks perfect spanish…just 1 of the points I need to let you know for the new bands to be successful…there is a whole new generation ripe for the picking in Mexico and TX. In the USA They are the kids of illegal Mexican Immigrants who just so happen to be legal cuz they were born here..and trust me they hate their parents music…just as we did growing up.
As a band that tours all over the country and Mexico…you get to really see what the problems are in this biz…and how to fix them…
Be on the lookout for this phrase:
Nueva Generacion Tejana
New Generation Tejano
Cuz thats how we’ve been marketing ourselves to distinguish us from the S.A click…
S.A Tejano is dead in the water folks…only our elders are listening to it…when they die…it will die with them.
Be smart! Learn the biz and you will see how to exploit it for yourselves!
NMS said this on April 25th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
i my self have seen bands that do that shit!!(turn their backs on tejano) i hate to see them do it. I used to be hardcore norteno musician (los rieleros, invasores, los kdt’s) but as time went on, tejano was more sparse. i bagan to miss it, now i dedicate my self to being truley tejano/conjunto. i think bands try to switch genres for the money. to me its not about the money, i would rather be recognized for my musicianship in the tejano community.
ps
do you remember Ricardo Castillon??? one of tejanos golden boys??? in 1999 he left la differencia and sighned with tommy mattola as a solo act ‘Ricardo’. yyyyeeeaaahhh, it didnt go so well. not every one can crossover. to the best of my memory didnt he come back out with another cd with la differenzia last year???
ohh yeah, the creature up at the top is frekin HOT!!!! i cant wait to see the rest of the body
izzy atx said this on April 26th, 2008 at 11:44 am
So..Ms Shevi has to speak on this…I wanna give a BIG shot out to all the Bloodline’s fans…We love you guys cause you always have something to say..lol. Right Vince, we love you all.
Now to my point. “STAY EFFEN TEJANO AND HELP IT RISE BACK UP LIKE IT WAS IN THE DAY.”
I remember going to see the big bands growing up and almost passing out from the heat exhaustion just cause it was always so packed. Now, no one has that many people anymore . Unless they crossover and betray their tejano families. When you stay true to your fans, they stay true to you. When you crass over, YOU THINK that you gain more fans. Actually, you gain all of Mexico and lose the other fans. No one is so interested in your band anymore when you come back this way. Then when you do tejano again, your considered a “COMEBACK”. Thats lame.
shevi said this on April 27th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
The public always wants something new; it’s a neverending thirst, wether it be the latest car of the year, the latest basketball shoe, the latest hairdo, and also the latest album from their fav artist.
Artist that don’t evolve usually become extinct. You don’t neccessarily have to cross-over to another genre but you do have to come up w/ new stuff constantly…
For the groups that have been around forever : Unless you are Ramon Ayala or the Rolling Stones, people are not going to pack the arena to see you.
And it doesn’t matter if you are Tejano or Norteño or whatever, if you suck sooner or later your nontalent will catch up with you.
Love what you do…do it w/ a passion; don’t sellout!
jesus chacon said this on April 28th, 2008 at 10:40 am
wow, i’m surprised at the amount of commentary here. thx guys! its nice to know that people actually read our stuff!
Vincent Winterbourne said this on April 28th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
i dont see how tejano/conjunto groups think they have a chance at going international whenever there is such a huge gap that is still yet to be filled. im talking talent and creativity wise. Being a young musician myself and a somewhat power progressive bajo sexto player(or not),most of the older folks, believe it or not, enjoy my style. however there is always a “BUT”. Hey that sounded good “BUT” i prefer the more simple style of playing, or i think it sounds better with less etc. Does it really? Does it sound better? Do they really enjoy playing simple because it sounds good or because its all they can do or perhaps beacause they’re lazy bastards who [fear] that expressing how they really feel through an instrument might jeapordize there status in the onda.
[keyword: Fear]-one of the number one reasons tejano/conjunto music has not changed much in the last decade.
redrum08 said this on June 10th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
also lets not forget resources. tejanos do not have many resources. there is no presitge’ school of tejano music and very few programs for tejanos to go to school and get educated stictly based on their abilitys (such as an athlete gets scholarships for a specific sport)as a tejano musician.
izzy atx said this on June 10th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Music is universal….you don’t really need special Tejano training, just basic music training. just my opinion…
Vincent Winterbourne said this on June 10th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
indeed vince.
redrum08 said this on June 10th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
WELL OF COURSE!!! but your missing my point.the point was resources not training. Im talking about programs for the tejano youth. our future raza that will keep tejano alive. How about community access to (just an idea) a tejano work shop with headlining tejano artists. to teach and learn about the buisiness managment side of the industry. and maybe a place to go to learn music, for those tejanitos who dont have access to a bajosexto or an accordion. OUR generation learned the oldschool way, with our dad , in a bar, or whatever the case may be. It would be very helpfull and progressive for tejano (as a whole) to step up the game to a whole other level. Events like these would initialy put knowledge in young minds and would help provide tejano bands with a little extra money and respect if they teach the class.
my whole point was resources, NOT music is universal blah blah blah. this should test how much tejano fans are loyal to tejano
izzy atx said this on June 11th, 2008 at 11:21 am
dude not even mainstream music has resources like that, and the ones that do exist are very limited or costly, the music alone should be what captures the youth, not some community tejano work shop, maybe if the onda wasn’t so behind in the times you would see more young guns in the tejano scene.
redrum08 said this on June 11th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
in my community there are countless workshops and programs in rock and rap music. most of them are city funded. and thats what im saying, we could catch up by taking a page out of their book. getting in volved and getting educated are both very good ways of arming yourself and ensuring your genres style
izzy atx said this on June 12th, 2008 at 11:28 am