The Annual “There’s No Tejano on Go Tejano Day” Post

I’m telling you. The HoustonRodeo has made it clear that rodeo scholarships don’t go to undocumented students (not even LPRs!), but they get non-Tejano (Mexican banda music) bands that attract sell-out crowds of undocumented folks (among others) for “Go Tejano Day” that bring in a ton of cash for the HoustonRodeo. Talk about getting screwed in all directions. “We’ll take your money, but your kids don’t get squat!”

The Tex-Mex music genre known as Tejano is not respected by the Rodeo. Hell, it’s not respected by corporate radio because what once brought in ad money by the millions had the life squeezed out of it by corporate radio and money-grubbing major record labels that flooded the market, instead of nurturing the best of the best. Nowadays, most Tejano bands release material on indy labels, they gain popularity through nightclub and internet radio DJs, (and bloggers) and go through the daily grunt work of managing and booking themselves around the state and the US. Still, they attract nice-sized crowds, especially when music festivals like Festival Chicano go on for three days at Miller Outdoor Theatre. The genre isn’t dead. It didn’t die when Selena was murdered. What died was the cash infusion into greedy corporations. The music continues!

Anyway, the DosCentavos boycott of the HoustonRodeo continues for another year. Get me real Tejano (Tex-Mex) music on the big stage and maybe I’ll ruin my Justin ropers steppin’ on cow poop at the rodeo. Otherwise…

Local legendary DJ Jumpin’ Jess had a thought on this, too.

For now, here’s Los Texmaniacs playing before thousands at two A Prairie Home Companion broadcasts in Flagstaff, AZ and St. Paul MN.

*Thanks to Jose Manuel Diaz for the awesome “No Tejano for Consuela” meme.