The 32nd Annual Festival Chicano begins tonight at Miller Outdoor Theater.
A celebration of Chicano music, from tejano, conjunto, mariachi and orchestra in one of the oldest events of its type in the world. Chicano music has historically been shaped by many diverse styles such as Mexican rancheras, mariachi, big band, rhythm and blues, country, rock and roll and many others. In other words, a uniquely American sound!
Here’s the schedule for the weekend:
OCTOBER 6
Little Joe y La Familia
Llueve
Hermanos Cortez
October 7
Jimmy Gonzalez y Grupo Mazz
Avizo
AT Boys
OCTOBER 8
Bobby Pulido
Roberto Pulido y Los Clasicos
Braulio y Fuzzion
All concerts begin at 7PM.
According to the MOT folks: This is a ticketed event for the covered seating area. Free tickets are available (4 per person over age 16 while they last) at the Miller Outdoor Theatre box office the day of the performance between the hours of 10:30am-1pm. If tickets remain at 1pm, the box office will re-open one hour before show time to distribute the remaining tickets. As always, open seating on the hill.
Jay Perez is back with a new production on the Tejas Records label, The Voice of Authority. Heavy on the synth, sweetened by Val Maltos’ sax appeal, and powered by Perez’s voice this is sure to be a hot seller for the Tejano crooner from San Antonio, Texas.
The CD opens with Mirame, a up-tempo ranchera with a groovy synth sound and a romantic chorus. Already you want to stay on the dance floor and the next track, Quiero Comprender, does not disappoint. Perez gives us a raspier tone and the background harmonies give this track an extra push.
Mochate is barrio slang I hadn’t heard in a long time (since high school) and gives this cumbia a fun bent to it as the vocalist tells his lady-love to “give up” a kiss and maybe a little bit more. The guitar playing is exceptional on this track.
The slow intro to Invencible gives one a ballad feel, but then the tempo changes to an acordeon-led and danceable ranchera with a powerful chorus. The indestructible man has fallen on this track.
A surprise on this production is a remake of a ballad made famous in the Tejano world by Joe Lopez and Laura Canales, Te Quiero Asi. The Jose Jose song is aptly delivered and brings back some 80s memories for this fan.
Sin Condicion has been out on the YouTube circuit for a while as Jay’s next hit. A jazzy sax solo compliments this ranchera. La Sigo o La Dejo is that song on every guy’s mind when he’s on the verge of falling for a woman–but only if she lets him. Muñequita gives one a Santana-esque groove with which to toe-tap. A solid lead guitar and a brassy intro give one that Latin Funk feel to cruise the boulevard with.
Perez takes us through Memory Lane again with a new version of No Tengo Dudas, which received a lot of Tejano radio airplay in the 80s performed by Gary Guajardo and then in the 90s by Fandango USA. Perez has a knack for picking past hits and resurrecting them with his own sabor.
Always with the ability to deliver a Country song, Perez gives us an old favorite from 1980, John Conlee’s Friday Night Blues, to close out the CD.
Perez’s band is versatile and can go from Tejano to progressive conjunto to funky R & B to old school Country music. Their live shows are tight and never disappoint. So, much doesn’t change on The Voice of Authority. In fact, Perez’s voice is the central point of the production and proves that he indeed is a vocal authority in the industry.
Houston’s Powerhouse AVIZO is back with a new production in Mas Amigos. Avizo is a Houston-based Tejano big band headed up by Robert Dorantes which has gained in popularity as the back-up band for many legendary solo Onda Tejana vocalists. Horn-driven and precise while backing their usual lead vocalist Chris Quiroga, Avizo is also known for releasing great productions featuring those artists they back-up at concerts. And Mas Amigos is one of those productions.
Mas Amigos features legendary vocalists Jay Perez, David Marez, Ram Herrera, Joe Bravo, Jimmy Edward, Jessy Serrata, as well as “Q” Quiroga and Raquel Serenil.
Perez opens the set with the Emmanuel classic, Quiero Dormir Cansado. The powerful horns back-up Perez’s soaring vocals. The sax solos are especially smooth on this one. Ram Herrera then gives us another classic, Engelbert Humperdink’s After the Lovin’–en Español (Despues del Amor) and as a ranchera. Avizo’s horns, as well as the trumpet solo and jazzy ending takes us back, as Herrera takes us on a smooth-voiced journey. Perez returns on the next track, Tu Me Quemas, which seems to be the CDs first single. Avizo is precise and dead on on this ranchera as Perez soars through the chorus from lows to highs. So, thus far, the first three are designed to keep you on the dance floor.
After a couple of strong vocalists, the next track brings us a legend who more than likely influenced most Tejano crooners. Joe Bravo, aka El Playboy, comes in with what will be a radio/You Tube favorite, Pachanga Tejana. Bravo takes us through the track describing some of the onda’s legends and newer vocalists in what really is a Tejano party of a song. In between descriptions Avizo gives us a snippet of each mentioned performer’s signature tune. Here’s the YouTube of it for your enjoyment.
Avizo slows it down a bit on the next track with the old standard, Fallaste Corazon, performed quite nicely by another legend, Jimmy Edward. A tell-off to oneself (and ones own heart) after losing a girl because of his own misdeeds, the chorus is quite memorable:
“La vida es la ruleta en que apostamos todos/y a ti te habia tocado nomas la de ganar/pero tu buena suerta la espalda te ha volteado/Fallaste corazon no vuelvas apostar.”
Taking us back to an 80s remake of a classic, Avizo utilizes the talent of Jessy Serrata. An accomplished solo artist, Serrata was also the voice of Los Chachos, Bobby Naranjo y Direccion, TUFF Band, and of course, one of los Buenos Hermanos Serrata with brother Rene. Cuando Salgo A Los Campos brings back a lot of memories that are only compounded by an interlude that includes musical snippets of other Serrata classics, like Tu Vestido Blanco, Por Que Sera Que La Quiero, and Pa’ Todo El Año, further exhibiting Avizo’s musical chops and their appreciation of Tejano music history.
A favorite of this blogger is, still, another classic made popular “back in the day” by Carlos Guzman, Tus Ojos Castaños, which is aptly delivered by the duo of Jay Perez and David Marez. The horns are tight and the vocals are amazing. Jimmy Edward returns to deliver Reflejo, an accordian-driven ranchera which speaks to the suffering that men go through in their love for a woman: ”No es facil ser hombre resistir mujeres, no tenemos culpa gozar sus plazeres…”
And if you thought that was enough on the classic side, Avizo vocalist Chris Quiroga and guest Raquel Serenil give us a nice version of After the Love is Gone–yes, the Earth, Wind and Fire classic. Only a horn-heavy band like Avizo can deliver some good old school R & B like this, including some great background vocals. Quiroga closes the CD with the Lionel Ritchie hit, Hello, and it’s not your regular version. This one has some sabor y salsa and keeps you moving and loving that horn section. Now, I want Lionel to re-record this track con sabor!
You can buy Mas Amigos at your favorite Tejano music store, or you can find it on Amazon.com and download it. And those who have read my previous reviews know, there’s something about supporting your local musicos who just happen to record on indie labels.
After fulfilling some obligations with their old record company, Capitol EMI, Intocable comes out swinging with their newest CD, 2011.
Recorded on their own Good I Records, Intocable now owns their destiny and can be as creative as they want to be in the studio. 2011 is an example of how far they will take their music, while staying true to the Intocable sound.
Prior to the release of the 13-track 2011, Intocable had released the cumbia hit Robarte Un Beso, which included a video in which the super group appears as contestants in a “Mexican Idol” show competing against a dance troupe and a banda duranguense. They lost the “competition,” but the tune and video were a hit.
Right before the release of 2011, the Zapata, TX-based Intocable released another teaser in the ranchera Prometi, which was also an instant hit. The rock influences of the musicians come out on this track and meld perfectly with their Norteño groove.
Partnering with Wal-Mart’s Acceso Total, they released 2011 with much fanfare and with a performance video of most of the tracks–what a gift! I guess that’s why they are in charge of their music. Any other “major” disquera would have fainted at the thought of releasing a CD in this manner, I would say.
Now, to the rest of 2011. Intocable has given us quite a package of music to enjoy; each song as strong as the next. The onda grupera tune Si Tu Fueras Mia gives us a romantic side to Intocable that many enjoy–founded on great lyrics, backed by a tight group of musicians, and sweetened by the dueling bajos of Danny Sanchez and Johnny Lee Rosas.
And for those of us who really enjoy their power-rancheras, Me Dijiste Te Quiero and Llueve do not disappoint. Awesome drumming from Rene Martinez, the acordeon prowess of Ricky Muñoz, and those dang bajo sextos–all framed by the tough bass-playing of Felix Salinas–provide the foundation for great music.
Llueve’s lead-in is especially powerful. Solo Pienso En Tu Amor‘s acordeon-intro, a bajo-backed chorus, and Muñoz’s vocals exhibit more of that freedom they get from going Indie. Aunque Estes Lejos reminds one of the days when Intocable was a start-up and the acordeon-bajo combos on Jurame show us a group willing to go the extra mile on a tune.
Cumbias like Arrepientete and Callada are what we usually expect (and love) from Intocable, but the rock-intro of No Cuentes Conmigo once again shows us the freedom that the group is willing to use. Sergio Serna has come a long way on percussions from his early days, providing more of a groove rather than just a simple cumbia rhythm.
But we also know Intocable for their beer-drinkin’, tell-off songs and Te Aguente‘s line, “Vete ya ingrata mujer,” will surely get the crowds roaring and singing along at their sell-out concerts, as will the liberating No Sabes Amar.
Acordeonista and vocalist Ricky Muñoz is known for saying that when they go into the studio, they never try to top the previous production, but it is safe to say that Intocable has unleashed their strongest one yet.
I’ve been following this guy since he was hidden behind Jay Perez and a drum set.
Chente Barrera broke out into a solo career with his first CD, Puro Taconazo, which featured a duet (Celos) with his late father, “Pato” Barrera (a la Nat King and Natalie Cole) and backed up by Pato’s original back-up band, David Lee Garza y Los Musicales. And he hasn’t stopped, since.
Never fearful of pushing the envelope and resurrecting old-school Tejano hits and re-branding them with his own bit of “sabor,” Barrera returns with El Numero 7.
A mix of Tejano rancheras and cumbias, acordeon y bajo sexto, and Barrera’s unique voice, Numero 7 opens with the smooth ranchera, Tu Ganas Otra Vez and the acordeon-heavy Las Mujeres. Then, Barrera shows some boldness in his reggae-cumbia remake of Frampton’s Baby I Love Your Way (en Español, of course).
One sure hit is the ranchera Encanto Divino with its danceable rhythms complemented by that romantic melody aptly delivered by Barrera. Barrera then takes us back to the classics with the country-tinged El Potro Lobo Gateado, which kind of has a Roberto Pulido y Los Clasicos flavor to it.
Barrera further shows us that the younger Tejano generation not only appreciates the classics, but are willing to undust them, as he does with Cuco Sanchez’s Por Una Mujer Casada and the Jose Alfredo Jimenez classic, Amor Sin Medida.
You get some fun comic relief from the cumbia Maria, Tacha y Chona, as well as some more Tejano classiness from Hasta Cuando Corazon, Una Vieja Cancion de Amor, and Ya No Se Que Hacer.
This is definitely one for the collection, which you can get on I-Tunes. What makes me respect Barrera’s work even more is that he is now his own boss, with the CD produced by his own Q-Vo Records, which has its own line-up of Tejano talent. Only through some independence from bossy producers who know nothing about our music can we stay true to our roots, I always say.
All in all, El Numero 7 exhibits that foundation on where our music was built and the direction in which our music is going. And the main message: Tejano will never die!
After missing the first two nights of Festival Chicano due to forgetfulness and a Democratic fundraiser, I got the chance to re-earn my Barrio Card by attending the Fest-closing concert last night. And a memorable one it was featuring the legendary Latin Breed, Los Palominos, Llueve, and Bigg Lou and the Boyz at a jam-packed Miller Outdoor Theatre.
Houston’s Bigg Lou and the Boyz opened the night with some hard-driving acordeon-driven tunes–some covers, some originals. It was refreshing to see a young Tejano band with talent, especially some vocal talent. Bigg Lou showed the crowd that he had the chops song-after-song, including their closing R&B-infused bilingual cumbia, Lost Without You. And these guys are on Facebook, too. Check ‘em out!
Next up was Llueve, an outfit from Edinburg, who’s opening went from a recording of ”It’s Raining, It’s Pouring” into some rock madness with Anyway You Want It. Lead vocalist “Angel” had some vocal ability, too, hitting those Perry-esque highs with little effort. (If only Neal Schon had found him on YouTube!) Along with some covers of some old-school Tejano songs, including Mazz’s No Es Amor, Llueve provided some original material from their new CD. The one song that fit the night perfectly, though, was the anthemic Soy Tejano.
The one band the crowd of 15,000 anticipated was Uvalde-based Los Palominos. As I follow La Mafia’s Oscar and Mando on Facebook, I knew they were in town to record an upcoming CD, so something told me the performance would be memorable. It was solidified when I read Oscar de la Rosa’s FB status teaser about maybe showing up to sing with Latin Breed.
Los Palominos gave their fans a set filled with their hits: Duele El Amor, Corazon de Cristal, La Llama…you get my drift if you’re a true LP fan. And they didn’t disappoint this blogger with my favorite tune, Te Seguire Hasta Donde Vayas.
But the surprise of the night came when they tore into their hit Ya No Existe and none other than the guy who recorded it with them walked on stage–Oscar de la Rosa of La Mafia. Talk about a crowd response!
Closing out the show were a string of old-school conjunto hits “de cuando estaban la viboras paradas” made famous by Ruben Naranjo and Los Relampagos. Other than an annoying cable issue with the keyboard, Los Palominos were flawless.
And speaking of flawless, the legendary Latin Breed was next to hit the stage, but only after State Senator Mario Gallegos read a Senate resolution honoring them for 40 years of music. Latin Breed is a horn-based orquesta that has featured “future” solo stars like Jimmy Edward, Jay Perez, and Adalberto Gallegos. Well, Adalberto returns as the front-man and gave a few lessons to future vocalists on longevity and quality.
Known for precision in delivering a unique and powerful sound, the LB horns did not disappoint and complemented Adalberto well, along with Steve Velasquez’s guitaristics. A string of their old school hits had the crowd singing along, along with their new track, the classic Solamente Una Vez. Adalberto showed us he hasn’t lost his ability after almost 40 years in the business with his rendition of power-ballad medley Mil Botellas – Manana Que Me Vaya that had the crowd swaying. The classics Yo Vendo Uno Ojos Negros, Usted, If You Need Me and Que Chulos Ojos were crowd pleasers, too.
But the special moment came when Oscar de la Rosa returned to the stage to sing a duet with Adalberto–the LB classic El Tejano Enamorado. The show closed with another duet with new sensation Gabriel and together they belted out No Naciste Para Mi. (Sidenote: Gabriel is getting radio play with his Bob Gallarza-produced hit Amorcito Corazon).
And we cannot forget our friend, Musicologist/Folklorist Chuy Negrete also provided a few history-infused songs to warm up the crowd.
I must say that the night provided me with a much-needed infusion of cultura and good musical memories. I’m sure the other 14,999 folks in attendance can say the same as they munch on barbacoa and/or menudo this morning.
Congratulations to Daniel Bustamante for once again putting on what is the premier Onda Chicana music fest. Can’t wait until 2011!
Oddly enough, it was my classically trained violinist father who turned me on to Esteban Jordán when I was a teen.
Dad wasn’t much of a fan of any popular music, especially conjunto, but he had a special appreciation for great musicianship, and early in his career, Esteban was already showing off his incredibley acrobatic skills as a player.
Pay attention to this player, Dad said, because he is a true musician.
Steve got little notice, initially, until he recorded “Squeezebox Man,” which combined Steve’s unique conjunto stylings with rock — turning it into a frerenetically infectuous 45 rpm classic. From then on, Esteban would live a tumultuous professional — and personal– life full of wildly varying ups and downs.
Of course, like many masters, he wasn’t the easiest guy to get along with. He was often an autocrat on stage, could be a tyrant with his sidemen, and could be irritating with his friends. And as he aged, he became increasingly paranoid of business associates and promoters, more than a few of whom took advantage of his gifts for their own gain.
One apocryphal tale has Steve showing up with his band to a hotel in a large midwestern city, telling the desk clerk he wanted the two best rooms in the house. After booking them, he took the second-best room and dispatched his band to share the other. When they complained about being so crowded, Steve supposedly responded, “What are you complaing about? You got the best room in the house!”
But at various times, Esteban also showed his social consciousness, playing free concerts for civil rights groups and organizing incredible ensembles of crack Chicano musicians all too ready to play with him.
It was at these, in the early 1970s, that I got to know him better.
Still, he was distrustful of politics and politicians, advising me once in the 1970s, “Salte de la política, bro’, la política es pa’ las putas (get out of politics, bro’, politics is for whores).
Born into a migrant farm-worker family, a midwife mistakingly dropping a caustic substance into his infant eyes left him virtually blind for life. Dragged from field to field by his family, he couldn’t work, so he would stay at the labor camps, where he began to listen to the music of a fellow-traveler, Valerio Longoria, who became a mentor. But he also listened to radio, which in many places, was English-only, as country-and-western developed, and programming became infused with rock and blues.
He once told me he had never weighed more than 100 pounds, but you would never know it from the way he handled himself on stage, animatedly personifying what he was playing. He also had a penchant for outrageously colorful stage dress and always wore his patch, once rebuking me for publishing a picture of him in sunglasses.
Over the years, he played in the classic conjunto ensemble of accordion, bajo sexto, bass and drums, but at various times blended in electric guitars (which he played well), keyboards, all manner of horn and rythmn sections, mariachis and who knows what else. Esteban relished experimentation and innovation, and in many recordings, he played all the instruments.
At his prime, Jordan’s fingers were lightning quick, and his bellows work infectuous. And he also had great talent in writing lyrics, often depicting the everyday lives of working-class Chicanos with a poetic flourish that was often exceptional, masterfully weaving plausible plots with colorful street Spanish, stories of romantic conquests and of bitter disappointments, and even a few chronicles of major Chicano cultural events.
And hearing him for the first time at one of the Conjunto Festivals, the president of Hoener Accordions, a German, proclaimed him to be, “Perhaps the greatest diatonic-accordion player of all times.” He also arranged for Steve to travel to Germany and had a special three-row accordion built to his specifications as a special gift.
He leaves a rich discography, much of which is yet to be released, with numerous recording companies.
I spent Saturday afternoon doing a couple of things: Helping the Denton County Democratic Party and Democratic Women of Denton County with their booth at Lewisville’s Western Day, and then taking a few pics of Los Lonely Boys a bit later.
Hundreds of names and e-mail addresses were collected by the Democrats who offered folks visiting the booth the chance to take a pic w/ Barack & Hill–the cardboard cut-outs. Sure, you had the immature teen and even more immature dad who took a pic of the girl shooting the finger at the President; otherwise, the crowd was quite welcoming.
A crowd of thousands packed into a one-block area in front of Lewisville’s new City Hall to enjoy an amazing performance from Los Lonely Boys. Just back from a trip playing for Los Soldados in Iraq, the Texican Rock trio blazed through a set filled with recent hits, classic rock tunes, and some very nice instrumentals. DosCentavos added to its photography portfolio with a few nice photos. Enjoy.
OCTOBER 6
October 7
OCTOBER 8
hit. A jazzy sax solo compliments this ranchera. La Sigo o La Dejo is that song on every guy’s mind when he’s on the verge of falling for a woman–but only if she lets him. Muñequita gives one a Santana-esque groove with which to toe-tap. A solid lead guitar and a brassy intro give one that Latin Funk feel to cruise the boulevard with.
Houston’s Powerhouse AVIZO
I’ve been following this guy since he was hidden behind Jay Perez and a drum set.
