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

Is Tejano music still relevant? KSAT News at Nine did an extensive look at the history, rise and fall, and cultural impact of the music genre across San Antonio and South Texas.

Click here to check out our stories on the Golden Era, decline and future of Tejano!

[haydenrodriguez]

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.

[pica]

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.

[oskardeoz]

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

[uzar]

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).

[giovannisanchez]

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

[christy]

I still play Tejaño in my house almost every day.

[xthunder_drummer]

I hope Tejano music comes back one day

[mariogonzalez]

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.

[Heyitsnanalala]

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

[lorenzolopez]

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.

[bz]

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.

[jilbertoayala]

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

[tejanosoul]

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.

[TexasBoyJc]

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.

[matthewbanda]

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

[xhtownx]

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

[matthewbanda]

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

[VeronicaLaConsentida]

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! <3

[Mayito_Tamps]

I Grew Up With Tejano Music With KQQK In Houston

Everytime I Went To SA I Used To Tune In To KXTN

[estebanesparza]

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