Introduction
“Tejano” is a musical category originating from the Texas-Mexican border region. As part of a marketing campaign in the 1990s, Tejano was created as a musical genre to promote folk-influenced and popular songs like baladas, cumbias, and polka-rancheras. With the success of musicians like Selena, El Grupo Mazz, and Emilio Navaira, the Tejano genre became a vehicle for marketing a diverse spectrum of “Texas Mexican” singers and musical groups. On the other hand, Tejano comprises a varied range of musical genres and artists historically connected with “Texas Mexicans” musical culture and the South Texas border region.
Tejano is theoretically associated with traditional genres such as the orquesta, ranchera canción, conjunto, and corrido. These traditional musical styles reflect the border region’s social context and the cultural significance of Tejano’s musical manifestations. Additionally, rock and country music from 1960 impacted many Texas Mexican artists and resulted in the development of commercial genres that were adopted into the Tejano genre. Therefore, the term “Tejano” refers to a wide range of musical styles and groups from the American Southwest that have a broad appeal among Latinos.
Background
The southern Texas border was fraught with tension and deadly conflict between Tejanos and Anglos throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The corrido, a ballad genre derived from the fusion of romanza and canción, was a forceful expression that recounted the injustices Tejanos suffered at the hands of Anglo oppressors who lauded heroes’ actions in response to Anglo domination and racism. El corrido de Gregorio Cortez is a good example of this distinct type of corrido, which historian and folklorist Américo Paredes refers to as “border corrido”. To this day, the border corrido and its twentieth-century derivatives in Texas and the border region remain dynamic musical expressions that serve as a storehouse for many Tejanos’ cultural identity and historical memory.
Evolution of Tejana Music
Canción during the nineteenth century was successfully divided between traditional (canción típica) and romantic forms (canción romántica). With time, canción típica evolved and emerged as a new genre known as canción ranchera, popular on both sides of the border. Lydia Mendoza, popularly known as La Alondra de la Frontera, whose name translated to (The Lark of the Border), was the Tejana performer most associated with canción ranchera in the twentieth century. Lydias’ music often portrayed Tejanos’ economic and social problems, particularly from the 1920s through the 1950s.
The Mexican American Orquesta and the Texas Mexican Conjunto were two musical ensembles associated with Tejanos’ contradictory social and cultural attitudes throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Audiences for these musical centers tended to reflect ideas about social class identity and desired levels of cultural integration that either reflected or opposed an Anglo-dominated society. Between the 1930s and 1950s, instruments such as; the bajo sexto ( a guitar-like instrument), bass and the button accordion made up the foundation of conjunto, while the Mexican American Orquesta blended elements of conjunto with the “big band” style. Electric instruments were later introduced in the 1960s, and performers such as Flaco Jiménez and Esteban “Steve” Jordan enhanced conjunto’s sound. Similarly, synthesizer-based conjunto ensembles and groups with unique country music influences emerged in the 1980s and 1990s. The changes resulted in a rupture with conjunto traditions, bringing the ensemble and repertory closer to the Tejano concept. El GrupoMazz, a well-known group from this era, exemplified the sort of conjunto that combined baladas and cumbias performed by a synthesizer-based ensemble.
Selena Quintanilla pérez, born in 1971, was the most popular female Tejano singer. Referred to as “Selena”, she is still regarded as the “Queen of Tejano”. Her roots trace back to a working-class family in Texas, and later on, celebrity status made her attract audiences and build an ardent fan base. Selena’s success in the 1990s increased awareness of Tejano music, and her large-venue performances drew comparisons to well-known worldwide female pop artists. Selena was the first attempt by Tejano music to create a “crossover” artist. Emilio Navaira developed as a Tejano artist with crossover potential following her death, as seen by his 1995 country-inspired album, “Life is Good”.
Conclusion
Tejano, as a musical genre, encompasses a range of Texas Mexican musical styles. For the time being, the Tejano label serves to identify musicians and groups affiliated with the US Southwest, even though the label cannot adequately represent the region’s diverse musical traditions. As for me, I find Tejano entertaining and a unique music genre that will live to be enjoyed for a long time. Mal Hombre, a Tejano classic, is my favorite of Lydia Mendozas’ collection; she was the first to record a Tejano and Norten music genre. Mal Hombre, which translates to “Badman”, was Mendozas’ debut solo release and served as her theme tune. It is a somber song about a cold-hearted man who falls in love with a young girl and then dumps her ruthlessly.