Tejano is Where the Heart is!

Little Joe and Eva Ybarra are just some of the musicians that I grew up hearing when we would have family gatherings. Tejano or Conjunto music hits home with me. One of my favorite memories as a child was dancing with my father to tejano.

It is interesting to understand the roots of the music of my Hispanic heritage: Conjunto and tejano music. The history is widespread and mainly stems from various types of Mexican music. Conjunto music is a mixture of Mexico and Texas. It combines mainland Mexican music, country polka music from South Texas, and German and Czech grounded tunes.

Conjunto music is different from other music because it is mostly heard by Hispanics and people related to the Latin culture. Many other types of music such as country, rap, and pop are heard by a variety of listeners. Though Conjunto and Tejano music has a variety of listeners as well, it is mainly in the hearts of Mexicans and Hispanics in South Texas. Hispanics grew with this music and at the same time made this music grow. It started with using tunes from brass bands and with Latinos who had an idea of the type of music that would express the type of work they were doing and the life they were living.

Conjunto and the accordion have risen in status because the modern day Hispanic has more freedom and confidence in their culture. It is no longer taboo to speak Spanish or to be Hispanic in South Texas.

Some particular insights in the dvd that interested me most was the famous musicians Lydia Mendoza, Valerio Longoria, Isidro Lopez, and Tony D Ela Rosa. Lydia Mendoza was known and the “Queen of Tejano” and Longoria is an accordion legend! These Latinos are role models to every person of Hispanic or Mexican background.