A Letter to the Tejano Music Industry
February 17, 2008 11:03 pm Tejano Day at the 2008 Houston RodeoHOWDY! Dear friends, members of the Tejano Academy:wishing you a belated Happy New Year! May 2008 be the best year for you yet, with better ones to come. May all of your aspirations and resolutions be fulfilled. Amigos, let me get to the matter of this correspondence. We all know how the music industry is ailing and how that affects us all. There are many factors that are components of problems we face with the business of music and specifically Tejano music. Some of these problems we can actually do something about, others are out of our hands, like the state of the economy. However, airplay on radio stations that refuse to play our music is one problem I sincerely believe we can resolve. We know the importance of airplay for the survival of the genre of our music. This brings me to the point of this letter. A meeting was held in Houston on Monday January 28th to discuss our situation and try to find solutions to our woes. It was a great meeting!!! In attendance were some very important key figures who are very sensitive to our needs, city and state officials, media personnel, radio celebrities, record distributors and Tejano musicians and celebrities.
NAMES OF ATTENDANCE: Ret. Senator Gonzalo Barriento – Tejano Democrats, Senator Mario Gallegos - Texas Senate Dist. 6, Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. II - Texas Senate Dist. 27, State Rep. Dist. 143 Anna Hernandez, State Rep. Dist. 148 Jessica Farrar, Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia, Little Joe Hernandez – La Familia, Ruben Ramos – Mexican Revolution, Roberto Pulido – Los Clasicos, Roel Pulido – Los Clasicos, David Lee Garza – Los Musicales, Leonard Davila - Austin Tejano Music Coalition, Lorenzo Cano – CMAS University of Houston, Jesse Rodriguez - Amigos Radio, Sammy Hernandez – Festival Chicano, Alfred Rodriguez - Amigos Radio, Frank Flores – Go Tejano Committee, Diana Falcon, Falcon Productions, Ruben Cubillos – VIVE Tejano, Inc.
TOPICS DISCUSSED:
- How Tejano Delegation was called to order to address Houston Rodeo controversy
- Why is Tejano music not part of the 2008 Go Tejano Day at Houston Rodeo?
- Analysis on how current conditions developed from record-breaking Tejano partnership
- Discussion on understanding Houston Rodeo’s process used in determining entertainment
- Discussion of power shift in Go Tejano Committee and Houston Rodeo officials
- Discussion where Mexican Regional acts overshadowed long Tejano music partnership
- Discussion of short term resolutions and long term goals to reconnect partnership
- Redefine process in determining Tejano music entertainment
- Form subcommittee to explore Houston Rodeo’s official position, beliefs and consequences
- Seek diplomatic solution to define the value of the Tejano music relationship
- State of Tejano music
- issues effecting the genre:
- limited radio outlets
- limited support for new Tejano acts to find air-play on current stations
- down sizing of venues or their demise
- discrimination of aging audience base
- erosion of large events yearly
Quite a list don’t you agree?Now then, the most important and present matter is the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. As you well know, Tejano Day at the Rodeo is one of the highest money grossing days of the Rodeo, thanks to Nuestra Raza, Los Tejanos. But check this out, Tejano Day will now be Tejano Day but without Tejano artists or Tejano music! SAY WHAT!?!? I don’t know about you, but I personally feel on behalf of all Tejano musicians, bands, artists and fans, abused misused and discarded!!! ¬øQUE CHINGAS ES ESTO? Carnal and Carnalas!Furthermore and on top of that, as Bobby Fuller “El Charro Negro” would say, “There is a probability that the powers that be may do away with Tejano Day all together.” You will be informed of what happens next,But IF EVER THERE WAS A TIME OF NEED TO COOPERATE AND LEAN YOUR SUPPORT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM THAT CAN HELP US IN OUR ENDEAVOR TO MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR US ALL, NOW IS THAT TIME!!!Your involvement, opinion and support is totally vital and central to this cause. Stay positive, healthy and aware. Continue success and receive the Almighty’s blessings. Remember always: Si,Se Puede!!!Tu Amigo,Little Joe
April 1st, 2008 at 11:15 pm
I am a member of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Committee. I am Tejana, and was shocked and offended by the decision on the choice of performers on Tejano Day! Needless to say that all the Tejano HLSR members including myself ‘boycotted’ Tejano Day.
Mr. Leroy Shafer was concerned about the attendance on Tejano Day. According to past statistics I have found the following Top attendance records:
March 11, 2007 - Pesado/Emilio Navaira - (record) - 69,641
March 9, 2006 - Ramon Ayala/Jay Perez - (record) - 70,481
March 3, 2003 - Intocable/Lost Tres Amigos -(record) - 70,405
March 20, 2004 - Brooks and Dunn - (record) - 69,813
(And they are back this year)
No one can say that (Tejano entertainers do not draw crowds).
This is addressed to Mr. Leroy Shafer. Since you are not Tejano, you do not know, nor do you care about the difference. Of course (we Tejanos) expect a Tejano Group to perform on ‘Tejano Day’ just as all Rodeo people expect ‘Country & Western’ singers to perform at the Rodeo. Further more, stating that you did not contract a Tejano group because you wanted to reach a larger spectrum of people is hypocritical, you would not say that you would not contract any Country & Western performers because there was not enough interest in the music, because it is outdated. (There have been many times when Country and Western music was not popular, yet it continued to be the main attraction at the rodeo regardless of popularity, just because that’s what is EXPECTED.) In return, when you have Tejano Day, we EXPECT to have Tejano music as well.
TO YOU, SO CALLED (GO TEJANO) COMMITTEE, SHAME ON YOU!!!! YOU SHOULD NOT BE CALLED A TEJANO COMMITTEE!!! You should be called the (Trader, Sell-Out, Gacho, Committee)!!!