Monthly Archives: June 2008

We spoke with Oscar De La Rosa on June 18, 2008, at the Tejano Academy Fan Fair in downtown San Antonio. He was in a fun and feisty mood and answered questions about the first single from La Mafia’s upcoming CD, the CD’s release date and of course, the ongoing feud with A.B. Quintanilla.

Interview Highlights:

• New album, “El Mundo no es Igual,” should be in stores on Aug. 12, 2008; later release in Mexico
• First single, “Eternamente,” recorded as a ballad and a cumbia
• Oscar says he’ll respond to A.B. (and as we know, he was true to his word!)

The interview with Oscar will be posted tonight.

During the often-referred to heydey of Tejano music back in the 90s, La Diferenzia stood out with original songs and the gripping vocals of frontman Ricardo Castillon. 

Last Wednesday during the fifth annual Tejano Academy Fan Fair in La Villita, Castillon and the newest version of La Diferenzia brought back memories of the original group. The band and Ricardo’s voice impressed with hits from the 90s including the songs featured in the medley you’ll hear in the below video: “Si Lo Quieres,” “Tu Eres” and “Anoche Sone Contigo” — all from the group’s debut with then-label Arista Texas. 

Here’s hoping Castillon and La Diferenzia come out with a new CD soon that gives justice to the La Diferenzia name. The talented team of Castillon and former bandmember and songwriter Miguel Spindola cannot be recreated but the Tejano industry is in desperate need of inspired songwriting and impressive musical talent of which this new team is definitely capable.

Check out the promotional photographs of the original La Diferenzia and enjoy the sounds of the newest incarnation of the group. 

Warning: The camera work is very shaky – especially around the one-and-a-half minute mark – but the sound still comes through.

Today, “Tejano y Mas” will air at 11 a.m. on KSAT-12 (San Antonio’s ABC affiliate) and will feature interviews and segments with Tejano and Latino artists. This marks the return of a Tejano TV show to a major, English-language television station after about 10 years, I believe, when “Tejano Country” went off the air.

The show’s host is Gabriel Zavala, Tejano music producer, composer and arranger, who is also married to Tejano entertainer Stefani Montiel. Stefani will appear occasionally as a guest host.

Watch the interview below with Stefani and Gabriel that was recorded during Wednesday’s Tejano Academy Fan Fair. Gabriel described the show as a chance for some of the better known and established Tejano artists to expose their music to a wider audience. He said the success of the first six shows will determine whether the show will expand into other markets.

The “y Mas” part of the show’s title represents the artists whose music is not strictly Tejano but who have Tejano roots and as Gabriel said, “are part of the Tejano musical culture.” Emilio Navaira’s sons Emilio III and Diego, are an example as they play rock music but have a heavy Tejano influence from their father. They will appear on today’s show with their band, VonArmy.

“Tejano y Mas” will air at 11 a.m. on KSAT-12 on Saturdays with an encore performance at 10:35 p.m.

The local Farmers Insurance chapter is hosting a benefit concert on Sunday, June 29 at Rosedale Park featuring Tejano entertainers Ram Herrera, Jay Perez, Stefani Montiel, Tex-Mex Kadillaks and Roger Velasquez.

Admission is $10; $5 before 5 p.m. Attractions include snow cones, kids games, prizes, face painting, bouncing castles and more.  All proceeds support the March of Dimes.

Watch the video for more details.

Related Links:

• www.marchofdimes.com
• www.farmersinsuranceagent.com

Pee Wee fans can get their fix tonight when the former lead singer of Kumbia All Starz premieres his new show – Bust A Ritmo – on MTV Tr3s, MTV’s bilingual, bicultural entertainment channel.

Watch Pee Wee Salinas as he guides a lucky (and needy) participant to solve their particular predicament with song and dance. Each episode, a participant is paired with a choreographer to learn a dance routine that will help them break the news on a personal topic to their unsuspecting loved one.

Visit the show’s Web site for more Pee Wee and more info on the show.  The first episode appears at 3 p.m. Central on MTV Tr3s and again tonight at 8 p.m.

It’s good to see Pee Wee land on his very capable feet following such a public and ugly separation from A.B. Quintanilla and the Kumbia All Starz, a group he helped make successful with hits like “Chiquilla” and “Mi Dulce Nina.”

Send comments about the show and how you think Pee Wee did on his national television hosting debut.

UPDATE:  If you don’t have MTV Tr3s, watch the first episode online.  The show is cute and Pee Wee has the comedic timing down.

I’ll be posting an Events Calendar from now on — see the new page on the above navigation bar. 

But so you don’t miss the news, here is the event listing for Wednesday’s Tejano Academy Fan Fare in San Antonio’s La Villita. Will try and get details on artists who will attend!

See ya there! 

Wednesday, June 18 – 5th Annual Academy of Tejano Artists and Musicians Fan Fare – Maverick Plaza – San Antonio
The event, which runs from 5-11 p.m., includes the traditional meet-and-greet session with Tejano artists and live performances by several groups, including Los Palominos (whose latest CD, Me Enamore de un Angel, comes out Tuesday); Ram Herrera, Ricardo Castillon and Latin Express. A giveaway will award the lucky winner with a trip to the Academy’s 2008 Tejano Super Dance (July 4-5) in Las Vegas. 

Links for more info:

• www.tejanoacademy.com  (Click on the Contacts page for a link to the more updated MySpace page.)
• www.tejanosuperdance.com
  
• http://lavillita.com/facilities/maverick.htm  (Get details and map to Maverick Plaza.)

I had to read the headline on the home page of this evening’s www.MySA.com twice just so I could digest it: “Music writer Burr resigns after probe.”  Unfortunately,  plagiarism and deceit are not new scandals in recent journalism history but this one hits home as I have long admired Ramiro Burr’s writing (since my early high school years!). I studied journalism in high school and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and I often thought that Burr’s position was a dream job. I still think it is. Writing about Tejano and Latino music and getting paid!  And he was the most widely read and successful columnist (and I think the only syndicated columnist writing about Tejano) out there.  I admired the exposure that Burr’s polished, sophisticated writing gave to Latino music and especially to the homegrown Tejano music that is often snubbed by critics for its’ folksiness and culturally specificity.  It’s disappointing that such a lengthy career should end this way. 

And who is this writer that is accusing Ramiro Burr of using his work?  Douglas Shannon. His name sounds vaguely familiar and with a Google search I find that he wrote a column called “La Caliente” that can be found HERE.  His photo is that of a young looking white guy.  Anyway, from the article on the San Antonio Express-News Web site, it appears that the instances of alleged plagiarism occured after 2000 – with one claim from Shannon’s lawyers saying that Shannon actually wrote all of Burr’s Latin Notes column from December 2001 through June 2003! 

This scandal is a letdown but I hope that Burr can at least stand by his earlier work from the heydey of Tejano in the 1990s and his handling of the Selena tragedy and aftermath.  However, with the magnitude of the allegations against Burr, it appears that the wide body of work for which he should have been praised for years to come will instead be read with doubt and suspicion.

UPDATES: 
Looks like Burr will be continuing his work on his personal blog:  http://www.ramiroburr.com/ramiros_blog/ -He makes it sound like he planned his “move” from the San Antonio Express-News?

Also, visit Doug Shannon’s MySpace for his blog postings on mostly non-musical topics (He left a comment on this posting, which is how I know his MySpace):   http://www.myspace.com/ganasmassiendonormal