Monthly Archives: July 2008
La Mafia and Kumbia King All Starz face off before the shootout
Check out Tejano Beat’s latest MySpace blog posting for details about today’s press event at Panchito’s Restaurant and also to see pics. www.MySpace.com/TejanoBeatBlog
Below check out the highlights from today’s face off between Oscar de la Rosa and La Mafia and A.B. Quintanilla and his Kumbia King All Starz.
Visit myspace.com/tejanobeatblog for the latest Showdown info!
www.myspace.com/tejanobeatblog
Click on the most recent blog posting for details! 
The World is Not the Same* for La Mafia – La Mafia is Eternamente Romantico!
*UPDATE: The new name of the CD is “Eternamente Romantico” due to the success of the first single, “Eternamente.”
At first listen, the upcoming release from La Mafia – CD No. 38 in 28 years! – sounds like a winner. Finally, a CD that Tejano\regional\grupero\Latin pop fans can get excited about. There have been a lot of great releases this year and more coming up, but a new La Mafia release was 
long overdue.
The song samples released (that you can hear in the video below and on myspace.com/lamafia) include the ballad and cumbia version of Eternamente; the ballad and polka version of El Mundo no es Igual; Ay Amor, a catchy, upbeat cumbia; and Siego Siendo un Romantico, a get-lost-in-love cumbia (one of my favorites so far). As Oscar said in an earlier interview, the CD keeps the La Mafia sound. With his smooth, distinctive vocals, the heavy keyboards and memorable hooks, this is classic La Mafia but with fresh songs that get you moving.
Usually, I find multiple versions of one song to be somewhat of a filler but I enjoy both versions of Eternamente and El Mundo no es Igual. La Mafia ballads are always great and the danceable versions give the songs an entirely different feel. It doesn’t feel like they just tried to fill a CD. Can’t wait to hear the rest of the CD in its entirety. The release date is August 12 (Aug. 19 in Mexico).
Stay tuned for a point-by-point matchup of A.B. Quintanilla of Kumbia All Starz vs. Oscar of La Mafia in anticipation of the Battle of the Bands set for Aug. 2 in Robstown, Texas, of all places!
Los Palominos: New CD and favorite hits on iTunes
(The interview with Los Palominos is finally here. Sorry for the delay!) Check out the video by clicking on the “(Video) Interviews” tab (above) and see the article below.
MUSICAL NOTE: For Palominos fans looking for the group’s music online, iTunes now carries the latest release, “Me Enamore de un Angel,” and also a Super Hits collection that includes all of the popular songs from the past like “Corazon de Cristal,” “Eres lo que Mas Quiero,” “La Llama,” “Todos Lloramos,” and more. Other collections have been produced by the group’s former label, Sony, but Los Palominos’ current label is the small, indie Urbana Records.
Johnny Arreola, accordionist and vocalist for Uvalde-based Los Palominos, (at left in the photo) realizes how fortunate he is to say that the band’s latest release, “Me Enamore de un Angel,” is CD No. 14 for the group.
“There’s not many people who can say that,” he said.
“We just want to be one of the few that have survived through the crisis and the hard times,” Johnny added.
Johnny, James (at right in photo), Jorge and Julio Arreola of Los Palominos, known for their tight band, beautiful harmonies and romantic, memorable lyrics, have ridden the unpredictable wave of the Tejano industry since the early 1990s Their twist on the traditional norteno, conjunto and cumbia sound has garnered the group fans in those genres, too.
