Tejano (music)

Tejano music
Stylistic origins	Polka, waltz, ranchera, corrido, pop, rock, R&B, blues, funk, jazz, country, conjunto, mariachi, Mexican cumbia, Norteño
Cultural origins	20th century (Texas, U.S.)
Typical instruments	Vocals, accordion, bajo sexto, bass guitar, electric guitar, drums, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, keyboards, piano
Other topics
Banda, Latin, New Mexico music, regional Mexican

Tejano music or Tex-Mex music (Texan-Mexican music) is the name given to various forms of folk and popular music originating among the Mexican-American populations of Central and Southern Texas. With roots in the late 19th century, it became a music genre with a wider audience in the late 20th century thanks to artists such as Selena (often referred to as "The Queen of Tejano"), Mazz, La Mafia, La Sombra, Elida Reyna, Los Palominos, Ramón Ayala, Elsa García, Laura Canales, Oscar Estrada, Jay Perez, Emilio Navaira, Gary Hobbs, Shelly Lares, Stefani Montiel, David Lee Garza, Jennifer Peña, and La Fiebre.

Europeans from Germany (first during Spanish time and 1830s), Poland, and what is now the Czech Republic migrated to Texas and Mexico, bringing with them their style of music and dance. They brought with them the waltz, polkas, and other popular forms of music and dance. However it was not until the Mexican Revolution (1910–1917) that forced many of these Europeans to flee Mexico and into South Texas, that their musical influence was to have a major impact on Tejanos.

At the turn of the century, Tejanos were mostly involved in ranching and agriculture. The only diversion was the occasional traveling musician who would come to the ranches and farms. Their basic instruments were the flute, guitar, and drum, and they sang songs that were passed down through the generations from songs originally sung in Mexico. One of these musicians was Lydia Mendoza, who became one of the first to record Spanish language music as part of RCA's expansion of their popular race records of the 1920s. As these traveling musics traveled into areas where the German Texans, Poles, and Czechs lived, they began to incorporate the oom-pah sound into their music. Narciso "El Huracan del Valle" Martinez, known as the "Father of Conjunto Music", defined the accordion's role in conjunto music.

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Wikipedia