Linda Escobar (born in 1957) is an American singer-songwriter. Referred to as the "Queen of Conjunto music", she has been called one of the most influential women of South Texas and one of the most important figures of conjunto music. Escobar rose to fame as a child in 1965 when her song "Frijolitos Pintos" sold a million copies. She embarked on touring alongside her father, Eligio Escobar, spanning the United States, Mexico, and Central America. In 1998, she started the El Veterano Conjunto Festival in San Antonio, Texas, honoring U.S. war veterans on Veterans Day. The festival culminates with the awarding of music scholarships. In 2017, U.S. Representative Filemon Vela Jr. acknowledged Escobar for her contributions to Tejano and conjunto music during Women's History Month. In 2019, she was inducted into the South Texas Music Walk of Fame and received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Tejano Music Awards. With a music catalog of circa 500 songs, Escobar is widely recognized for boasting one of the longest and most prolific music careers in the Tejano market.
Linda Escobar was born in 1957 [1] in Alice, Texas, [2] the daughter of musician and World War II veteran Eligio Roque Escobar [3] (1926-1994) [4] and Jesusa Koehler (-2017). [5] [4] She began recording music in the 1960s for Ideal Records, when she was seven [2] or eight years old. [6] Her first album sold 250,000 units. [7] She received widespread acclaim as a child in 1965 when her song "Frijolitos Pintos", [8] received a gold certification for selling one million copies. [6] [9] Initially, Escobar needed a b-side track and reminded her band about "a little rhyming song" called "Frijolitos Pintos" and recorded it after the band requested to listen to her rendition. [7] Writing for the San Antonio Current , Matt Stieb found the track to be somewhere "between [a] novelty song and purebred pop". Stieb believed that the "rubber band beat" transforms the song into a danceable track over a lively accordion and praised Escobar's voice, noting its captivating and melodious ascent. [7]
Escobar's family relocated to Corpus Christi, Texas when she was a child. [4] She also recorded songs for Hacienda Records, [4] Nopal, Bernal, and Comet Records. [7] Escobar toured alongside her father Eligio for ten years throughout the United States, Mexico, and Central America. [10] Throughout her career, Escobar recorded around 500 songs. [7] In retrospect, Escobar shared that her path to building a thriving music career posed significant challenges, partly because of the close-knit camaraderie among male musicians, which seldom included women. She noticed that the music industry landscape in 2021 had become somewhat more conducive to women. In his account of the 32nd Tejano Conjunto Festival in San Antonio, Texas, music historian Luis Díaz-Santana Garza observed that both Escobar and Eva Ybarra were slotted for afternoon performances, with the prime evening time slots exclusively reserved for male artists. Garza further pointed out that Escobar and Ybarra embarked on their careers during a pivotal era of conjunto music's growth, as the genre was gaining recognition beyond its traditional strongholds of Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, and Texas. [2]
Escobar won a Female Vocalist of the Year at the West Texas Music Awards in 1987. [9] [1] the Narciso Martinez Award for Conjunto Female Vocalist of the Year in 2001 and was inducted into the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame in 2003 and became a board member for the organization in 2007. [6] Escobar's music challenges established norms surrounding sexuality and traditional gender roles. Its lyrics question conventional gender expectations and present an alternative vision of both female and male domains. In her song, "Mi Cantina", she tells a tale where her lover frequently visits bars after work. The female protagonist proposes a solution: they should transform their living room into a small cantina where they can spend time together. Through this song, Escobar restructures the ordinary aspects of life that are usually divided by gender roles. According to music historian Jacqueline Edmondson, Escobar's music defies the boundaries of ethnicity and nationality for Mexican Americans within conjunto music and in the process, generates new narratives and myths. [1] She became a conjunto (small band) musician and a "Tejano roots music activist". [6] Escobar's repertoire includes songs within the Tejano, Latin pop, and traditional Mexican music genres. [11] Her most renowned recordings are "Mi Cantina" and "Lonely Letters". [9]
Escobar started the El Veterano (The Veteran) Conjunto Festival, [6] in 1998. [12] It started off as a three-day Memorial Day event, before transitioning to a single-day festival within a few years. [12] She started the festival in honor of her father and to raise money for the Eligio Escobar Scholarship Fund. [4] The festival pays tribute to American war veterans on Veterans Day, and showcases Tejano conjunto music, concluding with the awarding of a music scholarship. In 2000, the festival included a performance by the Japanese conjunto group known as Kenji Katsube y Los Gatos de Japon, which drew criticism from those in attendance. Most attendees were veterans who served in World War II in Japan and held certain reservations towards Japanese people. Despite objections from attendees, including some relatives, Kenji Katsube y Los Gatos de Japon were permitted to perform. [1] She later married Kenji "El Gato" Katsube. [7] By 2020, the festival had given out 27 scholarships. [12]
American music scholar, Alejandro L. Madrid, examined the El Veterano Conjunto Festival through the lenses of cultural citizenship and necro-citizenship in his book Transnational Encounters (2011). Drawing from Renato Rosaldo's concept of cultural citizenship and Lazaro Lima's interpretation of necro-citizenship as articulated by Russ Castronovo, Madrid's assessment highlighted how El Veterano served as an expression of belonging to the United States within the context of Mexican American cultural forms, thus embodying the concept of cultural citizenship. [6] In 2011, her single "Amigo Freddy Fender" ranked as the most popular requested song on KEDA AM, one of the top conjunto/Tejano radio stations. [6]
On July 31, 2014, U.S. Representative Filemon Vela Jr. recognized Escobar for her contributions to Tejano and conjunto music in celebration of Women's History Month. [13] She released Vi Una Nube in May 2017 in honor of her mother who died three months earlier. [14] She was inducted into the La Música del Sur de Tejas in Corpus Christi in 2017. [15] She received a nomination for the Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2018 Tejano Music Awards. [5] In 2019, she was inducted into the South Texas Music Walk of Fame, [16] and received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Tejano Music Awards. [17] At the 2020 Tejano Music Awards, Escobar received a nomination for Female Vocalist of the Year and Conjunto Album of the Year for La Revancha. [18]
During her music career, she became one of the "most important women" in her genre along with Lydia Mendoza and Eva Ybarra. [11] Known as "the Queen of Conjunto Music", [9] [10] and "la hija del pueblo" ("The Daughter of the City [Alice]"), [7] she was named one of the most influential women of South Texas. [9] She is known for having one of the longest and most prolific music careers in the Tejano market. [7] On April 12, 2023, Linda announced through her social media account that she was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer after previously being diagnosed with cancer in 2021. [10]
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, known mononymously as Selena, was an American singer. Referred to as the "Queen of Tejano Music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers of the late 20th century. In 2020, Billboard magazine put her in third place on their list of "Greatest Latino Artists of All Time", based on both Latin albums and Latin songs chart. Media outlets called her the "Tejano Madonna" for her clothing choices. She also ranks among the most influential Latin artists of all time and is credited for catapulting the Tejano genre into the mainstream market.
Tejano music, also known as Tex-Mex music, is a popular music style fusing Mexican and US influences. Typically, Tejano combines Mexican Spanish vocal styles with dance rhythms from Czech and German genres – particularly polka or waltz. Tejano music is traditionally played by small groups featuring accordion and guitar or bajo sexto. Its evolution began in northern Mexico.
Christopher Gilbert Pérez is an American guitarist, best known as lead guitarist for the Tejano band Selena y Los Dinos. He married the frontwoman of the group, Selena, on April 2, 1992. Pérez grew up in San Antonio, Texas as one of two children of Gilbert Pérez and Carmen Medina. In 1986, he began his tenure by joining Shelly Lares' band. By the late 1980s, Pérez was respected among Tejano musicians for his guitar skills. This caught A.B. Quintanilla's attention; at the time, A.B. was seeking another guitarist for the band he produced, Selena y Los Dinos. Between one and two years after Pérez joined the band, he and Selena began a personal relationship.
Victoria Galvan is a singer and musician from Corpus Christi, Texas, US. She performs in the Tejano style as part of the ensemble Victoria y Sus Chikos. She records on the Hacienda Records label.
Entre a Mi Mundo, re-edited in its 2002 remaster as Entré a mi mundo is the third studio album by American singer Selena, released on May 6, 1992, by EMI Latin. The label endeavored to bolster Selena's popularity within the Latin music market in the United States with this release. A. B. Quintanilla sustained his role as the singer's producer and, in collaboration with Selena y Los Dinos members Pete Astudillo and Ricky Vela, composed tracks for the album. The ensuing recording encompassed an eclectic array of songs, attributable to the members' diverse backgrounds, which facilitated the modernization of the sundry genres they explored. Entre a Mi Mundo is a Tejano cumbia album that encapsulated Selena's quintessential sound, characterized by engaging tunes harmonized with her distinctive, plaintive vocals and a relaxed, danceable cumbia beat. The album incorporates musical inspirations from power pop, R&B, disco, rock, funk, and synthesized Tejano music.
Gary Lee Hobbs is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. Called "Tejano music's Vince Gill", he has been widely recognized for his resonant baritone vocals, characterized by their emotive quality, and is considered a pioneer within the genre. Hobbs played a significant role in the expansion of Tejano music during the 1990s and became one of the most popular Tejano singers of the 1980s and 1990s.
"No Debes Jugar" is a song recorded by American recording artist Selena and released as the lead single from her first live album Live! (1993). It was composed by Selena y Los Dinos keyboardist Ricky Vela and Selena's brother and principal record producer A.B. Quintanilla III and produced by Quintanilla III and Argentine music producer Bebu Silvetti. It is an uptempo Mexican cumbia song with influences of Rock en Español which is centered on female empowerment. Lyrically, the song describes a woman who threatens to leave her unappreciative boyfriend.
"¿Qué Creías?" is a song by American singer Selena, taken from her third studio album, Entre a Mi Mundo (1992). It was written by Pete Astudillo and A. B. Quintanilla; the composition was a result of a challenge issued by A. B. to Astudillo to create a song before they arrived in Las Vegas from California. Astudillo drew inspiration from the works of Mexican singer Juan Gabriel, culminating in a mariachi ballad. Selena, in describing the song, avers that it embodies women on a collective scale. It is the singer's torch song and the lyrics elucidate Selena's inflexible stance on refusing to absolve an unfaithful partner. She directly addresses her former lover who had taken her for granted, informing him of her capability to exist without him. Critics acclaimed Selena's emotional vocal range and her poetic expression with a distinctly feminine cadence.
"La Carcacha" is a song recorded by American singer Selena for her third studio album, Entre a Mi Mundo (1992). The song was written by A.B. Quintanilla and Pete Astudillo. It was inspired by a dilapidated car and an experience in which A.B. observed a woman's willingness to court the owner of a luxury car. The song, characterized by its rhythmic melodies and satirical portrayal of life in the barrio, highlights the importance of love and genuine connection over material wealth. It is a Tejano cumbia song that is emblematic of Selena's typical style, while music critics found it to be musically similar to "Baila Esta Cumbia".
On the morning of March 31, 1995, American singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was shot by Yolanda Saldívar, the president of Selena's fan club, at the Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas, shortly after Saldívar was exposed as having embezzled thousands of dollars from Selena's earnings. Although the healthcare team tried to revive Selena, she died of hypovolemic shock.
The Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year is an honor presented to female Tejano music recording artists. The Tejano Music Awards, first bestowed in 1981, was established to recognize the most talented performers of the genre—a subcategory of regional Mexican music, with roots in the music of early European settlers in Texas. The awards are presented by the Texas Talent Musicians Association (TTMA), to "promote excellence in the Tejano music industry" using the popular vote method to select the winner of the female vocalist of the year. Historically, female musicians fared less favorably in the male-dominated genre and were seen as inferior to their male counterparts. The award was established by Rick Trevino, a male Tejano performer, who founded the Awards in 1981.
Óscar “El Gallo Copeton” Martínez is an American musician and songwriter of Mexican descent who performs Tejano, slow rock, polkas, cumbias and English tunes. Known to Tejano Music devotees as "El Tejano Enamorado", after the title of his song which was a hit for Isidro Lopez in 1954.
Chelo (Consuelo Silva) was a popular singer of Mexican bolero music who had a long career, spanning from the 1930s to the 1980s. She was born in 1922. She belongs to the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.
Antonio de la Rosa was an influential tejano musician. He was noted for producing dynamic and harmonic accordion runs on the two-row button accordion.
The Tejano Music Award for Album of the Year – Conjunto is an honor presented annually by the Texas Talent Musicians Association (TTMA). Musicians nominated for this category are performers of the conjunto style of Tejano music.
Eva Ybarra known as the "Queen of the Accordion", is a professional conjunto musician.
Patricia Donita Torres is an American singer of Tejano music. Known for her vocal versatility, she has been referred to as the "princess of Tejano music" by The Monitor. Torres began her musical career as a trumpet player for Blue Harmony. The band was discovered by Albert Esquivel in 1980, after which they released their debut album with production handled by Manny Guerra. In 1982, Torres formed the Patsy Torres Band and signed with Bob Grever's Cara Records. After obtaining a college degree in science, Torres decided to pursue a career as a pediatrician.
Freddie Records is an American independent record label founded in Corpus Christi, Texas on November 1, 1969, by musician Freddie Martinez. Originally functioning as a recording studio and distributor for Martinez, the label expanded its roster to include other Tejano musicians to avoid financial failure. The label commenced producing albums for an array of artists, including Ramon Ayala, Agustin Ramirez, Oscar Martinez, and Joe Bravo. Ayala became the best-selling act of the label, sustaining the financial stability of Freddie Records throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The label sponsored a Little Joe concert in 1978 and recorded it for their Live for Schlitz album. It led to a ban on future events in the area, though the album remained a lucrative live recording for Freddie Records for two decades. As Tejano music's popularity surged, Freddie Records augmented its foundation by incorporating an additional 6,000 square feet for a second studio and production facility replete with updated MCI equipment capable of accommodating cassette tape and 8-track formats and instigated a release schedule of two albums per month on average.
Isabel Marie Sanchez is an American Tejano music singer. Sanchez gained initial recognition as a child performer in various singing and dancing contests. Her breakthrough occurred on the third season of La Voz Kids, which caught the attention of record executive Abraham Quintanilla. Sanchez released her debut album, New Girl in Town in 2016, and received critical and commercial success. She was awarded the Tejano Music Award for Best New Female Artist, becoming the youngest recipient of the award. Her second album, Sígueme (2017), was nominated for Album of the Year, while her third studio effort, Xoxo - Hugs and Kisses (2018), achieved commercial success. After her fourth album, IV (2019), was released, Sanchez departed Q-Productions, indicating a desire for a new musical direction. Her fifth album, Una Illusion (2022), earned her a nomination for the Latin Grammy Award for Best Tejano Album. Sanchez has been active in charitable and non-profit organizations and was honored by the Texas House of Representatives for her contributions to the arts and community.
Stefani Melissa Sullivan, professionally known as Stefani Montiel is a Tejano music singer. In the early 1990s, she emerged as one of the new acts in Tejano who reinvigorated the genre. Montiel is known for her fusion of various genres into her Tejano sound. The singer has been inducted into the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame and New Mexico Music Hall of Fame, and has been nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for Best Tejano Album. In 2006, as part of Las 3 Divas with Shelly Lares and Elida Reyna, Montiel received a nomination for a Grammy Award. Her husband and musician, Gabriel Zavala, produces her music. Montiel released her first album at the age of nine before signing with EMI Latin and then with Sony Discos. She is considered to be one of the most popular Tejano singers. Montiel performed at the inaugural Fiesta de la Flor in 2015. She received the Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year, Female Entertainer of the Year, while her album, La Dueña, received the Tejano Music Award for Tejano Album of the Year at the 2017 Tejano Music Awards. Montiel has been nominated for the Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for Amor Supernatural, Song of the Year for "La Comadre", while her collaboration with DJ Kane and Zavala on "Sol, Arena, Ron Y Mar", was nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year at the 2019 Tejano Music Awards. Her collaboration with La Calma on "Echame La Culpa", peaked at number one on the Tejano Gold Top 20 chart. In 2020, Montiel partnered with Música Ford to bring awareness to Tejano music and its culture, becoming the first Tejano woman to partner with Ford. Her song, "Quedate Con El", received the nomination for Song of the Year at the 2022 Tejano Music Awards.
