TEJANOmike

A Tejano Music Website       |       Phoenix, AZ       |       602.505.2168       |       tejanomike@gmail.com

 

What is this Music Gallery about? Good question. It's about music history, music appreciation, a collage of music, in part a presentation of music and a little about the reciprocal side of TEJANOmike! As a final point and some 15-plus years ago when this original Website idea and concept was first formulated, my initial thinking and logical planning was to make it as complete as possible, structurally tejano oriented, and represent the Webby himself. It is done.

This link is for tejanos out there that truly love music with a passion, professional entertainers, and for all the music enthusiasts in this beautiful world of ours. No exceptions because otherwise you will NOT understand the content on this page. All of this material has been put together very carefully for all of you that like, love, understand, appreciate, and are simply enormously grateful for what music really is: A translucent art painting! ... and I love music so much that a day doesn't go by that I don't think about it or try to create central and related ideas with it. Quite honestly music revolves around me with the million things I do daily, and with my daily Internet networking connectivity media environment. Fine Art.

First, I would like to say that our tejano music also has a long history that touches, relates, originates, and interlaces with many different types of music buried deeply in the root of the complete music tree. The REAL TEJANO music is unique, hard to emulate, and intensely difficult to play and even harder to perform in front of a "live" audience. Secondly, in this modern and technological world we live in today, our tejano music sounds beautiful and easy to play by some musicians and groups, or music principles they believe in. IT IS NOT EASY! It is a problematical form of its own, yet complex, complicated, and easier said than done!

Next time you go see Jay Perez, David Lee Garza, Joe Posada, the Latin Breed, or listening to your favorite tejano music CD? - just listen to the music notes for once. Be an ear-observant fan or musician that listens to the sound waves and vibrations all around you, and open up your mind to the true wonders of music. For example, are you listening to all the music arrangement that Jay Perez had in mind or intended for you listen to? How is Joe Posada using pitch, rhythm, form, tone color, and dynamics to balance his originality and his known style? Try it next time and you might be surprise to hear what you've been missing all these years.

Basically it takes a lot of practice with the instrument of your choice, understanding the art of music and total perfection if possible. It requires tejano music knowledge and education, and learning from the professionals in our music industry. The aura and atmosphere of live music performances is the finish line, the sensation of stage presence in front of thousands is probably your final 'curtain up' requirement, but you must still be charismatic and approachable throughout your music life. Again, just simple basics for now, but I've seen and met musicians that have come up the ranks and even winning a prestigious Grammy, yet, they started with minimal.




 

What Is Music? ... the art of arranging sounds in time so as to produce a continuous, unified, and evocative compositions; as through melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre ... vocal or instrumental sounds possessing a degree of melody, harmony, or rhythm. A musical composition; the written or printed score for such a composition; such scores considered as a group ... a musical accompaniment ... a particular category or kind of music ... an aesthetically pleasing or harmonious sound or combination of sounds.

All of the above definitions, exactness and style, and the meanings and music language are so true in total form and concept. That is why music is so beautiful, yet in all of this, music can also be transformed, changed, and songs that you and I know can also be rearranged in so many different ways - by music arrangers that is; and in all three tejano music categories: Conjuntos, groups, and bands.

This brings me to these examples of mine. A music arranger must have an imaginative music mind and relational work experience because usually he works in a "collaborated stage with others" ... and at times he must also work alone with his own original material and arrangements that have his mark and signature. Basically, I am drawing "two music parallels side by side" to demonstrate the difference of two compositions and works of art. No we are not comparing singers or groups; just music arrangements, and I say that in all honesty because, "original works and recordings from former times", cannot be forgotten in time or duplicated no matter how modern and sophisticated recording studios are these days! ... but, most songs can be altered and revolutionized in time, new harmonious layers, including combinations of both sounds and instruments. Here is an excellent example by Bob Gallarza ... the following are mine.

"Como Un Perro", a bolero; recorded by Little Joe many years ago.
 "Como Un Perro", recorded and rearranged by TEJANOmike; using digital instruments; in MIDI format using Cakewalk and Adobe Soundbooth Au3.

 A lot of progress from the late 1950s-60s and up to the present, but clearly the melody and lyrics are constant in settings and 2010 surroundings - and in human time. This arrangement however changes the whole spectrum of originality; not the song itself.

"What A Wonderful World", a ballad by Louis Armstrong.
"What A Wonderful World", recorded, rearranged, and translated by TEJANOmike; done as a bolero using different instruments; yet it's melodic and harmonious, and one of my favorites too.
Again, black and white differences here, played years apart, yet music gives the arranger so much power and originality of freedom, plus expression and art form.
Tejano music is also expressional and dimensional, we just have to create it.
"Este Tonto", recorded by GRUPO MAZZ, and sung by Joe Lopez.
The title was changed just for this format and style only; I better let Humberto Ramon know about this before I get sued. "A Love Like Yours" ... sometimes we go to extremes to hear and play what is in our hearts; such is the case in this arrangement. That's a Libra for you!
If you played these examples and with total music awareness, you will notice a lot of similarities, commonalities, and abstract styles in writing and compositions, yet as songwriters and composers, we are sharing the same message of this ballad.

Concluding my point on the above examples:  The beauty of music is that it doesn't have any barriers at all. Since the beginning of civilization and mankind's use of universal time, the music language and theory have notably remain the same worldwide. From all the elementary music classes in this country, to the music halls of esteemed and prominent schools in Europe, including all 180+ countries on this beautiful planet we call Earth, music opens all our hearts in one singular language. [TEJANOmike]

One more example:
"Devolucion", recorded years ago with the original fellas, Cornelio Reyna and Ramon Ayala, that's right!		   "Devolucion", something about this ranchera that I like a lot; probably the bridge. I am no match with these two legends, but like some of my other MP3 samples, the music arrangement is still a ranchera - but done with a band-style tracks; in MIDI using Cakewalk; edited in Adobe Soundbooth Au3.
.. AND, Tortilla Factory went ballistic with Alfredo on this new 2051 TEJAN[O]logy track. Whew!

Tchaikovsky's own musical writings and composition.

"O Divine One, thou lookest down into my innermost soul, thou seest into my heart and knowest that love of mankind and a desire to do good dwell therein. O men, when some day ye shall read these words, reflect that ye wronged me, and let the child of misfortune be comforted that he has found one like himself who, despite all the obstacles that Nature has thrown in his way, yet did all that lay within his power to be received into the ranks of worthy artists and men."

The masterful composer, Ludwig van Beethoven, wrote those words above during the crisis in his life between 1802 to 1804. His music which formed a transition from Classical to Romantic composition, includes 9 symphonies, 5 piano concertos, a violin concerto, 32 piano sonatas, and several other sonatas, 2 Masses, and an opera, he lived from 1770-1827.

 

 

A Short History Of Music

Musical Period

Prominent Composers

Forms

Characteristics

Effects

Gothic
1100-1450		 Machaut,
Landini		 Mass;
Motet, secular ballades		 Vocal polyphonic sacred music, based on chant; unmetrical rhythm; accompanied solo secular song; complex compositional devices - canon, diminuton.
Renaissance
1450-1600		 Josquin des Prez, Palestrina, di Lazzo, Byrd Madrigal, motet, chorale melody Polyphony; bass voice present; use of modes; mostly small vocal ensemble music; lute and keyboard; gentle rhythmic flow; a cappella singing; harmony a consequence of linear writing. Restrained and intimate
Baroque
1600-1750		 Monteverdi, Corelli, Vivaldi, Purcell, Lully, Telemann, Rameau, Bach, Handel
Opera, oratorio, cantata, sonata, concerto grosso, suite

Chorale, fugue, passacaglia, toccata, prelude, overture, chorale variation, chorale prelude, recitative, araia

 Change to major-minor system; systemized harmony; solo singing important; virtuoso singing; homophony introduced and existing along with polyphony; equal temperament; modulation; organ and harpsichord, plus instrumental music other than keyboard; terraced dynamics; basso continuo Expressive solo singing; consistent mood throughout sections of music; some works in large dimensions
Rococo
1725-1765		 Couperin   Highly ornamented melodies; harpsichord (Clavesin) often used. Frilly, not serious
CLASSICAL
1750-1825		 Mozart, Haydn, Gluck, J.C. Bach, C.P.E. Bach
Symphony, solo concerto, sonata, string quartet

Sonata form, rondo, theme and variation, minuet and trio, scherzo

 Piano replaces harpsichord; distinction between orchestral and chamber music; gradual crescendo and decrescendo; cadenza; clearly defined formal schemes; music large homophonic; melodies often built out of short melodic fragments Balanced, neat, polished, planned, in good taste
ROMANTIC
1825-1900		 Beethoven, Schubert, von Weber, Chopin, Liszt, Mendelsshon, Berlioz, Schumann, Franck, Verdi, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Faure', Dvofak, Mussorgsky, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsokov, Rachmaninoff, Puccini, Wagner, Grieg, Elgar, R. Strauss, Mahler, Sibelius
Symphonic poem, grand opera and music drama

Art song, short lyric instrumental pieces

 Cyclical treatment of themes; theme transformation; music for virtuoso instrumentalist; largely homophonic; rubato; sforzandi (sudden accents); motifs; rich harmony with many chromatic alterations; large orchestra; long compositions; new timbres; piano very important Frequent and dramatic changes of mood; large, powerful , rich, luscious quality of sound; highly expressive; often free and unplanned in sound; climaxes of feeling and volume
Impressionism
1890-1920		 Debussy, Ravel   Colorful orchestration; harp prominent; whole-tone scale. Atmospheric, sensitive
MODERN
1900-present		 Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Bartok, Berg, Ives, Copland, Harris, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Britten, Menotti, Vaughan Williams, Hindemith, Poulenc, Milhaud, Villa-Lobos, Webern Jazz, electronic music, microtonal music, aleatory music, tone row Counterpoint again significant; new chord patterns; polytonality; atonality; tone-row technique; polyrhythms; mixed meters; increased dissonance; some return to modes; interest in non-conventional timbres; dissonance often unresolved; chamber music again significant Restrained, balanced, concise; some music primitive-sounding

 

 

TEJANOmike: GROWING UP!

One thing for certain, I will always remember my grammar school years at Govalle Elementary School in Austin and for the simple reason that this was where I had my first Libra experience of staring at my first sense-of-a-good-looking-girl-kind-of-syndrome: Janie Rodriguez! Oh boy! At Allen Junior High, I met Esther Castillo while playing with Manuel Donley Y Las Estrellas. Life as I knew it back then, changed forever. After these encounters-of-the-Carmona-kind I never missed school on Mondays anymore! Also these were very good upbringing and happy days years because:

  • I was so young and just doing things with all my school buddies and music friends.
  • My dad got me my first car - a 1936 old beat-up Chevy. The car wasn't too bad, it just used three quarts of oil per day and one flat tire in the afternoon; daily; guaranteed!
  • Having fun as a teenager listening to all the oldies on my car's AM dial.
  • Learning a lot in school and in music!
  • Reading all my astronomy books, and more books; more books!
  • Going to the drive-In movies at a $1.00 a carload on Monday nights, and I mean a carload.
  • Eating burgers and having malt shakes at the drive-ins and putting nickels on the jukebox!
  • Went through the "I dare you" years - and almost got killed doing this!

Although growing up in Austin Texas was a lot of fun for me, I was also fortunate to have witnessed other things in music for being such a young teenager; thanks to my dad, again! I got to see and hear Isidro Lopez quite a few times; witnessed Sunny Ozuna introduce the organ in groups; used to see Little Joe come up to the bandstand when my dad's band played in Temple Texas - [ they wanted to play during the intermissions ]; met other musicians like Roy Montelongo, Alfonso Ramos and his brothers; heard the Conjunto Bernal live!; and so many other great groups and bands back then. I barely remember Beto Villa and the Dario Perez bands, but I remember I missed "La Orquesta de Perez Prado" when they played in Austin.

However ladies and gentlemen, all of this came to an abrupt ending one summer Monday morning in 1958 when my dad woke me up and yelled out, "Mike?, get up! ... we're leaving! We're moving to California!" At least I got to say goodbye to my girlfriend on the way out! I guess Esther heard we were leaving on Sunday night when we played at the Skyline Club and decided to come and see for herself on Monday morning! After 4-5 days on the road, we landed in San Jose California. After about a year or so living there, I remember asking my dad if I could go back to Austin and visit my friends, but he declined and said no. As a teenager I really got upset over that, but deep inside my heart I knew my dad knew best for the whole family and me. I have had no regrets at all or any resentment towards my dad for his decision back then. Seems to me he always had his best interests and concerns for my mom and the family, and a dedicated and loving father. In the end when all was said and done, we did succeed and had our greatest music years in California.

... and finally my friends in music, I believe this:

"In my most inner solitudes of contemplation and reflection, I envision that the Almighty Hand of God must of created three things for humanity: The magnificent and splendid galactic Universe, which is His Kingdom; Life, creating us in His own image; and He must of surely created music for all of us to comprehend the splendor and majesty framework of His creations, and ultimately for us to understand our world ... and to appreciate and love one another." TEJANOmike

As a child growing up in Austin Texas and even to this day at the age of 67, I have always loved to read! ... well, I'll take anything in front of me from a pamphlet to a brochure, a newspaper, books, and even magazine articles. The following paragraphs are from Peter Spellman and I find them so impressive in dialog and content ... and perhaps another relational  interpretation of our own tejano music:

"Today we all have the chance to compose our own lives. It's a liberating prospect, but also daunting, because it requires a high degree of self-knowledge. If we don't start at the core - if we instead accept reflexive, inherited, or half-thought-out definitions of who we are and what we have to contribute - we run the risk of being overwhelmed by the possibilities that we face."

"To break through to those other parts of ourselves that sit submerged beneath our everyday consciousness demands courage. There is nothing more brave than filtering out the chatter that tells you to be someone you're not. There is nothing more genuine than breaking away from the chorus to learn the sound of your own voice."

Spellman continues on with this: In his 1994 inaugural address Nelson Mandela spoke these profound words: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us."

The poet Robert Frost similarly observed: "Something we were withholding made us weak, until we found out that it was ourselves."
  
 Spellman concludes with: "Tapping into the creative means first understanding the qualities creative people share: keen powers of observation, a restless curiosity, the ability to identify issues others miss, a talent for generating a large number of ideas, persistent questioning of the norm, and a knack for seeing established  structures in new ways."
 
 
Another "NOW & THEN" picture. This picture was taken at the first TTMA showcase in Las Vegas!, and what an event that one was!
 
TEJANOmike enjoys:
  • The first 4-5 Jay Perez CDs.
  • Original Tortilla Factory albums.
  • Symphony music, but with the flute as the soloist.
  • Country music with Alan Jackson, Shania Twain, Marty Robbins, George Strait, and one song by Garth Brooks!!
  • Johnny Hernandez original songs; recorded on an album back in the 1970s.
  • Latin Breed albums; over and over, and again and again until the needle wears out!
  • Little Joe's music recorded around the 70s and 80s.
  • I also like some Sunny Ozuna's albums from the late 70s.
  • Old style salsa albums by Tito Puente, Tito Rodriguez, Johnny Pacheco, Ray Barreto, Rene' Touzet, and others. Crank up the volume baby!
  • Some rock and metal music too, and even some rap music like "California Love" ... even Avril too!, hello! LOL!
  • Richard Quiroz playing the saxophone!; what a sound, what a sound!
  • Any Laura Canales record, tape, CD new or old; just put it on and play it for me! - I drove over 2000 miles a few years ago just to see her!
  • Jimmy Gonzalez original songs.
  • New CDs and MP3s sent by new groups.
  • Girls that have green eyes! Help! Yeah!
Other favorite songs, CDs, hits, and all-time singers of mine are:
  • It's Impossible, in English or Spanish
  • Tears In Heaven
  • Flashdance
  • What A Wonderful World
  • Any Nat "King" Cole song!
  • You Light Up My Life
  • Take Five
  • Any song by Tony Bennett!
  • Stardust
  • The 'Power Of Love' by Celine Dion
  • The first ENIGMA CD: M C M X C A.D.; a very interesting album!
  • All the Buddy Rich albums!
  • Dave Weckl CDs
  • Chick Corea's, "Elektric Band" CD!
 
 
As I recall back in the 1950s, the conjuntos also had their BIGtime stars and idols all over Texas. I remember hearing names like Carlos Guzman, El Conjunto Bernal, Agapito Zuniga, Ruben Vela, Los Alegres De Teran, Valerio Longoria, and so many others. Living in Austin as a very young musician, I was fortunate my dad took me to see a few of them.
 
 
Future Of Tejano Music ... [ As I see it only ]
  • There will be a lot more tejano artists in the future than ever before.
  • The tejano culture and movement will expand and grow to new unprecedented levels.
  • The future tejano artist will be younger and bring more insights and vigor to our cause.
  • Tejano music will be recognized worldwide, and we’re just beginning to enjoy the curtain up mentality on this.
  • There is a new tejano music environment out there and growing by the day, and some day this new trend will become the new and modern tejano ... or the world of TEJAN[O]logy as I call it; and to be completed by 2051.
  • There will be no classifications between tejano, norteno, La Onda, Tex-Mex, La Onda Tejana, La Onda Chicana, or other names and complexities that divides the true appreciation of our music today. WE will all be true TEJANOS and in our own world.
  • The big recording companies will eventually have to sign these new tejano artists on the rise to new record labels and contracts unheard of in your lifetime or mine.
  • Tejano music will be appreciated for generations to come and they will continue to play all the standard tejano hits – just like we like to listen to American oldies.
  • There will be changes in the instrumentation and recording techniques due to the many technological advances in disk media and in the electronics/computer industry.
  • Because of the recording companies making huge contracts to new tejano groups and to the new indie acceleration, the tejano public and fans will be able to see more concerts and shows throughout the United States.
  • Future Grammy Awards to tejano artists will stand right next to country, rap, rock, and Latin recipients and nominees ... and on live TV! ... not in obscurity and anonymity like it is today.
Nat King Cole was and still is my favorite all-time singer, and ever since I started learning music. After the death of this incredible singer, a reporter asked Frank Sinatra what he thought of the great singer. Sinatra said just a few sentences, but he stated that Nat King Cole was the only singer he ever knew that had a "perfect voice" ... I agree.