Tejano music and West Side Sound legends saw their legacies grow ever more enduring this December when the Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum held its grand opening inside the same building that houses Tejano radio station KLMO.
Artists like Sunny Ozuna, Johnny Hernández, Patsy Torres, Cecilio Garza, Balde Muñoz, Jaime DeAnda, Ray Ray Garcia, Fernando Aguilar, Sonny Ace, and many others were in attendance for the dedication and took some time to share their musical journeys and memories they cherish.
The Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum is the brainchild of Roger Hernández, founder of En Caliente Productions and Totally Tejano Television. The venue features plenty of memorabilia, including music awards, albums, instruments, photos, newspaper articles, posters, city proclamations, and more.
Musicians and their families also donated many outfits from the artists’ stage performances and album covers. On exhibit is the prison uniform Mel Villarreal of Los Unicos wore on the cover of the 1972 album 20 Años; a blue and beige shirt with horses worn by accordionist Flaco Jiménez; and a full outfit, including a cowboy hat and boots, worn by Eva Ybarra, known as “La Reina Del Acordeón.”
Connecting the front of the museum to a back area, which will be filled with more memorabilia in the future, is a small hallway with photos of late Tejano music industry professionals who made their own special impact, including Manuel Davila, founder of KEDA-AM Radio; Domingo Peña, radio/TV personality and host of The Domingo Peña Show; and Roland Garcia, co-founder of Hacienda Records.
Ozuna, a Tejano and soul singer, is best known as the frontman of Sunny & the Sunglows. His 1963 hit “Talk to Me” became one of the first songs by a Mexican American artist to earn success on the pop charts.
“This [museum] has been a long time coming,” Ozuna said. “Tejano has its own culture. It’s all over the world now. It’s a good feeling that we’re being recognized for our craft and all the work we’ve done in the music industry.”
Torres, a singer and songwriter, helped shape Tejano music on the national stage. She was the first Tejano artist to film a music video and one of the first women to form her own band. For her, the Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum is important to the community because Tejano music is a genre the entire family can listen to together.
“In genres like pop, rap, and rock, the adults and kids like [different styles],” Torres said. “But with Tejano, the whole family can enjoy it. That’s the beauty of Tejano and why I love it.”
Debbie Castillo, the eldest daughter of Sonny Ace, smiled as she watched her 92-year-old father pose for photos in front of one of his old suits and a black and white photo from when he was a teenager. In the 1950s, he was an emerging voice of San Antonio’s West Side Sound. His band, Sonny Ace & The Twisters, blended rock ’n’ roll, R&B, and Mexican American music.
“It’s an honor to keep his legacy going with this museum,” Castillo said. “It’s an honor for him to be here and to help keep Tejano music alive.”
Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum is located at 1414 Fredericksburg Road.
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