‘This is where you belong’

What does hosting the 45th annual Tejano Music Awards reveal about who Houston is as a city?

Friday night at Texas Rodeo Saloon in Katy, it showed that we are focused on the future, still deeply committed to genre legends – and that we love to dance. The show once dominated by Selena moved from its traditional San Antonio home as a way to rebuild excitement after diminishing support. It was a wise choice. The venue was bustling, and fans gathered early outside to snap photos of their favorite singers on the red carpet. Couples filled the dance floor during performances by David Olivarez, Homeboys and Max Baca’s lively tribute to the great Flaco Jimenez.

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“Houston has a large, large Tejano population, and I think the awards are where they’re supposed to be,” said Carlos Villegas, singer for Houston-based group Negami, who presented an award. “I hope you stay here forever, because this is where you belong.”

Though San Antonio is known as the “Tejano Music capitol of the world,” Houston is an equally important part of the genre’s history and future. Lydia Mendoza, often called the “First Lady of Tejano Music,” was born in Houston. It’s home base for La Mafia, the Grammy-winning group who revolutionized Tejano music in the ’90s with pop and electronic elements. RodeoHouston started Go Tejano Day in 1990, and it culminated with Selena’s third and final appearance there in 1995, just a month before her death. Tejano radio station Puro Tejano 106.1 FM launched out of Houston in September.

“We know there’s a lot of Tejano fans over here in Houston. The turnout shows everything” said Eddie Jimenez, singer for Da Krazy Pimpz, who won album of the year – conjunto for “Showtime.”

Fitting for the move, much of the night’s energy was directed at the new and the future. The first awards presented were best new artist (female) for Jenny B and best new artist (male) for Luis AG, who also won best new artist (group).

Monica Saldívar, who released her first album in 2019, was one of the night’s big winners. She took home female vocalist and video of the year, and shared collaboration of the year with the group Texas Latino. Lead singer Gabe Rivera was named male vocalist of the year.

WHO WON? See the full list of winners from the Tejano Music Awards

“I’m kinda speechless,” Rivera said. “I remember being 10 years old, sitting in from of the TV with my blank tape, and recording the show. I remembering seeing Emilio Navaira receive this exact award. I said, one day I want to receive that award.”

Multiple winners and presenters stressed the need to push Tejano music forward while honoring the past. Luis AG capped his acceptance speech with a rallying cry, “Que sigue la música tejana!”  – “Tejano music continues!” Villegas, who has been making music for almost four decades, reminded the crowd that “Tejano music still matters.” That energy was matched by Jimenez of Da Kraza Pimpz.

“We’re here to keep Tejano alive, and we’re here to make Tejano what it was in the ’90s,” he said.

Much of that peak was thanks to Selena, who took Tejano music to places it had never been. When she died in 1995, there was simply no one equipped to carry the Tejano-pop-disco torch she burned so brightly. Her spirit was felt throughout the evening. A large painting capturing her 1995 RodeoHouston performance, neon and stylized, was displayed backstage. Several women in the crowd wore sparkling jumpsuits clearly inspired by Selena’s own purple outfit.

The connection to history was acknowledged onstage with the presentation of lifetime achievement awards to Johnny Hernandez, brother of “Little” Joe Hernandez, who called himself “a very, very lucky cotton picker –  especially tonight,” and Ram Herrera, who revealed in September he was battling stage 4 prostate cancer. Herrera told the crowd his latest test results were encouraging.

“I’m glad to be back. I ain’t goin’ nowhere,” Herrera told the crowd. “I’m gonna keep on doin’ what I’m doin’.”

Host Alex Raymundo kept the show moving and summed up what was ultimately at stake for the music and its host city.

“Tejano music showed up tonight like it had something to prove,” he said. “And you know what? It proved it.”

This article originally published at Tejano Music Awards focuses on the future in Houston and honors legends: ‘This is where you belong’.