What a Great Week!

FIESTA IN THE HEARTLAND

This time of year is usually busy for Ritmo Productions and I missed out on the Cinco festivities in Topeka and Kansas City. Fortunately, I was available as a volunteer for the Fiesta in the Heartland. KKFI was well represented as Fiesta Musical and Taste of Tejano provided emcee services and I was able to help out here and there backstage. It brought back old memories of the working the Topeka Fiesta entertainment.

As a result, I saw some great Tejano artists perform. Kansas City's own Manana Band started off the evening of Tejano. Manana Band showed off their versatility in Tejano and English tunes. As you may not know, Manana Band's alter ego All Funked Up does blues, rock, r&b, etc. which makes them a very popular choice for nightclubs and events. Big shoutout to Andre Reyes for doing some strong solo vocals on the English tunes.

Da Krazy Pimpz did an excellent job as they jammed conjunto on stage in their colorful, velour pimp suitz, heelz and feathered hatz. Da Pimpz can entertain and jam the tunes. Although not many people danced during their performance, they still showed they are a presence to be dealt with in the conjunto world. Meeting the guys was great and we had some fun backstage joking around.

Next up was Emilio y Grupo Rio. Emilio turned out Tejano jam after jam keeping country and norteno to a minimum. And with Raulito on stage doing his gyrations, Emilio and crew dazzled and entertained the crowd. I believe that show was one of the best shows I've seen in awhile in the area. Emilio's years of experience in entertainment came through in his stage presence and he had the crowd amassed up front with a dance area full of happy feet just behind and all the seats were practically full with a standing crowd in the back. And Emilio's wife had her own show going on, too!

Big Daddy Tejano from Chicago was great, too, I'll admit. He brought his club mixing style to KC spinning Tejano track after track and back to back and kept the crowd entertained between sets. A couple people came up to me and asked me, and I've been asked this before, why don't I mix like the Tejano djs in Texas and like Big Daddy Tejano? Well, I'll answer that in the next section.

All in all, I heard Friday went well and Sunday was full for the Fiesta in the Heartland. Some people are already looking forward to next year asking "who are they going to bring in?".

WHY I HAVEN'T MIXED LIKE BIG DADDY TEJANO

Unlike some people I know, I can handle both positive and negative criticism. I've been asked this question before and it came up again last Saturday. And my answer is...early on in my business I made a business decision to go another route based on the cost of the equipment I want to purchase. I first began with a mixer/amp which is not a good way to go if a dj is going to do some club mxing. Also, I was using home cd players and cd walkmans which don't do a thing for the club mixing style Big Daddy Tejano uses. Then, it was time to make some upgrades and about six years ago I decided to purchase a dual cd player instead of the table top cd players which are ideal for club mixing. The dual cd player got me closer but it was still difficult to club mix Tejano on the fly because I didn't have enough tools on the cd player to help me mix in tight situations. Recently, I purchased a pair of my first table top cd players and a new mixer and I am still learning my equipment. So, bascially, I've had only a few months of experimenting with Tejano music and finding out which are good to mix in and out of, which ones are close in speed, which styles match better, etc. It takes practice and a different mindset. I suppose if it was easy anyone could do it and sound good at it.

So, pit my few months of practice against 23 years of club mixing experience DJ Big Daddy Tejano has and it's obvious who will sound better. And he did a great job. So, that's my story and I am sticking to it. I have mixed a few sets of Tejano music here and there and if you go to Fiesta Musical's My Space at http://www.myspace.com/fiestamusical you can hear my most recent mix (which is about a year old). It's a mix with added production. Anyway, I'll keep practicing and putting more sets together and then I'll be able to do a half-hour at a time of club mixing Tejano music. I listened to my critics and I took it to heart.

WHAT ELSE I EXPERIENCED THIS PAST WEEK

Tuesday night, I attended the Topeka Catholic schools band concert. Holy Family (formerly Our Lady of Guadalupe) had a mariachi band. Basically, if I remember right, there were four guitars, a flute and a trumpet. What was amazing to me about this was how young these kids were picking up our culture's music. This really gave me hope in an era when kids musical attention is split with so many other types of genres. I was impressed with the kids. The guitarists strummed their chords in unison and kept the beat as the flute and trumpet player chimed in. Grupo Picante's own Cruz Gallegos was pretty much a front man taking vocal lead on Canta Canta and El Rey. They played La Bamba as well and a few of the kids took turns singing vocals. I couldn't have been prouder to see such young kids learning mariachi.

Thursday night, I dj'ed at Quincy Elementary School for their fifth grade graduation party. Man, those kids were energetic and I had them going for an hour from the get go. I played the standards, moved to hip hop, played a couple of cumbias and then ended with some old school. Before I knew it, it was time to go. Kids, parents and teachers were dancing and it was great to see the kids having a good time.

NEW TEJANO RELEASES

Liza Ybarra "Anoche Sone"
Joey Martinez "En Tus Ojos" - Put out one cd with DLG before Mark L did lead vocals
Rudy Palacios "Canciones del Corazon"
Linda Escobar "Con Sentimientos y Corazon"

Coming soon:
6/5 Jimmy Edward "Mi Mundo Feliz"
6/5 Joe Posada "Despacito"

FIESTA MUSICAL

We are lining up week after week of interviews. It all began with Raulito, Emilio and Krazy Pimpz. The excitement continued last week with Sunny Sauceda night with an interview and cd pick of the week of Sunny's latest cd "Vagar Libremente". This coming Monday it's Liza Ybarra night. I highly encourage you to tune in to the interview usually around 8:00 pm and listen to one of La Onda's top music writers. She has written some great music for her new cd "Anoche Sone". She also has some great singing and acting credentials, does great work with kids and music and, with a little support from Tejano fans, could easily be put in the forefront. Again, I encourage you to tune in and learn more about one of La Onda's more valuable talent. In the next coming weeks, we are working on Joe Posada, Jimmy Edward and other goodies. Fiesta Musical dj crew will be making appearances this weekend and a couple of weekends in June and July at some public events. We'll keep you posted as we tour around northeast Kansas. Come hang out with the djs of Fiesta Musical.

That's it for now!
-DJ Ritmo

A Huge Thank You to Tejano Fans!

KKFI SPRING FUND DRIVE

The Fiesta Musical DJ Crew would like to personally thank those of you who pledged during the radio show a couple of weeks ago. Everyone who pledged is very important to the show and I want to highlight the fact that all but one of the local Tejano bands from the KC/Topeka area pledged during our show. That was great! Jr. Vargas y Grupo Picante, Paradize Band and Manana Band/All Funked Up deserve a huge thumbs up and I am so glad they support what we are trying to do for La Onda Tejana on the airwaves. And, likewise, I would like to support them and encourage any of you to go and see these bands play whenever you can. Cinco de Mayo is coming up and these bands will be in action everywhere.

Tomas, Dan, IV and I have a vision for the radio show and that is to continue to provide you the latest Tejano music, news and information that avid Tejano fans need to keep in touch with their favorite artists. Tomas and I like to keep moving forward with new music while Dan and IV highlight the all-time favorites and oldies but goodies. And that is a greate balance. You are the voice of KKFI and you were heard. Thanks for making a statement with your pledges and letting KKFI know we love our Tejano music on their airwaves. Tejano has taken some hits on the FM airwaves in Texas but in Kansas City, we are live and well.

NEW TEJANO CD/DVD RELEASES

Well, if you have been hibernating the last few weeks, you have missed out on a lot. The TTMA usually is the time when several artists will release their new music. And this year is no exception.

Ram Herrera "2007"
Ruben Ramos "XXXV Anos"
David Lee Garza "Live Vol. 1"
Vida "The Lone Star Saloon"
Johnny Hernandez "This Time (Again)"

That's some great stuff. Plus, a flurry of dvds have been released, too. Word is that Q Productions worked out a deal with a production company that is manufacturing their dvds with a wider distribution. Q Productions finally got it right because these dvds are properly manufactured which means they'll play on any dvd player unlike the earlier ones by Ruben Ramos, Jay Perez, Joe Posada, Mariachi Campanas, etc. Not only that, but they added DTS Surround Sound as another audio option! Awesome!! I immediately put in the Mingo Saldivar "El Jefe del Acordeon" and it sounded great. Ruben Ramos "Live in Concert" was re-issued as well. Some of you remembered the problems you had playing that dvd. This re-issue should solve the problem. And the highly acclaimed documentary "Accordion Dreams" by Hector Galan has been released on DVD as well. That one is a must have especially if you have never seen it. I highly recommend it. Check out these dvd releases:

Mingo Saldivar "El Jefe del Acordeon" (Q-Zone)
Ruben Ramos "Live in Concert" (Q-Zone re-issue)
Joe Lopez y La Nueva Imagen "Back to the Roots" (Q-Zone)
Selena "Through the Years" (Q-Zone)
"Accordion Dreams"
Mingo Saldivar "I Love My Freedom, I Love My Texas"
The New Variety Band "En Vivo"

Upcoming cd releases include Sunny Sauceda.

KC HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE "FIESTA IN THE HEARTLAND '07"

All I can say is WOW! This event is quickly becoming the talk of the town. Three days of local and national entertainment featuring Banda Pachuco, Emilio and a yet to be named mariachi as well as local favorites Manana Band, Tropical Azul and Mafia Nortena. The dates are May 11th, 12th and 13th and will be held at Crown Center in KCMO. If you are looking for media content this weekend, you may want to check out the Fiesta in the Heartland My Space account which contains videos and music. If you have a My Space account, request to be added as a friend and mention that Fiesta Musical sent ya! The link to their My Space site is on the right hand side of this blog. Enjoy!

That's it for now!
-DJ Ritmo

Excellent New Tejano Releases And A Band To Give A Much Needed Boost To La Onda

RAM HERRERA NEW CD

This past Friday, the first thing we did after driving all Thursday night and Friday morning was stop and pay a visit to Tejas Records where we are always welcome to come in and shoot the breeze. Art Guillermo was busy stuffing envelopes with Tejas VIP party tickets and Mrs. Torres of Los Amables was there as well. We had a great time talking to Mrs. Torres and catching up on how her boys are doing. She had to leave and get on the road and that left us with Art. Art was gracious enough to take some time out of his busy schedule and allowed us to preview the new Ram Herrera cd. The cd is currently in manufacturing and they are pushing to have the cds ready for fan fair.

Ram’s new cd is a revisit to the keyboard sounds of the late 80s and early 90s that made Ram popular. There are a couple of songs that feature accordion and conjunto style with one song in particular featuring David Lee and a couple of other Musicales. We also heard a couple of cumbias having the keyboard sounds of back in the early 90s and a Christian song which will be a favorite among Ram fans. All in all, I am excited to get my hands on the final product and I think this is a good cd coming at a good time in La Onda when musical quality needs to be at an all time high.

RUBEN RAMOS NEW CD

Now, speaking of quality, we were able to get a very good listen to the brand new cd by El Gato Negro…Ruben Ramos and the Mexican Revolution. But first, here is the back story. Tomas and I sat in a traffic jam in south Austin Saturday afternoon on our way back from San Anto to Dallas. While waiting, we decided to give Rick “Slick Rick” Fuentes a call. Rick told us to come on over and he would let us listen to the new Ruben Ramos tracks for their upcoming cd. Well, how could we turn that down? The traffic couldn’t move fast enough. Twenty minutes later we were free and on our way to Rick’s house.

Rick played all the tracks from the upcoming Ruben Ramos and the Mexican Revolution cd titled “XXXV Anos” marking 35 great years of making music by El Gato Negro. The tracks are pretty much done unless an extra grito should be added here or there and should go to manufacturing this week barring any unforeseen circumstances. The cd should be available at your favorite Tejano music store in about two or three weeks.

The “XXXV Anos” features some new members to the Mexican Revolution in the horn section and a new drummer. From the absolute beginning on the first track, a drum fill kicks off the signature brass sound of the Mexican Revolution and a Gato Negro growl ramps up the excitement and sets the tone for the entire cd as the keyboards fill in the background. “XXXV Anos” was absolute listening pleasure from start to finish with several high-powered Onda Chicana tracks. This cd takes a slight turn in a different direction than past Ruben Ramos cds featuring organ sounds and triple harmony vocalizations harking of days long past of Los Unicos and Los Chachos. “XXXV Anos” is a throwback to the good old days, the brass section is tight as ever and their new drummer does not miss a beat. A couple of slower songs are featured with one having a mariachi trio feel to it and the other is a jazzy tune at the end highlighting the Mexican Revolution’s talented saxophone player and also featuring Chente Barrera and Henry Brun on drums and percussion. This cd, undoubtedly, is a sure shot for El Gato Negro fans or diehard Onda Chicana fans. With Gilbert Velasquez applying the finishing touches, the tracks are of such incredible quality and musicianship that anyone who has an ear will want to buy this cd. Keep your ears open for the new single when it hits the airwaves soon and be on the lookout at music stores the next few weeks for Ruben Ramos and the Mexican Revolution “XXXV Anos” cd.

A NEW YOUNG, HOT BAND AND A NEW CD

We finally arrived in Dallas just in time to catch Veronica y Avance at Sweetwaters on Saturday night. Veronica y Avance are a young and energetic Tejano band from Grand Prairie, TX and they represent the possibilities any young musician can have if they dedicate themselves to the art of music. Hot off their 2006 Tejano Vegas Showcase Show Band of the Year award and Austin's South by Tex Mex Rising Star nomination (could that be the South by Southwest? not sure), they are preparing to dazzle fans again and make a name for themselves at this year’s TTMA Fan Fair in San Antonio. Veronica y Avance’s arrival to the Tejano scene comes at a crucial point in time for La Onda and many are beginning to look around and take notice and are asking themselves who is going to take La Onda into the future? Ruben Ramos and Little Joe aren’t going to be around forever. Imagine David Lee or Jay Perez on stage in a wheel chair or walker 30 years from now? Veronica y Avance and young bands like theirs give La Onda hope that the youth can embrace our beautiful genre of music and take it to the next generation.

Veronica y Avance played several songs from their upcoming cd due to drop at fan fair. The cd is produced by Gilbert Velasquez and from what the songs I heard Saturday night, Veronica y Avance have an entertaining cd on their hands. But, as good as the cd may be, it doesn’t compare to their live shows. Coordinated movements and some brass are reminiscent of the days of La Sombra who were once a young and energetic band back in the day. Their bass player puts feeling and passion into each beat as the music grooves and their sax player pushes a clean and strong sound hitting note after note along with their new trumpet player. And their accordion player adds another dimension as they break it down conjunto style. But the center of attention is the adoring voice of the sweet and lovely Veronica. Avance definitely is a promising up and coming band in La Onda and they are working hard to make their mark in the industry which, we have all seen time after time, is a challenging task for a band with a female lead. All I have to say is they have my attention and I am excited to see what heights this band can reach.

That's it for now!
-DJ Ritmo

A Hugely Successful Benefit For A Legend Turns Out To Be A Successful Benefit For La Onda And Me As Well.

A TALE OF TWO DANCES

Blanco Ballroom in San Antonio this past Thursday and Friday night was as different as night and day and black and white. Both nights reflected the best and the worst of La Onda. The benefit dance for George Cantu exemplified the best of La Onda. It showed what happens when a respected musician calls for help and support rallies behind him. About 900 people worth of support showed. Latin Express, Sunny Ozuna, Q-VO Band and others played to a standing room only crowd as our beautiful people danced the night away to the old school Chicana and R&B sounds.

This was in stark contrast to the handful of support that came out the night before for the TTMA Tejano Music Awards nominees dance. We heard from several people who attended that night stating maybe…MAYBE…one hundred people showed up. How could there be such a difference in attendance from one night to the next in the Tejano capitol of the world especially with such headliners such as Jay Perez, Gary Hobbs, Ram Herrera, Fama, Albert Zamora, Jonny Martinez and more? So what if the dance was on a Thursday night (a work night)? You mean to tell me fans in the capitol of Tejano music are not able to suck it up for this annual event and sacrifice some time and sleep from their busy work week?

I couldn’t believe the huge difference in attendance which caused me to immediately try to rationalize and search for answers to this puzzle. The nominees dance was on Thursday night. Was this the cause for the poor turnout? Has the TTMA lost the luster of years past when it was considered the crowing jewel of the industry? Or, is it a symptom of a much larger, unforeseen problem with La Onda? A disconnect, maybe, between fans and artists? I don’t know. But the outcome Thursday night is alarming to me and it seriously begs the question “what is going on?”

THE OLD SCHOOL FOR THE NEW SCHOOL IN LA ONDA

On the other hand, old school was the new school on Friday night in San Anto. Hundreds of music fans came out to support George Cantu and enjoy the brassy sounds of Onda Chicana. Even the zoot suit contest was entertaining as men and women strutted across the dance floor showing off their struts and dance moves to the beats. The music was great and the people were great. The only negative thing I could think of was, by scanning the crowd, the average age of the crowd in attendance had to be in the late 40s early 50s. Why is this negative? Well, this fan base isn’t going to live forever. We need a new generation to embrace our music. But, I digress.

TEXAS-SIZED HOSPITALITY

George Cantu was a gracious host by seating us with his family and introducing all sorts of people to us including Gilbert Velasquez, Joe Jama, Danny Casanova, Rene Rene, Gilbert Rodriguez, Gibby Escobedo and on and on and on. When Latin Express kicked off their set with a tight Latin Breed medley I knew it was ON! The party people in the house crowded the dance floor. As they danced by, couples stopped to hug George and say a few words. One by one people kept coming up to George as he stood at the front of the stage greeting, hand shaking and laughing. With the horn section blasting, the organ churning, the guitar strumming and George smiling, I knew right then and there I did the right thing by making the 12-hour trip at the request of George Cantu to participate in his benefit. And what a benefit it was. George was all smiles that night and by the end of the night he was still grinning from ear to ear. That smile and his sincere expression of gratitude for all those that showed their support is priceless and timeless. Thank you George Cantu. May you continue to get well.

Afterward, we followed a caravan to the nearest IHOP for breakfast with Latin Express, George Cantu and his family. I tell you, there is no hospitality like Texas hospitality. In fact, Tomas broke his glasses only a couple hours before the benefit dance. We ran to the mall to try to get them fixed before the dance. We weren’t able to get the glasses fixed and Tomas was really bummed out. In fact, he lost all interest in going to the dance and just wanted to stew back at the room. I couldn’t let my buddy sit in a hotel room while I was having a good time enjoying the old school. So, I talked him into going to the dance at least for a little while and if his eyes began to give him too much trouble then I would take him back to the hotel. But, the music was so damn good and the people were so damn nice that Tomas totally forgot that he couldn’t see. He was having fun throughout the night.

We met George’s brother-in-law that night who I forgot we met back in November in Alice, TX. As we reunited we told him about Tomas’ story with his broken glasses and he said his wife works for an optical store. Huh? What? Who? Maybe it was a stroke of luck or maybe it was meant to be. But his wife offered to help Tomas find new frames the next day. So, we hooked up for breakfast and took a drive to Converse, TX to get Tomas some new frames. Thank you to Frank and Gloria Guzman for their generous hospitality.

WHAT'S NEXT? THERE IS MORE!

Wow! How could things get any better? Well, how about getting to hear the new Ram Herrera? How about getting to hear the new Ruben Ramos? How about getting to hear some new Latin Express? How about getting to hear the new Veronica y Avance? All that and more on my next blog.

That's it for now!
-DJ Ritmo

The Tejano Industry. What's going on?

As Marvin Gaye would say "What's Going On?"

Tejano pipeline

Tony "Ham" Guerrero is currently rehearsing the Tortilla Factory to prepare the band for any forthcoming bookings. I learned that Charile T from Houston is not going to book the band afterall. Skeeter (formerly of Ruben Ramos) is handling the bookings as well as JV who runs JayVee Entertainment.

I spoke with Joe Posada earlier this week. I was giving him feedback on David Marez's new cd which is recorded on Joe's label Baby Dude Records. Joe is really cool to talk to. Leslie Lugo's cd has been pushed back. She sings Salsa and Latin music in the San Antonio area and performs quite frequently on a weekly basis. Leslie has been working on a solo Tejano cd project and I have been eagerly awaiting her cd release. I guess I'll have to wait a little longer. Joe is working on another cd and hopes to release it in a few months.

Rebecca Valadez called the studio this past Monday. Thank you Aur Marc management for setting that up. Fiesta Musical has been interviewing Grammy nominees in the Tejano category in the weeks leading up to the Feb. 11th broadcast of the Grammys on CBS at 7:00 pm CST. We kicked off our Grammy interview series with Chente Barrera right before the new year. Then we interviewed the legendary Jimmy Edward and the talented Rebecca Valadez. And I just got off the phone with Jay Perez and he is a go for this coming Monday's show 2-5-07.

Rebecca has been an artist we have been chasing for a long time. I felt it was important to talk to her because she can definitely hold her own in mainstream music. She has been to Hollywood and back. But Tejano is her first love and now she wants to make her own music her own way. And she is working on another Tejano cd and I am looking forward to it. Our Onda is very lucky to have that caliber of talent in the industry.

How to be fair?

I've struggled with this for some time. My first priority, which some people forget, is Tejano music. Of course, growing up in Topeka, I try to support local Tejano related events as much as I can. Sometimes, though, supporting events in Topeka may conflict with other Tejano events in other cities. I want to make clear that I support all Tejano events, first, so that's why I'll speak of other Tejano events in KC, Lawrence or Emporia or somewhere else close by. I guess my conflict this month is the Pan American Golf Association (PAGA) in Kansas City who are hosting Sunny Sauceda the same night as the LULAC Sweethearts dance in Topeka featuring Las Estrellas. Both are excellent fundraisers supporting worthy causes. Maybe my mention of the PAGA event may take away some potential business from LULAC or vice versa. Although that's not my intent, some people may see it that way. My higher purpose is to continue promoting (and at times it feels like preserving) a portion of our culture which has seen some pretty bad days, lately. And my hope is that both events do well because if they do, then Tejano music succeeds as well.

The business

The business is rolling along pretty good. As for the mobile dj business, I am booking as far in advance as November with May looking pretty busy again. And with Tomas and Luis helping out, we have plenty of djs to handle several jobs. So, I thank those of you for calling and booking in advance which makes the business run a little smoother.

The consignment agreement I worked out with 419 Designs is slow like I expected because there haven't been too many new releases. But I've made some sales and I can already see a trend. People have come in to purchase David Marez, Joe Posada, Little Joe and Jimmy Edward. Eddie Gonzalez, surprisingly, has not sold at all. But the trend seems to be toward quality and the old school. I only have a couple of conjunto titles and I wonder how well conjunto will sell around here. But right now it looks like the classier and jazzier sounds are beating out the accordion.

And as far as the production studio is concerned, I have nearly run out of space on my internal hard drive. I think I have maybe 5 GB left and I have begun to lose some functionality. My computer no longer recognizes my external DVD/CD drives but it still recognizes my external hard drive. And I have trouble saving my large audio production files onto my external hard drive so I am forced to leave it on my internal drive which is taking up more of my precious space. I have put a complete stop on large music production projects but I still do little jobs from time to time.

I have been dragging my feet on this but I am going to take my eMachine in for an upgrade. I should be able to upgrade it if it is one of the newer models. I need to find out. If it is upgradable, then I am going for the dual core processors which I can get done at half the price of a dual core processor desktop off the shelf. So, it sounds like the upgrade fits my budget if I can get it done.

Tejanos for a better tomorrow

A new discussion has been brought up on a message board I frequent. An idea has come up on the creation of an organization to help promote Tejano music. I have been having some fun kicking the tires on the concept. The problem I have is the basic assumption this idea is based on. I get the impression that Tejanos in Texas think that Tejano business people outside of Texas don't have a proper network in place. I keep hearing phrases like "you'll get more access to artists and cds", "you'll get more control of music programming on radio", etc. Dude! I already have all that. The problem is not access or control. The problem is the industry is doing nothing to promote themselves. One example is that more often than not, cds get released with no publicity, no fanfare. This is why it's so important that we do the "CD pick of the week" feature on Fiesta Musical. And then there is a mention of pooling money and kicking back to a governing body in Texas. I don't think so. But, the idea is in it's infancy stage. I guess I'll see where it goes. Of course, one of the businesses in Texas is all behind it. It's a management business who stands to make a lot of money off of potential bookings. And, hey, if we helped finance the marketing and promotions budget as well, well shoot, it sounds like a sweet deal to me, too.

That's it for now
-DJ Ritmo

The blog has finally arrived!!!

Hello Everyone!!

Well, here is my first blog of the year. I hope to use this page to lay down information about Tejano music and my business which is centered about Tejano music. I hope you find this blog informative and use it as a chance to interact, ask questions, leave comments, etc. pertaining to the topics at hand. I can be controversial at times by asking the tough questions. The reason I do this is because I care about our music and I am trying to find ways to improve our music; not to put down the artists and various people in the industry. On the flipside, there are many positive things about our music to talk about as well.

Because I like to communicate with people, I find myself talking to both the artists and the fans. I want to assure the artists that I will not divulge personal matters on this blog. Rather, my plan is to provide general insight into the music, artists and the industry based on the specific knowledge that I gain. I say this because I want the artists to continue to be candid with me which is crucial to continue the flow of information needed to provide insight. And in order to do that they have to feel they can trust me. So, specific personal matters will not be discussed in detail on this blog.

As for rules, I welcome positive and negative criticism as long as I feel the comments are leading to a solution or resolution. I will not tolerate put downs, slander or libel. And don't try to pull that freedom of speech crap because although this is a public domain, the first amendment does have limitations. And I have the freedom to set those limitations when it comes to MY blog. And the last I checked, slander and libel are serious legal matters that can be pursued via legal means.

Okay. Now...on to the good stuff.

TEJANO NEW YEARS IN THE AREA

I can only speak for the Topeka event because I was actually there. I think the event went well. It looks like the Amigos are going to make a profit which will benefit the activity center. Thank GOD! I dj'ed a birthday party on Dec 30th and it was in the basement of the activity center. I had to carry all my equipment up and down the stairs four times. Brutal! I hear the elevator is on order and the electricity is good to go to operate the elevator. I hear the elevator may be operable in the Spring some time. I can't wait.

As for Kansas City, well, I hear the dance went well there. Unfortunately, I haven't heard much feedback about Chente's performance. I have been hearing quite a bit of buzz about Las Estrellas using pyros, though.

As for Manana Band, I haven't talked to anyone in the band, yet, about how their event went down at Johnny G's. I'll have to check into that. A shoutout to Andre Reyes!! I hope you are feeling better, bro!

The bottom line is if all these events did well, then that speaks well for Tejano in the area. Now, if we can get fans to come out more often other than New Year's, Cinco de Mayo and Topeka Fiesta then we would be looking a lot better.

HANGING OUT WITH FLACO AND ANDREW

Nothing like staying awake all night with a five-time Grammy award winner and living legend. After Flaco was done making his rounds at the hotel, he ended up in his room. Carlos and I went by to check up on Flaco to see if he needed anything. Andrew from Ambixion called and we told him to come on down. It was a great sight to see.

Flaco pulled out the Hohner and that was all she wrote. Flaco and Andrew were going back and forth exchanging knowledge and ideas. Flaco was showing Andrew chords while Andrew was showing Flaco how he can make the accordion sound like a guitar. Andrew impressed Flaco with some blues riffs as well. While those two were going at it until 8:00 am, Carlos was lullabyed asleep and I finally laid down for some rest while class was in session as Flaco (the master) was passing along his teachings to Andrew (grasshopper). Andrew was in heaven.

BTW, Flaco mentioned that work is complete with the latest Texas Tornados cd which will feature some of Freddy Fender's last recordings before he passed away. There are still some issues to work out before the cd can be released, but as soon as I find out about it, I will let you know.

OTHER TEJANO NEWS

The legendary Tortilla Factory featuring Bobby Butler is now being booked by Charlie Tijerina out of Houston, TX. Ham made the announcement on the Tejano Journal. Also, Ricky Reyes, who recently left Ruben Ramos' band, has joined the Tortilla Factory along with Joe Romano. Both were originally with the Tortilla Factory back in it's beginnings in 1973.

And, to replace Ricky Reyes, Ruben Ramos picked up Chris from Grupo Lumbre. With Thomas leaving Lumbre because of a job promotion, Pedro still making a comeback from his stroke and with Chris leaving, Lumbre will have to put some new members together. Ruben Ramos is currently in the studio working on a new cd. And I hope Fiesta Musical will have a early peek at the music just like we did with Ambixion.

If you want to win Ambixion's cd before you can even buy it, listen to Fiesta Musical this Monday, 1/8/07 as we will highlight Ambixion's new cd as the cd pick of the week and giveaway a couple cds during the show. The show airs Mondays, 7p-10p on 90.1 FM KKFI in KC or you can listen online at http://www.kkfi.org and find the link to listen online.

That's it for now!
-DJ Ritmo