NewsTaco

By Wuicho Vargas

Selena Quintanilla-Perez was, and will still be, our Queen of Tejas, our beautiful flower of Corpus Christi. It is March already, and along with the arrival of spring celebration, comes that horrible day when she was murdered.

It has been more than a decade and we still mourn her absence and that horrible truth that we will never see her and hear her sing again. As a homage to her legacy, love as a wife, and strength as a woman, Chris Perez has shared his most sincere and thoughtful memories with her in his book “To Selena with Love.”

It has been more than a decade and the expected arrival of this book was never meant to be fulfilled. One of the reasons was that Perez did not want it to be published is that he didn’t want it to be viewed as opportunistic. He did not want to share a book that would be considered just a way to pull a dollar using Selena’s memories. Thankfully, and after much consideration and years, he came to his senses and decided to complete this — his homage to her.

As the saying goes, “Recordar es vivir,” and Perez revisits those memories that are impregnated by the scent and love of his beloved wife. Because during that day of March, he not only lost Selena but also the friend and the love of his life, for which he gave the world and challenged every obstacle that was between Selena and him.

Selena is brought back to life with Perez’s memories, very intimate and personal memories. From the problematic beginning of their relationship, the problems he had to endure with Abraham Quintanilla’s overprotective attitude towards Selena, to the mischievous actions that almost broke him and Selena apart, and that horrible tragedy that took her away from him, Perez shares it all.

Perez, from beginning to end, expresses his sincere feelings about everything that happened before and even after Selena’s death. The devastation he had to endure, but the then the realization of his own strengths, and resurrection from within the ashes to conquer the music world once again, and to tell the world about his delightfully lived experience he had as a husband, boyfriend and best friend of Selena Quintanilla-Perez.

“To Selena with Love,” is Perez’s way of exposing a side of himself that he wanted to share — but that it wasn’t humanly possible for him to do before. It was just too painful for him. Now, and after more than 15 years after Selena’s death, Perez has gathered the strength to allow us to experience those feelings he had for Selena along with the beautiful memories. “To Selena with Love” is Perez’s ultimate romantic letter to Selena. Con mucho amor, Selena siempre vivirá en nuestro recuerdo.

Wuicho Vargas is a writer who lives in McAllen, Texas.

[Courtesy Photo]

By Wuicho Vargas

One of the most beautiful Tejano singers I know is back; Selena’s voice will once again roam the radio stations in the United States in the form of a new album of duets called “Enamorada De Ti.” But this time she will not be playing the same old songs, she will be singing old songs duet-style and with a twist in genre. This should be some great news, but it is not. I don’t find it appealing, or even remotely attractive to my taste in Tejano music, because this is not Tejano music anymore although they are re-using a Tejano legend.

I have seen this before, when singers are resurrected from the dead. They use the voice track from previously recorded material, adapt a new beat or rhythm, add another vocal, which in this case is a living one. For example the single “Amor Prohibido” is now a duet with Samo, a guy from the not-so-rock band from Mexico, Camila.

Now, it is more attractive to the popular ear and a broader audience, but it has lost all of its original essence in the process. I listened to this song three times in a row on different levels of quality to try and prove to myself that the “new” was always better, but failed terribly. Now, I can’t get that guy’s evangelically harmonious voice out of my head. He does know how to sing, but that is not the problem.

It’s Selena’s voice, but it’s not a Selena song. When I first heard news of these duets, I felt that maybe Tejano music was going to make a massive comeback with our beloved Selena. But once I heard this song, my dream vanished and I was left with nothing. Sadly but truly, for me it feels as if Selena is just a pretty voice and a measure in sync with another tune. This “tribute” represents nothing more than an attempt to make money.

Heck! Even Selena Gomez, Don Omar and Christian Castro are going to be on her songs “with her.” This is not a tribute, but an experiment. The “Selena Vive” tribute was millions of light years better, because it was an actual tribute. This tribute doesn’t get very deep. If the Quintanilla family wanted to sample their daughter’s awesome voice they could have just said so, sometimes I don’t get this family and their intentions behind of what they do with their daughters work.  Is it to share something to the fans or just to find ways to make it last longer and profitable?

This is the first single they have shared with us on their website. Hardcore Selena fans will agree with me that this isn’t what we expected; sometimes the commercial necessities erode rich and culturally filled content for the purposes of commercializing it and you find profit. But what about Texas and its Tejano roots, will they too be a feature of this “tribute”?  Will the new listeners remember Selena as a Mexican American singer who was brought up in Texas, or just as an accessory that sells even after death? Or even better, as a sing along tune that will be featured later on a talent show in Telemundo or Univision and for bodas and quinciañeras?

In the end, the Quintanilla family, or Televisa, can do as they please with their daughters’ work, whichever the case. They could even add it to commercial ads if they wanted. There are a few songs that could easily be adapted to some car campaigns or apartment rental ads. I just know for a fact that this is not going to make an impact of any sort, maybe only on some pockets, but for any artistic or cultural purpose there is nothing here.

As if music wasn’t austere enough, they have dragged our beloved queen of Tejano into their commercial metal machine.

Wuicho Vargas is a writer who lives in McAllen, Texas.

By Sonya Cortez

Corpus Christi, Texas — I am the most important person in the United States: a young, unmarried, Hispanic female. So according to the research, I am part of the fastest-growing, most influential demographic group in the country. Yet, it seems that there’s another interest group contending for the title of “most influential”: big polluters.

I’m a native South Texan, so Corpus Christi was my first choice for college. I had not spent too much time around the ocean, so it was a nice change from my small hometown in the middle of the Rio Grande Valley along the border. Here, I like to frequent the downtown area, walk along the sea wall, and I like to watch the sailboats and windsurfers moving through the bays on a day when the constant wind makes the South Texas sun more bearable — very picturesque. In these moments, Corpus Christi truly is the Sparkling City by the Sea.

With the possible construction of Las Brisas, a petroleum-coke power plant, the city is in danger of losing its sparkle. Not only will air quality plummet, but toxic levels of mercury in our bays are likely to increase. Our health and the health of our coast are at risk.

Corpus Christi has a strong relationship with the sea, and many folks here fish regularly. There have already been documented instances of toxic game fish and members of the fishing industry, like fish distributor Charlie Alegria, have already expressed their concern about saving their family businesses if Las Brisas comes to town.

The EPA announced new standards for mercury pollution by coal plants, the largest single-source emitters of mercury into our atmosphere. It’s an incredibly important step forward for the health and sustainability of our community.

But the Las Brisas plant still casts a shadow on Corpus Christi. It seems that quick and easy opportunities for making money outweigh everything else.  Human health, as well as the health of our bays, is at the mercy of big business. Coal and pet-coke refineries operate at the cost of human health. But we have a choice. We can and must shift our attention to renewable resources and using what we have more efficiently. There are many cleaner, safer efforts that need to be focused on if can have any hopes for a sustainable future.

I have found that the case is not always that people don’t care, it is that they are unaware of what is really going on. The more we can tell our friends, neighbors, and even strangers about the choices we must make, the better. South Texas is my home. I, someday, hope to raise a family here. I want my children born into a world where they can breathe clean air, swim in clean waters, and eat local seafood without fear that they will end up in a hospital due to an asthma attack or mercury poisoning.

By moving from coal to clean energy, we can make that possible.

Sonya Cortez is a volunteer with the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign.

[Photo By epSos.de]

By Wuicho Vargas

Music, for me is more than just a bunch of notes played together at a certain rhythm. Music, for me, es vida!  I listen to all kinds of music, from the roots rock reggae to classical like Wagner or Chopin — but my all time favorite is Tejano. This music started back the 1800s here in Texas around the San Antonio area and has stayed put as the years have gone by, loyal to its humble roots.

In the 1900s it began evolving and turned into something of an anthem for Tejanos. We must thank the Polish and Germans who came to Texas for their accordion and polkas that proved a huge influence on Tejano, a largely bilingual genre. Tejano is a language, culture, struggle, history and a way of life Music makes up a major part but it does not conglomerates everything about being Tejano.

But times change and, recently, due to an increase in Mexican (national) population in the Rio Grande Valley here in south Texas, the only radio station that played Tejano music turned into an all Spanish station, and, no more Tejano will be played. The change made a lot of people angry, but, it was done due to money, plain and simple. Owners of the station needed ratings and the Mexican population is the one that listens to the radio and buys the CDs, not the Tejano music lovers.

But I think that this still is Texas and Tejano music was created here therefore, I think, we should still have Tejano music in the Valley.  Don’t you think?  Even if it is in the AM radio band, but keep Tejano in the Valley.

It is almost comical to hear such tremendous and painful truth.  When here, on our backyards, gave birth to Freddy Fender, Little Joe y la Familia, Gilberto Perez, Steve Jordan and many other Tejano music legends — legends! Their popularity may not still be way up there, but it never was. Tejano survived all this years because it is a reflection of Tejano culture, from the mastering in the usage and display of la accordión with the bajo sexto, to the musicalization of labor workers’ struggles.

Tejano Music is Texas, and Tejano music is our walking history.

Thanks to the merciful hand of Corpus Christi, our neighboring town three hours north on expressway 77, we still have a Tejano radio station. There aren’t any radio hosts yet; there is no more “la clica crew,” like there was on the other radio station. Without Tejano, we have been sent back at least a couple of hundred years, but at least without it, people will start appreciating it more. Especially because it will show the huge difference between Tejano music and some Mexican music genres, such as narco corridos or the “movimiento alterado,” which idolizes the narco way of life.

I’d rather listen to Tejano music and remember what love is every time a song comes up. I’ll remember my grandpa, tíos and tías working en la labor and remember how my ‘buelito would eat oranges while listening to Tony de la Rosa and Rubén Vela. I don’t believe that the issue here is that the radio turned into an Spanish station, because I am too a Mexican born and raised, but the simple fact that we are denying the importance of the music in culture is a tragedy.

This isn’t a cultural war won by Mexicans over Tejanos, but it is rather an exhibition of division. This has shown me that there is a big gap between Tejanos and mexicanos.  The constant influx of Mexican immigrants into this area is not informed about the culture; they are here for the money and security for their children. We, as Tejanos, should teach the newbies about Tejano culture and open up our arms to welcome them instead of creating barriers which divide and isolate both cultures from each other and in result create this gaps where this types of changes could be made.

For better or for worse, music is people, and if there isn’t any Tejano music, it is as if Tejano people are also absent.

[Photo By jimcintosh]

Texas Congressman Blake Farenthold recently told a town hall meeting audience in Brownsville, Texas that people who are unemployed and on other public benefits should probably be drug tested, because it’s too easy to just collect your check instead of working. When we have a national unemployment rate of 8.8%, Farenthold says, “Until things get bad enough, there’s no incentive to change…I think drug testing is not an unreasonable requirement.”

I think this is strange on many levels. First, aren’t Republicans supposed to be anti-government? How is having the government have access to your bodily fluids on a regular basis anti-government? It seems more pro-big government to me.

Secondly, and most importantly, we are in the largest economic downturn in a generation, so the fact that there are millions of people unemployed in this country has nothing to do with them being good-for-nothing drug addicts or drunks! In Farenthold’s own state there are many people who are unemployed — how many are drug addicts?

To insinuate so much is not only insulting, but illustrative of the ignorance of this man — was he ever laid off and forced to go on unemployment? I was, and I’ll tell you what, I was so busy looking for a job and worrying about my future, that even if I had money to drug and booze it up all day, I simply wasn’t in the mood to get wasted. See the video for yourself:

We asked Farenthold press spokesman Margarita Vargas to explain the congressman’s remarks and said said, “He did not call people who are unemployed ‘drug addicts,’ that statement is blatantly false.  He does support drug testing for people who receive certain social benefits over an extended period of time,”

Follow Sara Inés Calderón on Twitter @SaraChicaD

[Image Courtesy U.S. Congress; Video by ThinkProgress2]