Is Houston the New Home of Tejano Music?

For almost five decades, the biggest night in Tejano music has taken place in San Antonio – until this year. The Tejano Music Awards has relocated to the Houston area for the first time as a way to bring "more luster" to the event once considered a cultural pillar in Texas. Years of routine in the Alamo City, and Tejano music's broader struggle to evolve past its ‘90s peak, necessitated a bold move.

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"I think if we would have stayed in San Antonio another year, honestly, we probably would have went bankrupt. That's the truth," says Bino Gaona, the show's longtime organizer. He says there have been several previous attempts to bring the show to Houston that fell through.

"I hate to say it, but there was no support in San Antonio. Let's try something different."

This year's event kicks off at 4 p.m. Friday at Texas Rodeo Saloon in Katy with an outdoor red carpet and fan zone. The awards show will follow inside the venue, and the evening will be capped with an after-party and dance.

Tejano music originated in Central and South Texas and draws from both traditional Mexican (norteño) and American (rock, blues, country) music. It incorporates the accordion, string and brass instruments and has been handed down through generations.

Houston has always been an important touchstone for Tejano music. It was the birthplace of Lydia Mendoza, often called the "First Lady of Tejano Music." She was one of the first artists to record Spanish-language music in the U.S. Houston is the longtime home base for La Mafia, the Grammy-winning group who revolutionized Tejano music in the ‘90s by infusing it with pop and electronic elements. At its peak, the city's dance halls showcased new and major stars of the genre on a weekly basis.

RodeoHouston started Go Tejano Day in 1990 with Roberto Pulido and Emilio Navaira at the Astrodome. It culminated with Selena's third and final appearance there in 1995, just a month before her death. That iconic performance has been immortalized several times over. But it also marked the beginning of Tejano music's decline. Navaira was the last Tejano act to play RodeoHouston in 2007.

David Olivarez, a Houston-based Tejano singer performing and presenting at Friday's awards show, believes the framework Selena laid is still vital to the genre.

"Selena was a breath of fresh air and brought a fresh show because of her outfits. Why can't Tejano music be like pop music? I think we got caught up in the boys gotta wear Wranglers, and we gotta wear Roper (boots)," Olivarez says, a reference to the traditional trappings that have kept the genre stuck in the past.

"We have a culture of ‘¿Qué te crees, amigo? '- a dismissive phrase meaning, ‘Who do you think you are, friend?' - you know, poniendo eso (wearing that). But the young crowds, they want to see a show. They don't want to see an average Joe up there."

Moving the awards to Houston is one step organizers hope will jumpstart the once-mighty show and sound itself. It seems to be working. Tables for the event sold out in 72 hours with no artist lineup or formal promotion. General admission tickets are still available. Gaona says sales last year in San Antonio, at this stage in planning, were at around 65% capacity.

"It shows that Houston has a hunger for Tejano music and Tejano culture and that it is something that still is popular and people are excited about," Gaona says.

In September, Puro Tejano 106.1 FM launched as "Houston's only 24/7 Tejano station." The station's Facebook page has already racked up almost 30,000 followers. Trader's Village and the Kemah Boardwalk regularly host Tejano acts on their outdoor stages.

And Selena is still giving it all a boost. Her appearances at past Tejano Music Awards are featured in the documentary "Selena y Los Dinos," currently at No. 3 on Netflix's most-watched list.

Friday's show will open with a performance by Avizo, known as "Houston's powerhouse" Tejano band. Genre icons Johnny Hernandez and Ram Herrera will receive lifetime achievement awards. And the city may have just landed its next great event.

"I just can't believe it wasn't taken to Houston sooner," Gaona says. "It's all about unity. And I believe that's one big thing that we need in this industry, especially the times that we're living in now, we all need to embrace each other and comfort each other. Music has a big part in our lives. Music is for the soul."

45th annual Tejano Music Awards

When: 4 p.m. fan zone, 5 p.m. red carpet, 7 p.m. show Where: Texas Rodeo Saloon, 531 S. Mason Rd., Katy Tickets: $37 general admission at tejanomusicawards.com

Nominees

Female Vocalist of the Year * Angelica Alcoser * Monica Saldivar * Stefani Montiel

Male Vocalist of the Year * David Lee Rodriquez * Gabe Rivera, Texas Latino * Lucky Joe * Leonel Correa Jr., La Calma * Pio Treviño

Album of the Year, Tejano * III, Monica Saldivar * Mi Vida, David Lee Rodriquez y Cuatro11 * Mis Favoritas Vol. II, Stefani Montiel * Simplemente Mejor, Pio Treviño * Texas Latino Volumen II, Texas Latino

Album of the Year, Conjunto * Capitulo IV, Michael Longoria y Conjunto Jamm * La Collecion de la Serie Roja, Grupo Vidal * La Nueva Etapa, Los Hermanos Peña * Míranos Ahora, The Tejano Boys * Showtime, Da Krazy Pimpz

Best New Artist, Female * Devin Banda * Jenny B * Veronica La Consentida

Best New Artist, Male * Gilbert Zamora * Jr. Reyna * Luis AG

Best New Artist, Group * Jr. Reyna Y Elegido * Luis AG & Oros Band

Song of the Year * "Amor Eterno," JR Moreno, Angélica y Grupo Moneda * "Incompetente En El Amor," Oscar Antonio Rosas Rodríguez and Leopoldo Zúñiga Cano, Jay Perez * "Nada," Gabriel Zavala, Joel Rosario, Stefani Montiel * "Tumba Falsa," Teodoro Bello Jaimes, Lucky Joe * "Ya Lo Sé Que Tú Te Vas," Alberto Aguilera Valadez, Monica Saldivar

Collaboration of the Year * "Aquí Estoy Yo," Los Hermanos Peña and Mike Aguilar Jr. * "Como Vivir Sin Ti," David Lee Rodriquez and Shelly Lares * "No Me Queda Claro," Pio Treviño y Majic and David Lee Garza * "Pienso En Ti," Texas Latino and Monica Saldivar * "Si Quieres Ver Mi Llorar," Stefani Montiel and Biento'o

Country Song of the Year * "He Stopped Loving Her Today," Jukebox Preachers and Art Tigerina * "My Lonely Days Are Gone ('Cause I Started Drinkin')," David Lee Rodriquez y Cuatro11 * "One More Day (Spanish)," Grupo Vidal * "Para Toda La Vida," Joey Martinez y Miradas * "Whiskey Texas," Bobby Aguilera

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