San Antonio, Texas — long known as a Tejano and Conjunto music mecca — seemed to lose its Latin music luster soon after the Tejano music boom burst in the late 1990's and continued its decline into the 2000's with the demise of Tejano music radio stations.
But brewing in the background was a new generation of Latino musicians in San Antonio. Many grew up listening to Tejano rhythms mixed in with traditional Mexican sounds and splashes of American punk, pop, hip-hop and rock. San Antonio had been cultivating a new crop of Latin musicians, except this time they were playing Latin Alternative music.
In recent years, an especially talented batch of Latino musicians have stepped out of the background and sparked a resurgence of San Antonio bands marking their place on the Latin music map.
Here are three of San Antonio's rising Latin music stars whose diverse musical upbringing provided the foundation for their cutting-edge sounds.
Piñata Protest
Nothing soothes Tejano music nostalgia like the accordion. So when accordionist Alvaro Salas decided the beloved squeeze box would be the central sound of his punk band, heads turned.
Piñata Protest's sound is an unlikely, but innovative, marriage between punk, rock and roll, and accordion beats. Their unique sound has attracted a growing fan base beyond the punk community.
Accordion punk may not be for everyone, but the fact that these Latino musicians have blended musical genres to create something original can't be overlooked.
Bombasta
Bombasta exudes big band style with a barrio twist. The nine-piece collective blends hip-hop, funk, R & B, reggae and Tejano into sounds reminiscent of Ozomatli's golden days.
Bombasta has refined their sound over the years, now bringing a cleaner, more confident and passionate vibe to the stage. With their politically charged Spanglish lyrics they represent the Latino generation who crosses between musical cultural lines with ease.
They describe themselves as urban Latino, grassroot politicos, and Spanglish mixologists. Bombasta has brought back the high Latin music standard that was once associated with San Antonio.
Girl In A Coma
So these female punk rockers are not exactly playing clear-cut Latin music, and they're not exactly newcomers. When they formed their band 10 years ago, lead singer Nina Diaz was only 12 years old.
Perhaps too young to recognize it at the time, but this San Antonio all-girl punk trio was part of a new musical wave redefining what it means to be a Latina musician nowadays. Girl In a Coma also proves that Mexican cultural influences seep into even the edgiest punk rock song.
The trio includes sisters Nina and Phanie Diaz and longtime friend Jenn Alva.
Girl In a Coma doesn't lead with their Latina-ness and sing in English, but they do play homage to their roots. In fact their new album, titled Trio B.C. — released on Joan Jett's Blackheart Records — was named after the Chicano rock band led by the Diaz sister's grandfather Cleofas Olivares.
And to add a little Latin spice to Girl In a Coma's repertoire, the women also rock a must-see edgy version of Tejano music queen Selena Quintanilla Pérez' song "Si Una Vez."
San Antonio Latin Alternative Bands
Other noteworthy musicians redefining the Latin music sound are:
- Mexican Stepgrandfather — A DJ embraced by the hip-hop scene who samples everything from polka to cumbia.
- Azul — A female singer with a strong, soothing voice who gives a flair to Latin folk and jazz music.
- Hacienda — Rock and roll band with fun, fresh songs like "Big Red and Barbacoa."
San Antonio has clearly stepped back into the Latin alternative music scene, and though this is just a small sampling of the talented Latino musicians the city has to offer right now, it definitely means that music lovers can't keep their eye away from San Antonio anymore.
Nancy Flores - My freelance work, which ranges from writing articles, producing and editing online video and shooting photos, focuses on Mexican travel, ...
