History

Austin has a long history of Tejano and Latin culture that can be traced back to before the early 1920s to musicians such as master acordeonista and Conjunto Hall of Famer Camilo Cantú. Inspired by conjuntos before him like Leopoldo Guajardo, he began playing the accordion at dance parties in Central Texas. At the time, because of the lack of dance halls in rural areas, most of these parties were held at private residences. A young Johnny Degollado, who now is a longstanding local figurehead in conjunto music, attended these events with his family and observed the large crowds that Cantú’s music would draw.

In the 1940s and ‘50s, Cantú’s band frequented a former Del Valle dance club called La Polkita, but while he became known as “El Azote de Austin” (“the Scourge of Austin”) and a live music legend, his music was unfortunately never recorded. Luckily, future generations of Tejano musicians in Austin, such as Johnny Degollado, kept Cantú’s legacy alive. In addition to Degollado, the Tejano scene has grown into a community of unparalleled talent that includes those like Chencho Flores, Leonard Davila, Ruben Ramos, and many others.

Another pioneer of Tejano music and East Austin fixture, Manuel "Cowboy" Donley, often credited as the “Godfather of Tejano Music,” was instrumental in creating the orquesta sound by combining Mexican and American pop music elements inspired by big band. Inspired by his father who was also a musician and professor of orquesta, Donley’s music career caught fire in the 1940s and he is often credited for elevating Austin’s Latin music scene to the level of worldwide acclaim. He was inducted into the Tejano Music Hall of Fame in 1986, has recorded over 150 singles, and has received many prestigious awards (such as the National Endowment for the Arts) both on a national and local level.

Of course, while there is an endless list of names of important figures in Austin Tejano music history, those who are interested in learning more are welcome to visit the nearly 5-mile Tejano Walking Trail or Texas Music Museum, both located in East Austin, to discover more about legends in Tejano culture such as Cowboy Donley, Nash Hernandez, the Perez & Ramos families, and Matias Velasquez.

As decades have passed, the Tejano genre of music has become a cultural niche but nonetheless is carried on by those like Los Texas Wranglers, Los Pinkys, and Los A-T Boyz. Nowadays, local fans of Tejano music can enjoy the classic sounds of Pure Tejano Radio, a 24/7 internet radio station music operating out of Southeast Austin. Visitors may also plan their trip around events such as the annual Rancho Alegre Conjunto Music Festival. Additionally, for over a decade, the Leonard Davila-founded Austin Tejano Music Coalition and Austin Latino Music Association (ALMA) have been supporting the genre, expanding its community, and preserving the historical contributions of Tejano and Latin music.

The city’s Latin community is expansive and has only grown through the years. Those such as Patricia Vonne, Tish Hinojosa, and Rosie Flores led the charge to include more women in Latin music. Furthermore, there are a number of local musicians and bands of the younger generation that have been inspired by their Latin roots such as funk-brass band Cilantro Boombox, Latin funk orchestra Grupo Fantasma, contemporary cumbia-synth band Como Las Movies, Austin’s premiere Selena-tribute band Bidi Bidi Banda, multi-award winning female trio Tiarra Girls, Latin songstress Lesly Reynaga, and Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Paula Maya.