Monthly Archives: December 2010
Whatever Happened to David Marez?
Photo and story by Roberto Álvarez
This crooner has not disappeared, there’s just less airplay plus fewer and fewer Tejano music venues.
When David Marez sings, his smooth yet raspy voice glides effortlessly through each song as though his throat was naturally coated with honey. Lyrically, he dissects and hones each song to perfection.
His romantic vocal delivery is as flawless as Dyango, Emmanuel and Roberto Carlos. However international fame has eluded him because the quality of his voice is lost with cumbia and ranchera musical arrangements which mask and take away from his vocal prowess.
Retono Sprouts New Conjunto Sounds
Retune is the newest sprout in conjunto music.
Samuel Ramos Jr., vocals and bajo sexto; Salomon Ramos, accordion and vocals; and Pablo Ramos, bass sprouted from the music seed of Samuel G. Ramos, accordionist and vocalist with Los Tesoro’s. Then there’s their cousin Armando Villela on percussion and drums.
Born in Brownsville, reared in Edinburg and now living in San Benito, Texas, their primary influence was their famous father and their uncle Rolando Ramos, who played bajo sexto. On their mother’s side, their uncle is Juan P. Moreno of the Renegades.
Bobby Esquivel Takes Liberty with his Band
Roberto Guerra Esquivel, the band leader of one of Tejano music’s most enduring bands, is unique in that he is unlike any other musician.
“There are no musicians or singers in either side of my parent’s families and I can’t say I was influenced or inspired to become a musician,” Esquivel said during an interview at the Hispanic Entertainment Archives.
“In fact, I don’t even know why I signed up to take band in middle school,” he continued with a puzzled look.
After racking his brain, he had to call his mother to find out what motivated him to take band in Truman Junior High School.