Tonight, I went to my first meeting of the Austin Tejano Music Coalition. During my illness, I would run into people claiming to be members, and when I would tell them my ideas, they were almost negative to what I had to offer. To be honest, I mistakenly prejudged the coalition by these people and now I’m even starting to doubt that they were ever members. Because the people we met tonight were good people, open to suggestions and willing to hear fresh ideas. In all honesty, I went to just see what it was all about and I ended up finding out that they are about the same things that Rancho Alegre is about: preserving and passing on Tejano music.

So for anything I may have said in the past, I do apologize. And I’m man enough to admit when I am wrong. That being said, I look forward to working with these individuals who are dedicated to making Austin the Tejano powerhouse it once was.

Rancho Alegre continues to work on its Conjunto collaborations as well, with our friend and Conjunto brother Arturo Balderrama of the National Puro Conjunto Music Association and with Martin Martinez of Conjunto Los Padrinos and Conjunto is Life.

The big event that the Coalition has going on this summer is the Canta Tejano Idol contest. There are three ways to audition and five roaming audition sites, and the competition is not restricted to Austin residents and artists. The next audition site will be at Nuevo Leon on May 22, and we will add the rest of the audition sites to our Events Calendar as they become available. The final event will take place in October. Visit the Coalition website for further details and registration information.

We hope that, by working with all of these individuals and groups, including Para La Gente 1560 AM and all the artists we know, Austin will once again be known as a Tejano and Conjunto hot spot, with multiple dances every weekend. And THEN…the big prize – a festival in Waterloo Park. Some day! Some day!

Stay tuned, everyone, it’s gonna be one hell of a ride!

–Frank