Tejano MusicI. What I Knew About Tejano MusicFor me it all started with Selena. I remember a boy in my middle school class dedicated "Como La Flor" to me during one of our school dances in seventh grade. After that Tejano stuck in my head and all I thought about the song was that I rejected that guy. Selena was a real Tejana star at the time and I was shocked by her murder two years later. He was a five-star role model that Mexican-Americans related to and appreciated. His songs live on in the Tejano world, as does his spirit and love of music. Moving on to listen to bands like La Mafia, Intenso and Intocable; singing "Vida" by La Mafia was one of my favorite pastimes. Even though I didn't speak Spanish well, I could always sing it well. I knew they were regional bands and probably the only ones you could find in the Rio Grande Valley to play for a wedding, quincenera or party. I thought Tejano couldn't have originated anywhere else but Texas because after all that's what Tejano-texano means in Spanish. I've lived in South Texas my entire life, which means I grew up in an isolated Hispanic community. Even though I wasn't a fan of Tejano music, I related to the music and understood the words well. Tejano wasn't popular worldwide at the time, but I had my favorites. As a Mexican-American I knew this music was a blend of cultures. Over time, Tejano music became my favorite. I feel like this music has so much feeling and love in it and sometimes it moves me. "Corrazon", by Intenso, always reminds me of an old heart sinking and no matter what, every time I listen to it I have to sing along. Whenever I want to feel sad and happy at the same time, I turn the radio on to a Tejano station. I feel my roots in the music our culture has created; I don't think Tejano music can be taken away from me now.II. What I Wanted to Know Tejano has been around for a long time, but how long? The time it exists can say a lot about Tejano culture because the music speaks so much to its people.