From June 20, 2024 to June 21, 2025, URBAN-15 is celebrating its 50th Anniversary with a series of special performances and films. URBAN-15’s co-founders George and Catherine Cisneros are dedicating this year-long celebration to showcase the wonderful artists and performers who have made these fifty years such a success.
URBAN-15 is an organization that creates, cultivates talent, inspires imagination and brings joy to our community through music, movement, media, educational programs that develop imagination, plus participation in artistic exploration for both artists and the community.
All of the above descriptions were brought to life on the afternoon of Saturday, August 10 when they hosted Robert Rivera Ojeda and his Bronze Brand to present a “Tribute to La Música Chicana” to a standing room only (SRO) audience.
Their program was a magical musical journey through eleven selections that covered several genres of popular Chicano music from 1936 to 1994. The program began with “Cachita,” a guaracha and “Sube y Baja,” a polka ranchera that Ojeda recorded with Big Lu y Los Muchachos in 1970 on Little Joe’s Buena Suerte label.
Best of all, each tune was given its educational value with Ojeda’s expert narration of its original since many people don’t know that many of Mexico’s most famous tunes and genres originated in Cuba. A classic example is the popular romantic bolero, as “Oye Corazón”
The first example of a tune composed and sung by a Chicano was Lalo Guerrero’s “Chucos Suaves,” which was included in the movie soundtrack of “Zoot Suit” starring Edward James Olmos and Danny Valdez.
By the way, Ojeda, who lived and performed in San Diego and California’s Bay Area for 28 years sang each and every song, plus played trumpet on two numbers.
Next, the 75-year-old bandleader segued to “Cien Años,” which was originally recorded by Pedro Infante and later covered by Vicente Fernández, Pedro Aguilar, Los Panchitos, Thalia, his own daughter Lupita Infante and Selena – all featuring smooth vocals with the accompaniment of a mariachi. However, the version that stands out is the orchestral version by San Antonio’s own Sunny and The Sunliners. Incidentally, two present Sunliners, Santiago “Jimmy” Alaniz, tenor sax; and Robert “Bob” Navarro, alto sax; also form part of Bronze’s brass section.
Other band members are Freddy San Román, trumpet; Leroy Rodríguez, keyboards; Roy Padilla, guitar; John Jacques Barrera, bass; and Frank Rodríguez on drums.
The program continued with “Mi Cafetal,” “El Capotin” and “There is Something on Your Mind,” a 1957 hit by Big Jay McNeely originally sung by Little Sonny Warner and a huge hit among East LA Mexican Americans and low riders all over. Hence, the Chicano connection. It was later covered by Bobby Marchan and even Jerry García and The Grateful Death.
It must be known that Ojeda’s purpose in life is to research, promote and preserve the bi-musical heritage of the Mexican American and that he lived and performed all over California for 38. Therefore, he possesses an arsenal of vast musical history which he shares in his performances.
Each tune served as food for thought for music historians, especially “Soy Chicano.” In this case he sang songwriter Salomé Gutiérrez’s version as recorded by Flaco Jiménez and later in English by Doug Sahm featuring Flaco on accordion. This tune opened a pleasant can of worms for this writer as I found three other songs titled “Soy Chicano” by other artists, but with different lyrics. Then, there were numerous activist versions of “Yo Soy Chicano” plus of course The Royal Jesters’ “You Soy Chicano,” which was covered by La Onda Airways.
Further research revealed a super cool salsa-tinged jazz English-language version by Víctor Rendٕón followed by rap versions by other artists. After that, I found Los Lobos’ “Soy Mexico Americano” and “El Corrido De El Chicano” by El Chueko De California, which was rapped with a banda music background and featured a killer video. Check this one out on YouTube. But the one that hit the nail on the head was Lalo Guerrero’s simply titled “Chicano.”
In short, one could do a PhD dissertation on just some 20 different songs titled “Chicano,” “Soy Chicano,” “Yo Soy Chicano,” “Soy México Americano” and “El Corrido del Chicano.” That’s the kind of mind-boggling effect Ojeda’s superb program brought to those in attendance.
And this writer cannot find enough superlative adjectives to commend Bronze Band, who had some of the audience – as Eduardo Garza, Cecilia Golden and Karen Baker – dancing in the aisles, and others at least tapping their feet and swaying their bodies to the great rhythms they produced as Pedro Luna documented the visual images with his camera.
Sadly, the music came to an end with “Funky Mama Rainbow Riot,” a 1994 blues shuttle adapted by former Little Joe tenor saxophonist Jimmy Flores.
During a break, the audience was treated to what George Cisneros described as empanalgas and a fruit plate that well down great with a glass of sangria.
The event closed with a question-and-answer session as Ojeda answered each question with great expertise. Also giving credit where it’s due, this event was made possible through the sponsorship support of the City of San Antonio Department of Arts and Cultures plus other sponsors. Plus, a big thank you to Catherine and George Cisneros for dipping into their resources of volunteers with talented audio and video technicians to bring it to fruition.
URBAN-15’s next Anniversary presentation is a streamed broadcast of a performance of “Temporal” – a dance work by choreographer Myrna Renaud and composer George Cisneros. This work was filed in the Theatro de la I=Ciudad in Monterrey, N.L. Mexico in 2005. The concert is free and can be accessed through urban15.org/live-stream 24/7 beginning at noon September 16, 2024, and looping continuously until noon September 23, 2024. For more information, call 210-736-1500.
