1-1                                       1

 1-2                              SENATE RESOLUTION

 1-3           WHEREAS, The history of the State of Texas cannot be

 1-4     sufficiently appreciated without acknowledging contributions made

 1-5     by people of Mexican descent; among these people are included the

 1-6     great musicos like the noted Juan Lopez, el "maestro" de musica

 1-7     conjunto, whom we honor today; and

 1-8           WHEREAS, Affectionately referred to as "El Rey De La Redova,"

 1-9     Juan Lopez was born and raised into a rich musical tradition on

1-10     March 8, 1922, in Jackson County, Texas, somewhere between Edna

1-11     and Victoria; and

1-12           WHEREAS, Juan Lopez will be celebrating his 75th birthday

1-13     this Saturday, March 8, 1997; and

1-14           WHEREAS, Texas is recognized as the cultural center of la

1-15     musica conjunto; today, Mexican-Americans are a natural part of

1-16     the Texas cultural landscape and their numbers and importance will

1-17     increase in the years to come; and

1-18           WHEREAS, Texans today know little about Tejano history

1-19     including Tejano music; consequently, our Texas youth grow up

1-20     learning little about their cultural history and find it virtually

1-21     impossible to identify Tejanos and important events that helped

1-22     shape the status of Mexican people in this part of the country;

1-23     and

 2-1           WHEREAS, Today, the Rio Grande Valley is considered to be

 2-2     one of the most important cultural meccas for Mexican people in

 2-3     the United States; much of Mexican folklore in Texas and in states

 2-4     located in the Northeast and Midwest, where migrants from the

 2-5     valley settled, can be linked to the Mexican heritage of the

 2-6     Rio Grande Valley; and

 2-7           WHEREAS, Knowledge of medicinal plants, folktales, the

 2-8     use of home altars, Spanish language, Mexican culinary traditions,

 2-9     music, art, dance, and belief in a strong family unit are part of

2-10     the legacy linked to the communities left behind by early Tejano

2-11     settlers; and

2-12           WHEREAS, These folkways have diminished over the years but

2-13     are very much alive within many communities in the valley; and

2-14           WHEREAS, The corrido, or Mexican folk ballad, has been

2-15     transmitted to other parts of the United States through Rio Grande

2-16     Valley communities; and

2-17           WHEREAS, Mr. Juan Lopez is a master instrumentalist who

2-18     has played his music since he was 12 while living in Robstown

2-19     near Corpus Christi; and

2-20           WHEREAS, In Texas, Tejano corridos were the common people's

2-21     means of documenting history and telling the tales of important

2-22     and significant events in the Hispanic community; and

2-23           WHEREAS, Conjunto music in Texas enriches our cultural

2-24     heritage and its lyrics are heard around the world; and

2-25           WHEREAS, Texas conjunto, or musica regional, is a rich and

 3-1     popular genre of music that incorporates the polka as its basic

 3-2     dance rhythm; South Texas is the heart of conjunto, and it has

 3-3     nurtured numerous individuals famous for their playing abilities;

 3-4     and

 3-5           WHEREAS, Mr. Juan Lopez is one of such famous individuals

 3-6     who carried on this rich tradition; and

 3-7           WHEREAS, The three-row button accordion is the traditional

 3-8     instrument in the Texas conjunto bands; and

 3-9           WHEREAS, The accordion was introduced in Mexico by German

3-10     immigrants to northern Mexico during the latter part of the 19th

3-11     century; the accordion was quickly adopted by Mexicanos due to

3-12     several factors:  the accordion could be played alone and still

3-13     provide sufficient music for dancing; be purchased rather cheaply

3-14     along the border; and be transported from place to place with

3-15     little trouble; and

3-16           WHEREAS, Early Tejano conjunto accordion players pioneered

3-17     the way for others as the music evolved into a symbol of the

3-18     Mexican-American working class; other noted accordionists such

3-19     as Tony De La Rosa from Alice, Texas, and Santiago Jimenez and

3-20     Fred Zimmerle from San Antonio have contributed much to the social

3-21     life of Tejanos; and

3-22           WHEREAS, This fall, PBS television will present a film

3-23     about the origins and evolution of conjunto music called

3-24     Songs of the Homeland; conjunto music has gained in popularity

3-25     over the last 15 years; this growth is due in part to the Chicano

 4-1     Movement of the 1960s and 1970s that legitimized conjunto as a

 4-2     form of music; and

 4-3           WHEREAS, The growth of the Mexican-American community as a

 4-4     consumer market has also been a factor as radio stations compete

 4-5     for advertisers' dollars; and

 4-6           WHEREAS, Juan Lopez's music is filled with Texas-Mexican

 4-7     history; music whose lyrics are filled with rich and exciting

 4-8     experiences, corridos about brave women and men who lived hard

 4-9     and difficult lives in order to provide for their families; and

4-10           WHEREAS, These songs speak about the leaders from the

4-11     Mexican-American community who came from all political persuasions

4-12     and class backgrounds; and

4-13           WHEREAS, Today, the presence of Mexican-Americans in Texas

4-14     is more prevalent than it has ever been; the Spanish language is

4-15     increasing rather than dying out; more and more radio stations play

4-16     Tejano music; more and more schools and neighborhoods have a Latino

4-17     population majority; and

4-18           WHEREAS, In 1989, Juan Lopez was inducted into the Conjunto

4-19     Music Hall of Fame and since then has been a regular at the annual

4-20     Tejano Conjunto Festival held every May in San Antonio, sponsored

4-21     by the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center; now, therefore, be it

4-22           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,

4-23     75th Legislature, hereby recognize the contributions of the music

4-24     of Mr. Juan Lopez in creating a better Texas for all Tejanos; and,

4-25     be it further

 5-1           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for

 5-2     "El Rey De La Redova" with best wishes from the Texas Senate

 5-3     for a memorable birthday and continued long life.

 5-4                                                    Truan

 5-5           Armbrister           Galloway            Ogden

 5-6           Barrientos           Harris              Patterson

 5-7           Bivins               Haywood             Ratliff

 5-8           Brown                Lindsay             Shapiro

 5-9           Cain                 Lucio               Shapleigh

5-10           Carona               Luna                Sibley

5-11           Duncan               Madla               Wentworth

5-12           Ellis                Moncrief            West

5-13           Fraser               Nelson              Whitmire

5-14           Gallegos             Nixon               Zaffirini

5-15                      Bullock, President of the Senate

5-16                                  ______________________________________

5-17                                          President of the Senate

5-18                                       I hereby certify that the above

5-19                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate

5-20                                  on March 6, 1997.

5-21                                  ______________________________________

5-22                                          Secretary of the Senate

5-23                                  ______________________________________

5-24                                            Dean of the Senate