The Royal Jesters - Yo Soy Chicano

Royal Jesters on MySpace




Doo-Wop "...hits like "My Angel of Love," "We Go Together" and "That Girl" placed the Royal Jesters in rock and roll's '50s and 60's halls of history. Later those hits led to mega success for the Royal Jesters in the emerging Chicano music scene of the 70s where they struck a new chord with "Yo Soy Chicano," "Me Voy Pa Houston" and "Carino Nuevo." 

The Royal Jesters were born in the summer of 1958 after Oscar Lawson and Henry Hernandez met at a church talent show in San Antonio's West side. Some of the members wanted to name the group the Jesters, others wanted the Royals. "We decided to use both of the names," says Henry. "That's the way we did things. I gave in to Oscar's ideas and he gave in to mine. That's why we worked so well together." Their team work paid off. By the Spring of 1959, they had recorded "My Angel of Love," written by Lawson and sung in harmony with all the soul of a music that simply made you want to rock and roll. 

A string of hit singles-- in the 50s and 60s complete albums were not the norm they are today-- made the Royal Jesters the preferred group of the day. Successive recording contracts with Harlem Records (who also recorded Dough Sahm), Bell Records (the same label that recorded the Fifth Dimension) and Tower Records spread their name and their three-part harmony across the country and as far away as Europe. Apart from the many singles they recorded and released, The Royal Jesters recorded two complete English language albums, "We Go Together," and "Chevere." But the Royal Jesters had their eyes set on the future. And for Oscar and Henry that meant recording in Spanish. "Oscar had been reading in industry magazines that Chicano music was a sleeping giant that would one day wake up," tells Henry. So the group jumped right in. In 1973 the Royal Jesters teamed up with producer Manuel "Manny" Guerra, and began recording their own kind of Tex-Mex music that many fans still remember most. Under MGP Records they recorded "Yo Soy Chicano," "The Second Album," and "The Band."..."  Chito de la Torre

Randy Garibay - Barbacoa Blues

Randy Garibay


A living Texas legend from the tough streets of San Antonio, Randy Garibay is considered by his musical peers as the "Godfather" of San Antonio blues. Known for his crooning as well as his facility to stir melodious sounds from his guitar, Randy creates a rich tapestry of music that is unmistakably his own. Though his repertoire of musical styles includes everything from doo wop to jazz to country to Mexican boleros and salsas , Randy considers himself "a bluesman above everything else." 


Born of immigrant parents and brought up in the barrios of San Antonio and the migrant fields of the mid west, Randy has had an illustrious career spanning over forty years. Randy began as a teenager in San Antonio as lead singer for two teen age doo wop groups, first the Velvets and then the Pharaohs. The Pharaohs performed in Texas and Mexico and sang back up for Sonny Ace and for Doug Sahm in his early recordings. Randy also performed regularly in the premiere San Antonio blues venue of the 50s--the Eastwood Country Club, one of the renowned blues clubs for touring African American performers. 


In the 60s Randy joined a local band, the Dell-Kings, which took him on the road, first to Los Angeles and then for a lengthy stint in Las Vegas, where Randy and the band played as the house band at the Sahara Hotel and worked with legends such as Jackie Wilson, Judy Garland and Sammy Davis, Jr. Renamed Los Blues, the band took an extended road trip from the late 60s through the 70s, during which Randy played alongside rhythm and blues greats, including Curtis Mayfield and the O Jays and performed in such prestigious venues as Madison Square Garden and the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City, Vancouver and Honolulu. 


Now that he is back home in Texas, Randy plays what he knows, using his soulful voice and equally expressive guitar playing with his best band yet, Cats Dont Sleep. "Randy Garibay and Cats Dont Sleep is arguably the finest R&B outfit in the land," writes Jim Beal, Jr., of the San Antonio Express News. "

Rosie Flores - I'm Goin' Down/You Tear Me Up

Rosie Flores (born September 10, 1950 in San Antonio, Texas) is a rockabilly and country music artist of Mexican American heritage. Her music blends rockabilly, honky tonk, jazz, and Western swing along with traditional influences from her Tex-Mex heritage. She currently resides in Austin, Texas, where August 31 was declared Rosie Flores Day by the Austin City Council in 2006. In 1995, she joined Wanda Jackson on a coast-to-coast North American tour. She has appeared on Austin City Limits and Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

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