Chicanos in Country Music
Host Armando Gutierrez interviews Lydia Anderson, a country radio d-jay, on Chicanos in country music. Anderson, one of the very few female and Chicana radio personalities, entered radio after several prominent Austin Chicanos pointed out the need to have a Chicano in the arena of Country music. She now hosts a nighttime radio show on KVET Austin’s country music station. When she first took the air, she received many complaints for being a female announcer, mostly from women, but she has since found a large following.
Anderson says that country music has a large Chicano audience because they are attracted to several country stars who have become universally famous, including Willie Nelson and Tom Jones. Moreover, Chicano country musicians like Freddy Fender and Johnny Rodriguez have attracted many Chicanos to country music. While it took some time for Chicanos to enter the genre, Anderson says there are now many who are making country records. She believes that those who do not adopt a “country” sound will have a hard time getting radio play as Radio station program directors look for a particular sound. Anderson also discusses the possibilities of bilingual music and explains that she hopes Chicano musicians like Little Joe will be able to cross over without diluting or compromising their unique Chicano musical style.
KEYWORDS
Anoche estuve llorandoAustin, Texas
Baldemar Huerta
Behind Blue Eyes
Bilingual Music
Brett Rivera and the Knightridders
Cartas marcadas
Chaparral
Charlie Pride
Chicanas in Radio
Chicano Crossovers
Country Music
Crossover Music
Crystal Gayle
Disc Jockeys
English Language Music
Flaco Jimenez
Freddy Fender
Isidro Lopez
Jerry Green
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jim Travis
Johnny Rodriguez
Johnny Treviño
KVET
Little Joe Hernandez
Lydia Alva Anderson
Mundo Earwood
Olivia Newton John
Radio Discrimination (?)
Richard Moya
Ruben Ramos
Spanish language music
State Representative Gonzalo Barrientos
Steel guitar
Tom Jones
Willie Nelson