An Owner's Guide to the Record Industry
In this interview conducted in Spanish, Salome Gutierrez, the owner of the Del Bravo Record Company, discusses the outlook for Chicano musicians and the challenges they face promoting their music. Gutierrez first discusses his own history in music and the musical scene in Nuevo Laredo. It was there that he made his first recording and started working with other musicians. He then talks about how the recording industry has changed over time. He emphasizes how at first there was not much competition for the Chicano market and so musicians did not have to be a huge hit to sell records. Now there is so much competition for limited radio air-time that newer Chicano artists are having a very difficult time getting their music out to larger audiences. Gutierrez explains that they cannot compete with all of the promotion coming from Mexico for famous Mexican musicians like Vicente Fernandez. He says that local record labels can barely afford to pay the salaries of its employees and cannot withstand the extra expense to pay for a promoter.
Gutierrez believes Chicano musicians need to unite to pressure radio stations to play their music. Gutierrez says that the majority of d-jays are from Mexico, and they look down on Chicano music in favor of music coming directly from Latin America. However because so many musicians must work other jobs to survive, many do not have time to meet to organize
KEYWORDS
Ana GarciaArmando Marroquin
Bajo Sexto
Beto Villa
Boleros
Carmen y Laura
Chelo Silva
Chicano Music
Chicano-Mexican Relations
Chicano-owned businesses
Conjuntos
Corazon, Aqui te Queda
Cumbia
Deejays
Del Bravo Record Company
Dueto Carta Blanca
Federal Communications Commission
Flaco Jimenez
Guitar
Hermanos Mayas
Houston
Irene y Fidel
Manuel Guerrero
Mexico
Monterrey
Musicians
Narciso Martinez
Norteña
Nuevo Laredo
Oscar Zamora
Radio
Rancheras
Record Labels
Recording Industry
Salome Gutierrez
Salsa
San Antonio
Santaigo Jimenez
Spanish Language Radio Stations
Tamaulipas
Te Esperaré
Texas
Unions
Vicente Fernandez