The Legacy of Tejano Music: From Selena to Beyoncé and Kacey Musgraves

About this episode

This episode explores the legacy of Tejano music, its origins, and the impact of Johnny Canales on the genre.

In February 2026, The Mariachi Brothers, a musical group of 3 teenage boys, were detained by ICE during a scheduled court check-in. After their release, the brothers were invited by Country music star Kacey Musgraves to open her shows in New Braunfels, Texas. Continuing the legacy of Tejano Music, that in many ways is the story of Texas, migration, and the tension of assimilation.  In this episode, two years after the death of icon Johnny Canales, we look back at the origins of Tejano music. And  how Canales, the man known as the Oprah of Tejano music, changed the genre forever. Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa. Follow the show to get every episode. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts. Follow us on  TikTok  and  YouTube . Subscribe to our  newsletter .   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Maria Hinojosa

Topics covered

• Tejano music
• migration
• assimilation
• cultural legacy
• music history
• Texas

Keywords

• Tejano music
• Selena
• Beyoncé
• Kacey Musgraves
• Johnny Canales
• Texas
• migration
• assimilation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Latino USA, My Cultura, Futuro, iHeartPodcasts

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