Everybody in the bar had to drop a quarter in the jukebox or be shamed by “Momo†Villarreal. It wasn’t about the money; Mary Ann Villarreal’s grandmother insisted. It was about the music—more songs for all the patrons of the Pecan Lounge in Tivoli; Texas. But for Mary Ann; whose schoolbooks those quarters bought; the money didn’t hurt. When as an adult Villarreal began to wonder how the few recordings of women singers made their way into that jukebox; questions about the money seemed inseparable from those about the music. In Listening to Rosita; Villarreal seeks answers by pursuing the story of a small group of Tejana singers and entrepreneurs in Corpus Christi; Houston; and San Antonio—the “Texas Triangleâ€â€”during the mid-twentieth century. Ultimately she recovers a social world and cultural landscape in central south Texas where Mexican American women negotiated the shifting boundaries of race and economics to assert a public presence. Drawing on oral history; interviews; and insights from ethnic and gender studies; Listening to Rosita provides a counternarrative to previous research on la música tejana; which has focused almost solely on musicians or musical genres. Villarreal instead chronicles women’s roles and contributions to the music industry. In spotlighting the sixty-year singing career of San Antonian Rosita Fernández; the author pulls the curtain back on all the women whose names and stories have been glaringly absent from the ethnic and economic history of Tejana music and culture. In this oral history of the Tejana cantantes who performed and owned businesses in the Texas Triangle; Listening to Rosita shows how ethnic Mexican entrepreneurs developed a unique identity in striving for success in a society that demeaned and segregated them. In telling their story; this book supplies a critical chapter long missing from the history of the West.
#100623 in Books University of Oklahoma Press 2003-01-31Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 10.00 x .90 x 6.75l; 1.79 #File Name: 0806134844480 pages
Review
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. I'm enjoying itBy Tunes PlusIt seems that people's reviews of the book reflect their own point of view. As someone with limited knowledge of this hstory; I appreciate that this book captures the flavor and complexity of those times. It's point of view "rings true" with other accounts of how Spanish society worked at that time. Another reviewer said that there were better books out there but didn't bother to mention any. Scholars and poli-sci majors may have criticisms of it; but I'm glad I bought it.18 of 19 people found the following review helpful. Colonial History is about Conquest . . . This is colonial history!By SplammoWhile I appreciate the comment about being frustrated; how can one possibly look at colonial history without talking about conquest and domination and killing Indian people (Sadly; this is almost a definition of colonial history)?The purpose of a colony; especially a mercantilist colony (which Spain; England; France; and Russia were; incidentally) is that the colony survives for the benefit of the mother country.But; unlike the English and French regions; Spaniards had to have contracts from the king to settle or explore; as Kessell makes very clear; and had to abide by over 8;000 rules and regulations about the Indies. No other European colony had accountability like the Spanish. This book is far from Black Legend (I have some suggestions for that).Colonial history is about conquest; domination (how else do you turn something into a colony?); control; exploitation (some worse than others); but they all had to follow the regulations set up in the Recopilacion de las leyes de las Indias==and even Onate was found guilty of using excessive force against the Acoma Pueblos; living immorally; executing two of his own colonists (and more--; even though he eventually got exonerated by King Philip IV).While this book delves into COLONIAL history from a Spanish perspective; it is about as balanced as one can get. My only complaint is also a compliment--Kessell is an amazing storyteller (the way history should be); but sometimes the storytelling gets the reader off track and it's hard to come back to the flow of the chapter.Good on ya; Kessell. Great book!10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. Engaging and a different perspective from the history I learned in schoolBy JaxI first came across this book when I was doing research at my local library for a novel I am currently writing that is set prior to 1848; before the U.S. took possession. I found this book to be truly insightful; easy to understand; and captivating. The huge nuggets of information gave me a different perspective about what really happened in the southwest. I could easily draw parallels with imperial Spain to that of the U.S. because of the author's way of presenting information in a very candid and non-biased point of view. I grow weary of the same "Imperial White America" condemnations found in many history books that many people don't realize that conquest is not partial to white dominance; but rather to man's insatiable quest for power and domination over other cultures most vulnerable to their highly advanced weapons. Overall; this is a book I'm adding to my collection. Worth reading if you want a refreshing perspective from the type of history you learned in school.JAX; Author; Freelance Writer; EntrepreneurAuthor of Heart of the JaguarLearning Krav: Going Above and Beyond the Comfort Zone with the Israeli Art of Krav Maga ; Black Belt Magazine; Jan 2010 issueFeatured blog writer with [...]; 2009Sopa de Pollo para la alma latina ; 2009The Boy's Club ; Writer's Digest Short Story Writing Competition; 2008Alone; [...]; 2007A Shadow to Call Her Own ; Shorts; 2006Chicken Soup for the Latino Soul ; HCI Publishing 2005
