Little Joe and Councilman Robert C. Trevino
Tejano super star Little Joe turned 75 years old this week. He had a birthday party at La Fogata, in San Antonio, Tx, and I was there. It was not at all what I expected. You see, I grew up in Texas, in a very traditional Mexican family. Tejano music played a huge role in my upbringing. Little Joe and his music, in particular, was part of every pachanga our family ever celebrated. Whether it be Quinceneras, Mexican gweddings, funerals, or backyard parties (where we killed and ate cabrito). Little Joe’s music could be heard in the background of every single one of them. Even, while my tios got drunk and fought over the stupidest shit…”Siguele, jijuesuchingadamadre, pa darte otro pinche chingaso!! you could hear them yell. Only, to make up minutes later.
As I walked into the party, I saw Tejano stars like David Lee Garza, Augie Meyers, and several politicians. It was very quaint with limited seating, reserved for family and friends. I sat in a table with a few of my friends and Javier Galvan, former singer of grupo Fama. I met him for the first time that night. He spoke to me about his relationship with God, and how he had been saved, and is now part of a Christian fellowship. Yeah, ok, “what was the craziest thing a fan has ever done?”, I asked. He rolled his eyes and said, ” I’ll save that for another day”. He continued to go on about how much he had been blessed since turning his life around. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my time discussing and learning about his incredible endeavor’s, but since I’m probably going to hell already, I decided to give him my best Exorcist impression -“Your mother sucks cocks in hell!” I said with my devil voice. He was shocked for a second, but then busted into laughter. “You need Jesus!” he kept repeating.
At this point, Little Joe has arrived, and is in front of the room saying a few words. The politicians are handing over Proclamations after Proclamations. I lost count on how many he received that night. By now, I’m on my second or third bowl of chips and salsa – there goes la dieta. My friend decides to take the guacamole and chile appetizer, and turn it into something phallic. I hand it over to an elderly lady sitting at the table with us. I thought this would totally shock her, but instead she picks up the chile and slowly slides it back and forth in her mouth. She pretends to give the chile a bj, and I seriously pissed my pants! I instantly look over at Javier to see if he’s clutching his rosary beads by now, but he’s to busy laughing too. The joke was totally on us, and instantly this lady was my hero….God, I hope I’m blowing a chile at that age.
Another two bowls of chips and salsa later, the speeches are done, we receive our meal, and I look over at David Lee Garza, who is sitting at the table next to me. He has a stack of 7 empty salsa bowls piled up in a corner. I asked him if he wanted to start a pyramid with both our collection of salsa bowls, he laughed and gave me a wink. I wondered when he’d be having his birthday party, so that I could crash that too. Next, our food is served, and Little Joe starts to make his rounds. He graciously takes pictures with everyone, while STILL wearing his shades. You could hear the gratitude in his voice, and the love for this man permeated the room. People were randomly walking over to each others tables to reminisce. A lot of them came over to my table to meet Javier Galvan. “Are you still with grupo Fama?”, they would ask. Javier was quick to reply – “no, I’m with a Christian group now”. They all gave him that starry-eyed look, like when you ask someone to give you a ride to the airport….” A Christian group?, ah ta bueno” they would say, as they walked away.
We decided to call it a night, but not before I got a chance to meet Little Joe, and all of his familia. Shaking his hand, I was instantly 6 years old again, handing him a rose at a Mexican wedding where he was singing that night. Because, you know behind every kind gesture from a Mexican little kid, is a Mexican mother in the background saying, “Andale mija, pa tomar un foto…mira que cute!”. I can guarantee, that little Mexican girl – Sophia Cruz, who passed tight security to hand Pope Francis a letter, had her Mexican mother helping her over that fence. I can hear her now, “Orale, go, no te van aser nada, they will bring you back mija, pa que salgas en la noos!”. Anyway, I wish I had brought a rose to hand Little Joe that night, and taken a picture to show my mom. “Mira mami!”….”Ay que essiting” she would probably say.
As I left the party, I felt grateful to have been able to share in such a wonderful event. I didn’t hear any “gritos”, or any Mexicans yelling at each other, but it was an honor to meet the person that evokes those emotions in us. Flooded with memories of my childhood, I realized Tejano will never die, it is engrained in my heart, and in the fabric of my culture for as long as I live. As long as Mexicans continue to cagar el palo, party, or get rowdy, Tejano music and Little Joe will always be our “eye of the tiger”. Tonight, I can give a sigh of relief knowing somewhere, Javier Galvan is praying for my soul. To that I say….. “Jijuesuchingadamadre!” ;0
