"Art lies in concealing art..." - Ovid, Art of LoveBy JUNIOR BONNER
The Paz Files
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - City fathers here are agonizing over a bizarre trend that has local bars and nightclubs pushing the blues. They say the dominant Mexican culture needs the traditional strolling musician to retain its true identity. To that end, this bordertown home to some 140,000 legal and illegal residents is asking the music sector to rally behind its move to bring back the celebrated street-ambling mariachi.
"This crap about the Blues and the Jazz and the ha-ha-ha will simply kill us," said a worried City Hall insider. "We're Brownsville, Texas, not New Orleans or Memphis! We're more Mexico than Mississippi, more Chicano than Texan, more Vato than Redneck, more Chaparro than Negroe."
Not since the border bandit Juan N. Cortina terrorized this part of the state has anything so unnerved Brownsville. Cortina's wild-flying bullets played a bad tune; the Blues now roil living room conversations here in the same manner that Cortina's maniacal assaults looped locals.
"I can see maybe having some Blues records at the Mall," said Salvador "El Bandolon" Colunga, a resident of the poverty-stricken Southmost neighborhood. "But I want my corridos, my cumbias, my merengue, my Rigo Tovar, my Tejano before I want the Blues. My nagging wife is my Blues!"
Yet, even as some wonder what the noise is all about, those pushing the Blues down local throats are doing it in warp-speed, coloring the idea with first-rate posters and writing up the mood in Blogs that approach the task with the zeal of a crackhead lighting up his next hit. It is at once comical and ridiculous. Brownsville's flirtation with the Blues is the equivalent of that now-gone flirtation with bordellos in neighboring Matamoros, Mexico. Came the time when city leaders there said enough is enough. The Bordello was shut down by the Mexican Army in a raid back in 1980. Here, the Blues are the new weed.
"I'm hip to the trip," said Maria "La Pelona" Lopez, a 28-year-old divorcee interviewed at a downtown Tex-Mex cafe. "I partied in Austin one weekend and I found it absolutely exciting, like I was in another world. The Blues settle me down, not like Tejano, which is like being hit on the side of the head with a bottle of Coca-Cola. I'm for the Blues, yes."
Another resident sees it as nothing more than the latest fad, something some in the city can say is something new coming to town, like the hula-hoop or the Davy Crockett coonskin cap.
"We went apeshit with the Urban Cowboy craze," said Porfirio "El Miserable" Ochoa. "We had Disco and everybody went over to Mervyn's to buy the white Travolta shoes and nylon shirts. Then we had Rap and every freakin' young Mexican started talking like Black people and wearing their pants below their waist, like pendejos. That's who we are - followers, not trendsetters."
Will the Blues find fertile ground in Brownsville?
"It's just a few Old Geezers looking for it, writing it up," said Ninfa "La Uva" Jeantete, a local waitress. "They are harmless guys. Let them think what they want to think. My idea of the Blues is something else, but who am I to blow against the wind..."
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14 comments:
only in the Paz Files. Gotta love it. Brownsville always has been the Valley's stepchild, el pobre. ha ha ha
Junior Bonner rules the blogging roost. Exelent article.
Brownsville is lucky to get water and electrical service. it's a mexucan pueblo!
Only blues in Browntown are in Las Prietas neighborhood. Men whip their wives nightl;y over there. It's a real low-rent part of town. Nothing but losers.
The young trendsetters can't do shit because the venue owners are either biased, cheap, scared of property damage or out of touch. Haven opens soon and it sounds like an upscale lounge for dried up old monkeys that hate the blues but also hate young people. Without a venue willing to help establish a counter culture that includes potential new citizenry, Brownsville will remain a shit hole with nothing to do on a weekend but stare at the walls and the old dogs that put them up. Yes. No wonder the youth are leaving. This town drains you.
-the counter culture aka those pesky kids and their college educations and new ideas
Wow, Mr. Editor, Junior Bonner has improved his writing skills. What a different write up, and a good one to.
I guess no more edikation, you'se, and all that good stuff Junior was writing about.
It is true, Brownsville is no blues town, Brownsville es puro Mexically, USA.
Mr.Editor, someone wrote a post on another blog, saying, they saw, Jr. Bonner eating at a local joint in Harlingen. Yes, apperantly with a woman and a small child.
Junior, Junior, what are the people from Harlingen going to do with you.
Alcatraz is back? Oh, no!!!! There goes Louise Herrera. He always takes his writer's women. man, what a shark! But welcome back, sir. The Tribune rocked when you were editor.
McHale knows that what he writes is al crap. there is NO blues scene in Brownsvile, just some shitty bars opening and letting mediocre musicians plunk away. Get real.
Brownsville's Jerry McHale is dreaming when he b/s people about being the capital of blue's music. Brownsville is what it is, the armpit of the Valley.
That Wilona Wessie Washington, is one nice fox, I could handle her, well for about 45 minutes. Those legs look like they are ready for action.
Look close at Wilona's boobs, her nipples point straight down - not so hot.
Anon, (Look Close), used the magnifying glass, you are so right, firm good looking thighs, flat stomach, probably a bubble ass, but you are right the boob's look kind of drapey. It is okay, I just want to handle her. You can tell she needs a real man, Weesie, I have plans for you. I will make you my, "slaaaavee".
Look out Weesie, look out Marquita, yes and Louise H. she to was hotter than a cup of coffee. Patrick Alcatraz is back, and he does a habit of taking other people's weemin, ooopss, I sounding like the old Junior, who wrote articles when he was drunk.
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