CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coastal Bend is known for producing popular Tejano artists like Oscar Martinez who was considered a pioneer of the genre.
Martinez was a Corpus Christi native that was an essential part of the early years of Tejano music. Throughout his 50-year career, he performed popular songs with his orchestra like, 'El Tejano Enamorado' and 'Corpus Christi Rose.' Now, his daughter is trying to keep his legacy alive with an exhibit that pays tribute to important Tejano artists.
Musician Carlos Cardenas said at a young age he knew he wanted to pursue a career in music after witnessing Oscar Martinez perform. Years later, he would get the opportunity to not just meet but also perform with Martinez.
"But Oscar was totally an influence on just about a lot of people, a lot of guys I know. He was a character, a nice man," Cardenas said.
Noe Lerma with the Tejano R.O.O.T.S. Hall of Fame said it's important to keep Tejano history alive and to not let musicians like Martinez be forgotten.
"Pero, we don't want to let this go because this is part of our history, part of what we grew up with and we try to encourage our kids to not let this die because once it's dead, it's gone forever," said Lerma.
Iris Simmons is the daughter of Oscar Martinez and she is not only keeping her dad's legacy alive but also Tejano's history with Martinez's exhibit of paintings of iconic artists that shaped the genre.
"So, I will continue the tradition or his legacy as long as I can, mainly for our history and culture," Simmons said. "We can not forget it. It has to be documented."
La Loma Rosa: A Retrospective of Oscar Martinez is an exhibit that features 71 portraits of Corpus Christi and Tejano legends. It will be open to the public until October 15 at the Garcia Arts and Education Center.