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Intocable

Intocable

Grammy award winning superstar group Intocable (Untouchable) is a Tejano/Norteño musical group from Zapata, Texas that was started by friends Ricky Muñoz and René Martínez in the early 90's. Within a couple years as a band, Intocable had already risen to the top of the Tejano and Norteño fields with a musical signature that had fused Tejano's robust polkas and Norteño folk rhythms with a pop balladry. Currently, Intocable could very well be the most influential group in Tejano, and their tough Tejano/Norteño fusion has become the blueprint for dozens of Tex-Mex groups. The group's strengths, which include romantic hooky melodies, and tight instrumentation and vocal harmony is consistantly being imitated by a list of other great Tejano and Norteño groups. This list includes groups such as Imán, Duelo, Costumbre, Solido, and Zinzerro among others. Career accomplishments include four consecutive sold-out nights at Mexico City's prestigious Auditorio Nacional and the group's 2003 headlining appearance at Reliant Stadium in Houston, which drew a record 70,104 fans. They also played two sold-out dates at the 10,000-capacity Monterrey Arena in Monterrey, Mexico. It was an unusual accomplishment, given that Norteño groups typically play large dance halls and rarely arenas, unless it's an all day festival event. Intocable has also won at least eight of Univision's Premio Lo Nuestro awards, and received their first Grammy win in February 2005 at the 47th Annual Grammys (Grammy Award for Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album Album; Intimamente).Grammy Award for Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album Life hasn't always been this kind to the group, though. For the first couple of years, getting the Intocable name off the ground was very tough, and the band's first indie albums barely sold. It wasn't until August of 1994 when their recorded album Fuego Eterno, with new label EMI Latin, hit the shelves. At first, much of the public dismissed the album as a Ramón Ayala y Sus Bravos del Norte knock-off, but after the public started to pay attention, they soon realized that this musical style was a flavor of its own. There was no doubt that the music of Ramón Ayala played a huge part on the direction this band was to go in. Even the band's lead vocalist and accordion player, Ricky Muñoz has said countless times that his biggest inspiration is Mr. Ayala, himself. On January 31, 1999, the group suffered a huge and devistating blow and setback in their lives when two of their bandmates and a road manager were killed in an auto accident in Mexico. Muñoz and the remaining members of the group were severely injured and spent weeks in a Monterrey hospital. After a six-month layoff, however, the band returned triumphantly, with a sold-out tour behind its comeback album Contigo (With You), whose first single was entitled El Amigo que Se Fue (To A Friend Who Has Left), a tribute song to the fallen band members. The group states that all they have earned, they've worked hard for. That nothing was ever just given to them. That they are always looking out for that magical song with the right combination of lyrics and music that will make that connection, intrigue and have a huge impact on the life of everyday people. Intocable's most popular songs include: Y Todo Para Qué?, El Poder de Tus Manos, Dónde Estás?, Vete Ya, La Mentira, Eres Mi Droga, and Amor Maldito, among others.

Discography

~not including compilations and greatest hits~ circa 1992..... Simplemente...Intocable (Simply Untouchable) 1994........... Fuego Eterno (Eternal Fire) 1995........... Otro Mundo (Another World) 1996........... LLevame Contigo (Take Me With You) 1997........... IV a.k.a. Cuatro (IV a.k.a. Four) 1998........... Intocable 1999........... Contigo (With You) 2000........... Es Para Tí (This Is For You) 2002........... Sueños (Dreams) 2003........... Nuestro Destino Estaba Escrito (Our Destiny Was Written) 2004........... Intimamente (Intimately...Live Album) 2005........... X a.k.a. Diez (X a.k.a. Ten)

Band Members

Ricardo "Ricky" Muñoz - (Lead Vocalist, Accordion) René Martínez - (Drums) Sergio Serna - (Percussion) Daniel (Dany) Sánchez - (Second Voice; Bajo Sexto) Félix Salinas - (Electric Bass) Juan Hernández - (Group Animation and Rythms) Johnny Lee Rosas - (Bajo Sexto, Arrangements) Category:Norteño Category:Grammy Awards for Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album Category:Mexican Americans Category:Musical groups

Grammy Award

The Grammy Awards (originally the Gramophone Awards), presented by the Recording Academy (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards shows held annually in the United States (the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music Awards, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, make up the rest). However, the Grammys, usually held in February, (last of what are considered the "big three" music awards shows, including the BMA and AMA shows) are considered the approximate equivalent to the Oscars, in the music world. Like the Oscars, the Grammys, which currently have 105 categories within 30 genres of music (such as pop, gospel, and rap), are voted upon by peers - voting members of the Recording Academy - rather than being based upon popularity (as with the BMAs and the AMAs). The awards are named for the trophy which the winner receives - a small gilded statuette of a gramophone. Hand Crafted by Billings Artworks. The awards ceremony features performances by prominent artists, and some of the more prominent Grammys are presented in a widely-viewed televised ceremony. Some feel that because Grammy voters tend to vote conservatively, and are marketed to by record companies, the most widely-recognized Grammys tend to go to either well-established artists or those being hyped by the recording industry. Hence, the Grammys are not taken seriously by some musicians and music fans. In fact, many artists who are placed in high regard, artistically, by many fans and critics (such as Elvis Presley, Garth Brooks, Pink Floyd, Kenny Rogers, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Radiohead, Pixies and The Smiths) have only been awarded very few Grammys. Of the "big three" music awards shows, the Grammys are the highest rated. Unlike the Academy Awards, for which the eligiblilty period begins January 1, the eligibility period for the Grammys begins October 1, which results in September being considered the Christmas sales period for the music industry (in which artists generally release big albums to qualify for the next year's Grammy). So, for example, John Lennon & Yoko Ono's album Double Fantasy was released in November, 1980, a month-and-a-half too late to qualify for the 1981 Grammys, and thus eligible for the 1982 awards (it eventually won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year). The Grammys are currently broadcast on CBS.

Grammy Records

Pat Metheny and the Pat Metheny Group have won 16 Grammys in total, including six consecutive awards for six consecutive albums. Metheny, as of the 2004 Grammy Awards, holds the record for Grammy wins in the most different categories: # Best Jazz Fusion Performance (1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1990) # Best Instrumental Composition (1991) # Best Contemporary Jazz Performance/Album (1993, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2003) # Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group (1998, 2000) # Best Rock Instrumental Performance (1999) # Best Jazz Instrumental Solo (2001) # Best New Age Album (2004) Session drummer Hal Blaine played on six consecutive records which won Record of the Year: # 1966 Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass - "A Taste of Honey" # 1967 Frank Sinatra - "Strangers in the Night" # 1968 5th Dimension - "Up, Up and Away" # 1969 Simon & Garfunkel - "Mrs. Robinson" # 1970 5th Dimension - "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" # 1971 Simon & Garfunkel - "Bridge Over Troubled Water" Legendary Opera Diva Leontyne Price has won 18 awards Soul and R&B legend Aretha Franklin has won 11 awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, including 8 consecutive (and the first 8 ever awarded) awards in the category: # 1968 - "Respect" # 1969 - "Chain of Fools" # 1970 - "Share Your Love With Me" # 1971 - "Don't Play That Song" # 1972 - "Bridge Over Troubled Water" # 1973 - Young, Gifted, and Black # 1974 - "Master of Eyes" # 1975 - "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" # 1982 - "Hold On, I'm Comin'" # 1986 - "Freeway of Love" # 1988 - Aretha Conductor Sir Georg Solti holds the record for most Grammys won, having won a total of thirty-eight awards before his death in 1997. The most Grammys won in a single night is eight -- a record shared by Michael Jackson (1984), and Carlos Santana (2000). Christopher Cross (Grammy Awards of 1981) and Norah Jones (Grammy Awards of 2003) are the only artists to receive the "Big Four" (Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist) in a single ceremony. Béla Fleck has been nominated in more categories than any other musician, namely country, pop, jazz, bluegrass, classical, folk, and spoken word, as well as composition and arranging.

Award categories

Awards by year

Years reflect the year in which the awards were presented, for music released in the previous year.

External links

- [http://www.grammy.com Official site] Category:Grammy Awards ja:グラミー賞

Norteño (music)

Norteño (literally meaning "northern" in Spanish, and also known as conjunto) is a traditional style of Mexican music that originated in rural northern Mexico in the early 20th century, a form of music based largely on corridos and polka. The accordion and the bajo sexto is the music's most characteristic instruments. Norteño is extremely popular among first-generation Mexicans in both the inner city barrios and the rural countrysides of the United States and Mexico. Norteño is by the most popular subgenre of the Tex-Mex musical category. It is not to be confused with tejano music, which is more similar to rock music. In the 1950s, the spread of conjunto and norteño into southern Texas gave rise to Tejano (or "Tex-Mex"), which in its modern version is also influenced by rock and swing [http://sg1.allmusic.com/cg/smp.dll?r=20.asx&link=vwvj34pyo0jcg77z04pzhz5]. Another norteño-derived style is banda, which uses solely brass instruments instead of accordions and guitars. Some of the most popular norteño artists include Los Tigres del Norte, Ramón Ayala y sus Bravos del Norte, Los Gavilanes, Carlos y Jose, Los Alegres de Terán, Los Huracanes del Norte, Los Tucanes De Tijuana, and others.

The sound of norteño

In the past, norteño bands consisted of an accordion as the lead instrument, with the bajo sextos (a type of 12-string Mexican guitar) serving as the roots of the music. Today, a modern Norteño band usually consists of an accordion, a bajo sexto, a bass guitar, a drum set. Occasionally, a saxophone or electronic keyboard may also be included. [http://sg1.allmusic.com/cg/smp.dll?r=20.asx&link=vw2j32uy7ijfsacq0gnnhz5 Click here] to hear what a typical norteño song sounds like. (Un Puño de Tierra by Ramon Ayala y sus Bravos del Norte) Norteño has many different regional variations. Norteño in Texas, for example, is very likely to be influenced by American music, while norteño from Tijuana and Tamaulipas may sometimes have influences from the Caribbean. Durango and Sinaloa have also produced norteño bands, even though the two states are more closely associtated with the musical styles of duranguense and banda, respectively. Chihuahua and Zacatecas norteño often incorporates the saxophone into their bands, creating a saxophone-accordion duet. Additionally, norteño music from Guanajuato and Chiapas sometimes employs synthetic marimbas in their music instead of the usual accordion. Each norteño band also has its own unique adorno (music which interrupt the lyrical lines in between). For example, one of Los Tigres del Norte's adornos is a series of flutters, while Los Rieleros del Norte's adornos are characteriaed by descending scales.

Sound samples

These sound samples illustrate the typical sound of Norteño music. Mainstream modern norteño:
- [http://sg1.allmusic.com/cg/smp.dll?r=20.asx&link=vwvj34pyo0jcg77z04pzhz5 Chaparrra de mi Amor] by Palomo
- [http://sg1.allmusic.com/cg/smp.dll?r=20.asx&link=xlmicifkygs4jm7pa5ug2w7 De Un Rancho A Otro] by Dueto Voces del Rancho
- [http://sg1.allmusic.com/cg/smp.dll?r=20.asx&link=psoeysmljpb439ppm7zrf4h El Disgusto] by Dinastia Norteña
- [http://sg1.allmusic.com/cg/smp.dll?r=20.asx&link=0wxiinb4qd3d473qtdvz55u En Las Cantinas] by El Chapo de Sinaloa
- [http://sg1.allmusic.com/cg/smp.dll?r=20.asx&link=7nwpz6lpyq2iqwonkrxizec Las Tres Ramitas] by Los Dinamicos Del Norte Old-styled norteño:
- [http://sg1.allmusic.com/cg/smp.dll?r=20.asx&link=uxa9qummh2eiy9m5eklskz9 Busca Otro Amor] by Las Jilguerillas
- [http://sg1.allmusic.com/cg/smp.dll?r=20.asx&link=kpq7vs9u4zonga2qctjya6q El Chubasco] by Carlos y José
- [http://sg1.allmusic.com/cg/smp.dll?r=20.asx&link=pqqc7quaocajm50udjk67ad Ojitos Negros] by Cornelio Reyna
- [http://sg1.allmusic.com/cg/smp.dll?r=20.asx&link=0wjsbnh4qfmwky8qtsvz5si Por Una Mujer Casada] by Los Tremendos Gavilanes Variant styles:
- [http://sg1.allmusic.com/cg/smp.dll?r=20.asx&link=xlmic8ck52s3id75awp62w7 Simon Blanco] by Los Rieleros del Norte (saxophone-accordion duet)
- [http://sg1.allmusic.com/cg/smp.dll?r=20.asx&link=wlwm15nhji86v55y1qvzjau Te Quiero Mucho] by Los Rieleros del Norte
- [http://sg1.allmusic.com/cg/smp.dll?r=20.asx&link=mt4r4akjqeiqveg5gaqbwfs Reina del Sur] by Los Tigres del Norte (heavier guitar effect, different accordion playing technique)
- [http://sg1.allmusic.com/cg/smp.dll?r=20.asx&link=wqh1mljze6rvnuypxwu65i3 Causame La Muerte] by Los Tigres del Norte

External links

- [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/MM/xbm1.html The Handbook of Texas Online: Musica Norteña]
Category:Mexican styles of music Category:Norteño Category:Polka genres

Texas

Texas is a state located in the United States of America. The 28th U.S. state, Texas joined the United States in 1845. Its postal abbreviation is TX. The state name derives from a word in a Caddoan language of the Hasinai, táysha (or tejas, as the Spaniards spelled it), meaning friends or allies. Spanish explorers mistakenly applied the word to the people and their location. With an area of 696,241 km² and a population of 22.5 million, Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous 48 states in area. (Alaska is the largest U.S. state in area and California is the most populous.) Texas has historically had a "larger than life" reputation, especially in cowboy films.

History

Texas can claim that "Six Flags" have flown over its soil: the Fleur-de-lis of France, and the national flags of Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States of America and the Confederate States of America. Native American tribes that once lived inside the boundaries of present-day Texas include Apache, Atakapan, Bidai, Caddo, Comanche, Cherokee, Kiowa, Tonkawa, and Wichita. Currently, there are three federally recognized Native American tribes which reside in Texas: the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, and the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas. On November 6, 1528 shipwrecked Spanish conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca became the first known European to set foot on Texas. A member of the Narváez expedition, he was later enslaved by a Native American tribe of the upper Gulf coast, and explored what are now the U.S. states of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona on foot from coastal Louisiana to Sinaloa, Mexico, over a period of roughly six years. He returned to Europe in 1537, where he wrote about his experiences in a work called La relación ("The Tale"). Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca] Prior to 1821, Texas was part of the Spanish colony of New Spain. After Mexican independence in 1821, Texas became part of Mexico and in 1824 became the northern section of Coahuila y Tejas. On 3 January 1823, Stephen F. Austin began a colony of 300 American families along the Brazos River in present-day Fort Bend County and Brazoria County, centered primarily in the area of what is now Sugar Land. This group became known as the "Old Three Hundred." The "Conventions" of 1832 and 1833 responded to rising unrest at the policies of the ruling Mexican government. Policies that most irritated the Texians included the Mexican ban on slavery, the forcible disarmament of Texian settlers, and the expulsion of illegal immigrants from the United States of America. The example of the Centralista forces' suppression of dissidents in Zacatecas also inspired fear of the Mexican government. Zacatecas On March 2, 1836, the "Convention of 1836" signed the Texas "Declaration of Independence," declaring Texas an independent nation. On April 21, 1836 the Texans won their independence when they defeated the Mexican forces of Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. Santa Anna himself passed into captivity, and on May 14, Republic of Texas officials and General Santa Anna signed the treaty of Velasco. The Republic of Texas included all the area now included in the state of Texas, although its self-proclaimed western and northwestern borders extended as far west as Santa Fe and as far northwest as present-day Wyoming, respectively. In 1845, Texas was admitted to the United States as a constituent state of the Union. Annexation was mutually beneficial to Texas and the United States. Texas was in a very susceptible position following independence, with a weak government, little industry, and minimal infrastructure. The U.S. could not allow such a tenuous nation to sit right on its border. Texas also lay partially in the way of the U.S. expansion to the Pacific, and its "Manifest Destiny." The major stumbling block of annexation, besides the potential for war with Mexico, was the fact that Texas was a slave state and potentially would tip the balance between free and slave states due to its huge size. Some southerners were pushing for the ability to divide Texas into multiple states, thereby increasing the number of slave states even more. A compromise was reached in that if Texas were divided, any states north of the Missouri Compromise would be free states. During the Civil War, Texas seceded from the Union and joined the Confederate States of America. In 1870, the United States Congress readmitted Texas into the Union. Texas today is a state thoroughly steeped in tradition, yet equally embracing of new social and technological developments. From the state capital of Austin (also headquarters of Dell Computers and known as "Silicon Hills") to the cosmopolitan air of Dallas, to the oil-and-finance rich industry of Houston to the Latinesque cultures of San Antonio and El Paso, the state tourism slogan truly fits: "Texas: It's like a whole other country."

Geography

1870

Location

Texas borders New Mexico on the west, Oklahoma on the north (across the Red River), and Louisiana (across the Sabine River) and Arkansas on the east. To the southwest, across the Rio Grande, Texas borders the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. To the southeast of Texas lies the Gulf of Mexico. Texas lies in the south-central part of the United States of America. Texas is considered to form part of the US South and part of the U.S. Southwest. Some regions of Texas are associated with the Southwest more than the South, while other regions are associated with the South more than the Southwest. Texas shares some cultural elements with both regions, with more similarities with the South, especially Arkansas and Louisiana, in East Texas, and more similarities with the Southwest, especially Mexico and New Mexico, in West Texas and South Texas. Texas is so large in its east-west expanse that El Paso, in the western corner of the state, is closer to San Diego, California than to Beaumont, near the Louisiana state line; Beaumont, in turn is closer to Jacksonville, Florida than it is to El Paso. The north-south extent is similarly impressive; Dalhart, in the nortwestern corner of the state, is closer to the state capitals of Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming than it is to the Texas state capital (Austin).

Human Geography

Articles on Texas regions:
- Arklatex
- Big Bend
- Central Texas
- Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
- Deep East Texas
- East Texas
- Edwards Plateau
- Greater Houston
- North Texas
- Northeast Texas
- Piney Woods
- Rio Grande Valley
- Texas Hill Country
- Texas Panhandle
- Llano Estacado
- Southeast Texas
- South Texas
- West Texas For the 254 counties of Texas,

Natural Geography

counties] counties] counties] Texas has five major topographic regions: # The Coastal Plain, from the Gulf of Mexico inland to about San Antonio and just southeast of Austin # The Hill Country and Edwards Plateau, a hilly rocky area in central Texas bordered on the east by the Balcones Fault zone and Blackland Prairie. # The Great Plains region extends into northern Texas, including the Llano Estacado and the Panhandle High Plains # The North Central Plains # The Trans-Pecos Desert, a subdivision of the Chihuahuan Desert, in extreme western Texas, west of the Pecos River

Geology

Texas is the southernmost part of the Great Plains, which ends in the south against the folded Sierra Madre Oriental of Mexico. It is mostly sedimentary rocks, with east Texas underlain by a Cretaceous and younger sequence of sediments, the trace of ancient shorelines east and south until the active continental margin of the Gulf of Mexico is met. This sequence is built atop the subsided crest of the Appalachian Mountains–Ouachita Mountains–Marathon Mountains zone of Pennsylvanian continental collision, which collapsed when rifting in Jurassic time opened the Gulf. West from this orogenic crest, which is buried beneath the Dallas–Waco–Austin–San Antonio trend, the sediments are Permian and Triassic in age. Oil is found in the Cretaceous sediments in the east, the Permian sediments in the west, and along the Gulf coast and out on the Texas continental shelf. A few exposures of Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks are found in the central and western parts of the state, and Oligocene volcanic rocks are found in far west Texas, in the Big Bend area. A blanket of Miocene sediments known as the Ogallala formation in the western high plains region is an important aquifer. Texas has no active or dormant volcanoes and few earthquakes, being situated far from an active plate tectonic boundary.

Government and politics

State Law and Government

plate tectonic] Austin is the capital of Texas. The State Capitol resembles the federal Capitol Building in Washington, DC, but is faced in pink granite and is topped by a statue of the "Goddess of Liberty" holding aloft a five-point Texas star. Like several other southern state capitols, it faces south instead of north. The capitol building is seven feet taller than the U.S. national capitol, but it is less massive. Republican Rick Perry has served as Governor of Texas since December 2000 when George W. Bush vacated the office to assume the Presidency. Two Republicans represent Texas in the U.S. Senate: Kay Bailey Hutchison (since 1993) and John Cornyn (since 2002). Texas has 32 representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives: 21 Republicans and 11 Democrats. The Texas Constitution, adopted in 1876, is the second longest in the nation. As with many state constitutions, it explicitly provides for the separation of powers and incorporates its bill of rights directly into the text of the constitution (as Article I). The bill of rights is considerably lengthier and more detailed than the federal Bill of Rights, and includes some provisions unique to Texas. The executive branch consists of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Land Commissioner, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner, the three-member Railroad Commission, the State Board of Education, and the Secretary of State. The Comptroller decides if expected state income is sufficient to cover the propsed state budget. Except for the Secretary of State—who is appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate—each of these officials is elected. There are also a large number of state agencies and numerous boards and commissions. Partly because of the large number of elected officials, the Governor's powers are quite limited in comparison to other state governors or the U.S. President. In popular lore and belief the Lieutenant Governor, who heads the Senate and appoints its committees, has more power than the Governor. The Governor commands the state militia and can veto bills passed by the Legislature and call special sessions of the Legislature. He or she also appoints members of various executive boards and fills judicial vacancies between elections. The Legislature of Texas, like the legislature of every other state except Nebraska, is bicameral (that is, has two chambers). The House of Representatives has 150 members, while the Senate has 31. The speaker of the house, currently Tom Craddick (R-Midland) leads the House, and the Lieutenant Governor (currently Republican David Dewhurst) leads the State Senate. The Legislature meets in regular session only once every two years. The judicial system of Texas has a reputation as one of the most complex in the United States—if not in the world—with many layers and many overlapping jurisdictions. Texas has two courts of last resort: the Texas Supreme Court—which hears civil cases—and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Except in the case of some municipal benches, partisan elections choose all of the judges at all levels of the judiciary; the Governor fills vacancies by appointment.

County Government

Texas has a total of 254 counties, by far the most counties of any state. Each county is run by a "commissioners court" consisting of four elected commissioners (one from each of four precincts drawn based on population) and a "county judge" elected from all the voters of the county. The county judge does not have authority to veto a decision of the commissioners court, s/he votes along with the commissioners. In smaller counties, the county judge actually does perform judicial duties, but in larger counties the judge's role is limited to serving on the commissioners court. Certain officials such as the sheriff and tax collector are elected separately by the voters and state law specifies their salaries, but the commissioners court determines their office budgets. Counties also have much less legal power than municipalities, for instance, counties in Texas do not have zoning power or eminent domain power (except in very rare circumstances).

Municipal Government

Texas does not have townships; areas within a county are either "incorporated" (i.e., part of a city, though the city may contract with the county for needed services) or "unincorporated" (i.e., not part of a city, in these areas the county has authority for law enforcement and road maintenance). Cities are classified as either "general law" or "home rule". A city may elect "home rule" status (i.e., draft an independent city charter) once it exceeds 5,000 population and the voters agree to home rule. Otherwise, it is classified as "general law" and has very limited powers. One example of the difference in the two structures regards annexation. General law cities cannot annex adjacent unincorporated areas without the property owner's consent; home rule cities may annex without consent, but must provide essential services within a specified period of time or the property owner may file suit to be deannexed.

School and Special Districts

In addition to cities and counties, Texas has numerous "special districts". The most common is the independent school district, which (with one exception) has a board of trustees that is independent of any other governing authority. School district boundaries are not coaligned with city or county boundaries; it is not uncommon for a school district to cover one or more counties or for a large city to be served by several school districts. Other special districts include water supply, public hospitals, and community colleges.

Politics

Texas politics are currently dominated by the Republican Party, which has strong majorities in the Texas Senate and House of Representatives. Every executive branch official elected statewide is Republican, as is every member of Texas's two courts of last resort; no Democrat has won a statewide election since 1994. The majority of the state's delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives is Republican, as are both U.S. Senators. A notable exception to this trend is the Travis County District Attorney, Ronnie Earle, a Democrat elected by the people of Austin who has served since 1978 with state-wide authority and responsibility for legally prosecuting political mischief. The position of Travis County DA is uniquely so-empowered by the Texas Constitution; most states grant this authority to the more broadly elected position of Attorney General. Note: the congressional districts in Texas were redrawn in 2003 by the Republican-dominated legislature. Districts are supposed to be drawn after the national census every 10 years, but an impasse in the Texas Legislature resulted in the districts being drawn by the courts. The legislature, with controversial help from U.S. Congressman Tom DeLay, redrew the districts after the Republicans gained a larger share of the legislature. A court challenge of the change was upheld by the Republican-dominated Texas Supreme Court. Like other Southern states, Texas historically was a one-party state of the Democratic Party. The Democrats controlled a majority in the Texas House and in the state's Congressional delegation until the 2002 and 2004 elections, respectively. One of the most famous Texans was a Democrat: Lyndon Baines Johnson served in the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and as vice-president and president of the United States.

Economy

vice-president Texas remained largely rural until World War II, with cattle ranching, oil, and agriculture as its main industries. Contrary to popular mythology, cattle ranching was never Texas's chief industry. Before the oil boom, back to the period of the first anglo settlers, this was cotton farming (as in most of the South). In 1926 San Antonio had over 120,000 people, the largest population of any city in Texas. After World War II, Texas became increasingly industralized. Its economy (circa 2000) relies largely on information technology, oil and natural gas, energy exploration and energy trading, agriculture, and manufacturing. The state has two major economic centers: the Greater Houston area and the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Houston stands at the center of the petrochemical and biomedical research trades while Dallas functions as the center of the agricultural and information technology labor market in Texas. Other major cities include San Antonio, Austin, Brownsville, Lubbock, Amarillo, Abilene, Beaumont, McAllen, Tyler, Odessa and Midland. Other important cities include Killeen, home to Fort Hood the largest military Post in the U.S., El Paso, Eagle Pass, and Laredo; these have particular significance due to their location on the border with Mexico, making them important trade points. The state passed New York in the 1990s to become the second-largest U.S. state in population (after California). Texas had a gross state product of $764 billion, the third highest in America after California and New York respectively. Texas's growth is often attributed to the availability of jobs, the low cost of housing (housing values in the Dallas and Houston areas, while generally rising, have not risen at the astronomical rates of other areas such as San Francisco), the lack of a personal state income tax, low taxation of business, limited government (the state legislature of Texas meets only once every two years), and favorable climate.

Film and television

Texas is one of the top filmmaking states in the United States, just after California and New York. More than $1.2 billion has been spent in Texas just for filming since 1990. The Texas Film Commission was founded for free services to filmmakers, from location research to traveling.

Demographics

The people of Texas, historically often known as Texians, are now generally referred to as Texans. As of 2004, the state had a population of 22,490,022. The state has 3,450,500 foreign-born residents (15.6% of the state population), of which an estimated 1.2 million are illegal aliens (illegal aliens account for more than one-third of the foreign-born population in Texas and 5.4% of the total state population). The state's population grew 5.5 million between 1990 and 2004, a growth of 32.4%

Ethnic origins

More than one-third of Texas residents are of Hispanic origin and may be of any racial groups. Some are recent arrivals from Mexico, Central America, or South America, while others, known as Tejanos, have ancestors who have lived in Texas since before Texan independence, or at least for several generations. Tejanos are the largest ancestral group in southern Duval County. Perhaps numerically Mexican-Texans dominate south, south-central, and west Texas and are a significant part of the work force of cities of Dallas and Houston. Other population groups in Texas also exhibit great diversity. Frontier Texas saw settlements of Germans, particularly in Fredericksburg and New Braunfels. In fact, the largest family in Texas today is of German descent. After the European revolutions of 1848, German, Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, Czech and French immigration grew, and continued until World War I. The influence of the diverse immigrants from Europe survives in the names of towns, styles of architecture, genres of music, and varieties of cuisine. Texans of German descent dominate much of central and southeast-central Texas and one county in the area, Lavaca, is predominately Czech. In recent years, the Asian population in Texas has grown, especially in Houston and in Dallas. People from mainland China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia India, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Pakistan and other countries have settled in Texas. In August 2005, it was announced by the United States Census that Texas has become the fourth minority-majority state in the nation (after Hawaii, New Mexico, and California). According to the Texas state Data Center, if current trends continue, Hispanics will become a majority in the state by 2030. All data comes from the United States Census state population estimates. The largest reported ancestry groups in Texas include: Mexican (24.3%), African American (11.5%), German (9.9%), American (7.2%), and Irish (7.2%). Much of east, central, and north Texas is inhabited primarily by Texans of White Anglo Saxon Protestant heritage, primarily descended from the British Isles. African Americans, who historically made up one-third of the state population, are concentrated in those parts of East Texas where the ante-bellum cotton plantation culture was most prominent. Census data reports 7.8% of Texas's population as under 5, 28.2% under 18, and 9.9% over 64 years. Females made up 50.4% of the population.

Cities and metropolitan areas

Largest cities

Roman Catholic] Roman Catholic] Roman Catholic] Roman Catholic] Roman Catholic] Texas has two global cities as Houston and Dallas hold the title of "Gamma World City" by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network (GaWC). Ranked by population of cities (incorporated municipalities), the five largest cities in Texas are Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, and Fort Worth. Photographs of the downtowns of those five cities are displayed to the right, in order of each city's population according to 2004 U.S. Census estimates within city limits. Texas is the only state in the U.S.A. to have three cities with populations exceeding 1 million (California has two; no other state has more than one)--Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas, which are also among the 10 largest cities of the United States. Austin and Fort Worth are in the top 20 largest US cities. Some cities not listed are still considered important on the basis of other factors and issues, including culture, economics, heritage, and politics.

Metropolitan areas

Texas has 25 metropolitan areas (MSAs) defined by the United States Census Bureau. The two largest are ranked among the top 10 United States metropolitan areas. In 2003, the U.S. Census introduced "metropolitan divisions" within some metropolitan areas. Texas has two metropolitan divisions within the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington MSA. The following table lists population figures for those metropolitan areas, in rank of population. Population figures are as of the 2003 U.S. Census estimates.

Education and scientific research

Public schools

The public school systems are administered by the Texas Education Agency. All but one of the school districts in Texas are separate from any form of municipal government, hence they are called "independent school districts," or "ISD" for short. School districts may cross city and county boundaries. School districts have the power to tax their residents and to use eminent domain. The sole exception to this rule is Stafford Municipal School District, which serves all of the city of Stafford. Texas has twenty Educational Service Center "regions" that serve the local school districts.

Colleges and universities

Stafford] The University of Texas System, established by the Texas Constitution in 1876, consisted of nine academic universities, six health institutions, and UT System administration in 2004. UT System institutions enrolled a total of 182,752 students in fall 2004 making it one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation. In 2004, The University of Texas at Austin, which is the largest institution in the UT System and in the state of Texas, maintained an enrollment of 50,377 students. The University of Texas at Austin was once the largest institution in the United States, but it is now one of the top 3 largest by population and is the world's 15th top ranking university. Seven doctoral programs at UT Austin rank in the top 10 in the nation and 22 degree programs rank in the top 25, according to a comprehensive study of the quality of graduate schools conducted by the United States National Research Council. Four of the seven medical schools of Texas are within the University of Texas System. In 2004, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas was ranked the 16th highest ranking medical school in the United States, with four of Texas' eleven Nobel laureates. The Texas A&M University System is the second largest state university system of higher learning in Texas. Its flagship institution is Texas A&M University located in College Station and is the state's oldest public institution of higher education. Funded research generally exceeds that of all other Texas universities, and Texas A&M ranks among the top ten national universities in research. It is the second largest university in the state of Texas and also one of the top 10 largest schools in the nation. The University of Houston System is the largest urban state system of higher education in the Gulf Coast, which has four universities with three located in Houston. Its flagship institution is the University of Houston, the only doctoral degree granting extensive research institution in Houston and is the third largest in the state of Texas with an enrollment of over 36,000. The interdisciplinary research conducted at UH breaks new ground in such vital areas as superconductivity, space commercialization, biomedical engineering, economics, education, petroleum exploration and management. UH is also home to over 40 research centers and institutes. Amongst the most prestigious of the University of Houston's colleges is the University of Houston Law Center (law school). The UH Law Center's Health Law and Policy Institute is ranked number one in the nation while the Intellectual Property Law Program is ranked fifth, according to U.S. News & World Report. Houston is home to the Texas Medical Center, the world's largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions, such as Baylor College of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, which now ranks as one of the world's most productive and highly regarded academic institutions devoted to cancer patient care, research, education, and prevention. Houston is the location of a well known prestigious private institution of Rice University, which boasts one of the largest financial endowments of any university in the world. The small undergraduate student body is among the nation's most select and one of the highest percentages of National Merit Scholarship winners. Rice University maintains a variety of research facilities and laboratories. Rice is also associated with the Houston Area Research Center, a consortium supported by Rice, the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, and the University of Houston. Houston is also home to Texas Southern University,the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to house a law school, and was also the first state-supported institution in the city of Houston. Over the years, the University's educational facilities and programs expanded, and many of its graduates began to achieve local, regional, and national recognition for their influence in politics, education, business, technology, medicine, and the arts. Its pioneering spirit continues today San Antonio is home to many universities, such as the rapidly-growing UTSA, a branch of the University of Texas system, as well as Trinity University, St. Mary's University, and University of the Incarnate Word, and Our Lady of the Lake University.

Transportation

Interstate highways

Interstate highway
- Interstate 10
- Interstate 20
- Interstate 27
- Interstate 30
- Interstate 35
- Interstate 37
- Interstate 40
- Interstate 44
- Interstate 45
- Interstate 69 (proposed extension)
- Interstate 410
- Interstate 610 (Texas)
- Interstate 635
- Interstate 820

United States highways

United States highway

North-south routes

East-west routes

- U.S. Highway 59
- U.S. Highway 259
- U.S. Highway 67
- U.S. Highway 69
- U.S. Highway 75
- U.S. Highway 175
- U.S. Highway 271
- U.S. Highway 77
- U.S. Highway 277
- U.S. Highway 133
- U.S. Highway 79
- U.S. Highway 81
- U.S. Highway 181
- U.S. Highway 281
- U.S. Highway 83
- U.S. Highway 183
- U.S. Highway 285
- U.S. Highway 385
- U.S. Highway 87
- U.S. Highway 287
- U.S. Highway 96 (north-south despite number)

- U.S. Highway 54
- U.S. Highway 57 (east-west despite number)
- U.S. Highway 60
- U.S. Highway 62
- U.S. Highway 70
- U.S. Highway 66 (historic Route 66)
- U.S. Highway 80
- U.S. Highway 180
- U.S. Highway 380
- U.S. Highway 82
- U.S. Highway 84
- U.S. Highway 90
- U.S. Highway 190
- U.S. Highway 290

Professional sports teams

- National Football League
- Dallas Cowboys
- Houston Texans
- Arena Football League
- Austin Wranglers
- Dallas Desperados
- Arena Football League 2
- Amarillo Dusters
- Rio Grande Valley Dorados
- National Indoor Football League
- Beaumont Drillers
- Corpus Christi Hammerheads
- Lubbock Gunslingers
- Odessa Roughnecks
- San Angelo Stampede
- Women's Professional Football League, Women's American football
- Dallas Diamonds
- Houston Energy
- Independent Women's Football League
- Dallas Revolution
- National Basketball Association
- Dallas Mavericks
- Houston Rockets
- San Antonio Spurs
- National Basketball Association Development League
- Austin Toros
- Fort Worth Flyers
- Women's National Basketball Association
- Houston Comets
- San Antonio Silver Stars
- National Hockey League
- Dallas Stars
- American Hockey League
- Houston Aeros
- San Antonio Rampage
- Central Hockey League
- Amarillo Gorillas
- Austin Ice Bats
- Corpus Christi Rayz
- Fort Worth Brahmas
- Laredo Bucks
- Lubbock Cotton Kings
- Odessa Jackalopes
- Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees

- Major League Baseball
- Houston Astros
- Texas Rangers
- Pacific Coast League, Minor League Baseball
- Round Rock Express
- Texas League, Minor League Baseball
- Corpus Christi Hooks
- Frisco RoughRiders
- San Antonio Missions
- Midland RockHounds
- Central Baseball League, Minor League Baseball
- Amarillo Dillas (now defunct)
- Edinburg Roadrunners
- Fort Worth Cats
- Rio Grande Valley White Wings
- San Angelo Colts
- El Paso Diablos
- Major League Soccer
- F.C. Dallas
- Major Indoor Soccer League
- Dallas Sidekicks (now defunct)

The Houston Oilers, formerly based in Texas, moved to Memphis and later to Nashville, Tennessee, and became the Tennessee Titans. Houston also formerly had the Arena Football League team Houston Thunderbears, and the Minor League Soccer team Houston Hotshots.

Miscellaneous information

Houston Hotshots.]]
- Four ships of the United States Navy have borne the name USS Texas in honor of the state.
- Famous for their role in the history of Texas law enforcement, the Texas Rangers continue today to provide special law enforcement services to the state.
- One state holiday, Juneteenth (from "June" + "Nineteenth," its date), commemorates the day in 1865 that the slaves in Texas learned of the Emancipation Proclamation.
- At 311 feet, Texas's capitol building in Austin is taller than the capitol building in Washington, D.C.

State designations and symbols

Washington, D.C.]
- state flower — the bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis)
- state motto — "Friendship"
- state nickname — The Lone Star State (after the single star on several historical flags of Texas, including the current Texas flag)
- state tree — the pecan
- state bird — the mockingbird
- official state song — Texas Our Texas
- state mammals (three)
- small — armadillo
- large — Texas longhorn
- flying — Mexican free-tailed bat

Other state designations

Mexican free-tailed bat
- Air Force — Commemorative Air Force (formerly known as the Confederate Air Force), based in Midland
- state dance — Square Dance
- state dinosaur — the Brachiosaur Sauropod, Pleurocoelus
- state dish — chili con carne
- state fiber and fabric — cotton
- state fish —

Norteño (music)

The sound of norteño

Sound samples

External links

- [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/MM/xbm1.html The Handbook of Texas Online: Musica Norteña]
Category:Mexican styles of music Category:Norteño Category:Polka genres

Polkas

Polka

Pop music

Pop music, in popular and contemporary parlance, is a subgenre of popular music. Since the term spans many rock, hip hop, rhythm and blues (R&B), country, dance and operatic pop acts, it is reasonable to say that "pop music" is a loosely defined category. The term is also used in a derogatory manner by those who feel that pop acts lack any musically artistic meaning, or in lack of better terminology, represent a "betrayal" away from the traditional sound of either the act themselves or the specific genre to which the act belongs.

Characteristics as a subgenre

Pop music is generally described as very commercial friendly, marketable and memorable, with either vocals, lyrics, instruments, or a combination of all three creating catchy choruses or verses. Pop music is also known for its ability to attract listeners through its versatile sound since it pulls from a plethora of musical influences. It can be also fair to say that pop music is predominantly image driven, especially through the subject matter of the lyrics, live performances, music videos, and other forms of exposure which makes it favourable and unfavourable to whoever is the listener. In modern times (increasingly over the last half-century; most notably since the start of the 2000s), this genre's immense success as a commercial product has, ironically, led to even more commercialization within the music itself, with "artists" being drawn in by companies for their appearance, dancing ability and vocal competence; and being provided with an image, choreography, and most importantly complete songs by veterans working for the record company. Some notable examples include Swedish songwriter Max Martin's having crafted most hit songs by pop acts such as Britney Spears and The Backstreet Boys, and the pop boy band O-Town having been created as an MTV show. This technique for creating music is massively effective commercially for several apparent reasons. It is adept at targeting specific demographics among young people, since songs are written with that purpose in mind by talented professionals, and images crafted similarly. Also, by sticking to a straightforward formula and format, it is able to produce a consistent, predictable, and marketable product. That ability is only aided, naturally, by the vastly reduced output of the artists preventing companies' dependency on their eccentricities and whims. On the other hand, that reduced role for the artist, especially in the creative area, has always drawn harsh criticism from music fans who are painfully aware of its lack of substance. A music production method completely opposite to that of pop music is that of indie music, where record labels are small, vastly dependent on their few artists, and run by young entrepreneurs rather than corporate veterans. Indie artists, in turn, are in no way image driven, not widely marketed (often because of the label's financial constraints), and are almost universally of organic origins rather than having been assembled by their label. Many new artists turn to small indie labels since their reduced marketability makes them an unpopular choice with major labels.

Sound and themes

Pop in whatever influence form that it takes is done with simpler songwriting and arrangement. It takes from numerous influences but generally the focus is on the predominance of a simple melody, which makes the songs memorable; stripped down rhythms, which attributes to the less complex songwriting and sound arrangement; and the combination of the states of the melody and the rhythm allows for harmony to actually be a driving force of the song, which makes it more pleasing to the list

Intocable

Discography

Band Members

Grammy Award

Grammy Records

Award categories

Awards by year

External links

Norteño (music)

The sound of norteño

Sound samples

See also

External links

Texas

History

Geography

Location

Human Geography

Natural Geography

Geology

Government and politics

State Law and Government

County Government

Municipal Government

School and Special Districts

Politics

Economy

Film and television

Demographics

Ethnic origins

Cities and metropolitan areas

Largest cities

Metropolitan areas

Education and scientific research

Public schools

Colleges and universities

Transportation

Interstate highways

United States highways

Professional sports teams

Miscellaneous information

State designations and symbols

Other state designations

Norteño (music)

The sound of norteño

Sound samples

See also

External links

Polkas

Pop music

Characteristics as a subgenre

Sound and themes