Memories of the Old School Freestyle Music Scene (1980s-90s)
Musical Expressions Embraced by Chicana10 Youth in San Antonio
BBL 3023 .901
April 28, 2009
Final - Oral History Project Music Interview Transcript
Interviewer: Melissa Casarez
Interviewee: Crirtina Casarez
Date: April 16, 2009
Page 1 2 Melissa: My name is Melissa Casarez and this is Cristina Casarez and we are gonna talk about freestyle. Q. 1 What were your earliest memories of Freestyle music?
Cristina: Um... that would be .... l would say around .... l know I said twelve earlier but it's more like fourteen ...p robably fourteen or fifteen years old. Um... and I believe the first time I
heard about it was like in school with my friends. That's usually where you hear everything from when you're young...y ou kinda pick it up from your peers and what's going on during that time ...what's popular
Melissa: Q.2 What drew your attention to freestyle? Like, why Freestyle?
Cristina: Um..... l guess the beat. Because it's got a Latin, like a Latin kick to it and that ....come being Hispanic or Mexican descent um that's just something that really caught my attention and I just love music in general. Um but when you have something you can move to and it's got a good rhythm um.... that usually attracts my attention.
Melissa: Among the teens in your High School, who listened to the music? Who was its prime audience?
Cristina: Um .... l would say .... it was probably more the Hispanic um background.
Um ....and like I said earlier, it's because of....y ou know... the rhythm and beat that it had to it.
Urn....y ou mostly heard the music like on our side of town, more like on the Westside,
Northwest side. That's usually where it was most popular. Um....and....that I would say that was the prime audience.
Page 1 3 Melissa: And the West and South sides of town in San Antonio are primarily Hispanic?
Cristina: Right, that's where mostly you would find the more of the Hispanic race on the west and south side of town. That's where you would see it. They had shows um like dance offs and things like that ... sometimes at the malls you would see it. Um ... during school dances is where you would see it. Um ...even like, when they had ....they had teen clubs that you could go to. That's where people would get together and kinda come up with routines and things like that, so.
Melissa: That was popular?
Cristina: Yeah, that was the in thing.
Melissa: What other types of music were also popular at that time - the popular stuff?
Not Freestyle.
Cristina: Other things that were popular were probably like hip hop, like the early version of hip hop and rap, like Vanilla Ice, um MC Hammer who's around that time. Um some of the stuff that was still popular was some of the artists that kinda moved into the 90s late 80s early
90s like Madonna. Um, she started off more like New Wave dance music. She's got a mix of you know of her music she changes like every decade she changes her style um so she was of the ones that kind of migrated over into this era.
Melissa: Urn... l was gonna ask you to name some artists but you just did -okay.
Melissa: What were the years freestyle was popular? Do you remember?
Page 1 4 Cristina: Um that would probably be about 90, 1 would say 90 - 91.... um .... is probably what I remember most. That was the time I was 15-16 years old. And, um I remember going to like Quinceneras, um or weddings and things like that. You would see all the young kids, they were around our age group, um whenever they played the freestyle music, and of course most of it was DJ the way it was introduced in those kinds of functions. So um you would see all the kids rush out to the dance floor and you would see them draw their little teams, with their little friends. Birthday parties, um school dances and things like that. So I was probably around middle school just entering high school when that happened.
Melissa: Can you name a few um freestyle artists or groups popular among the youth?
Cristina: Um yeah, it would be like Cynthia and Johnny 0. was one of them. Another one was George Lammond. Um
Who was your favorite - like artist?
Oh I have a lot of favorites. I have a lot of favorite but it was mostly like Debbie Deb, Lisa Lisa.
Um .... because they had a, they had a consistent beat a lot of their songs were the same so you can be dancing to one song and switch to another one and you could just keep going and going and going. Urn where as other artists they kinda switched it up a little bit some of it was slow some of it was like a medium beat and some of it was fast. But majority of them were, um mostly all of them they were good artists. But my favorite would be like Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam,
Debbie Deb.
Melissa: What were the lyrics and music mainly about?
Page 1 5 Cristina: Urn ...... in freestyle, mostly about love. Relationships... um love ...boyfriend and girlfriend kind of thing.... urn getting hurt. Urn the beginning of love, the middle of love .... that's what I remember the lyrics being about.
Melissa: Do you know where the freestyle music originated from?
Cristina: Urn from what I remember hearing um mostly like from Miami. Um because it ..... it came ... it has a lot of the Cuban, like the Cubano beat. Um Miami and some were Puerto
Rican, so you would find some of it like in New York.
Melissa: Do you know like any local freestyle artists here in San Antonio?
Cristina: I know we have some. Urn I think I don't remember the names of them. Urn I think ....I heard of one or two like from here from San Antonio but it's like those one hit wonders where you hear them once and they kinda disappear. Um so I don't know any specific names or anything.
Melissa: Okay, okay
Melissa: Was there any meaning behind how a person dressed - like was there a specific style that was popular?
Cristina: Urn not really a specific style. It was just you'd have to have clothes were you could move pretty comfortably in urn where you could be pretty flexible. So a lot of it was like baggy pants urn a lot of the times it was like Khaki's is what they would wear. Because it was comfortable, it was loose fitting. Urn but it was basically just like t-shirts, it had to be clothes you were. ...you felt comfortable in and the caps for the guys. Some of the girls wore caps too
Page 1 6 um but the guys definitely they wore ....they wore their caps backwards, sideways. Um but that
was ... it was like the fashion trend for that time frame.
Melissa: What were the other um the teen styles that represented other music genres at the time? For example, was there a punk scene in school?
Cristina: There was a new wave. It was new wave. That was more like what they refer like to as skaters at the time. They would wear, like the character shirts and they would wear the shorts, like the long shorts to the knees with the high tops. You would see all these weird hair
styles.... um the multi-colored hair.
Melissa: So it was more new wave versus freestyle?
Cristina: Yeah, right, it was new wave and sometimes people confuse the two um the two
genres but you really have to the beat to be able to distinguish one from the other. So, because
new wave was more like dipeche mode urn and what was the other one, I know d4pZche mode
and .... l forget some of the other ones ....like Soft cell.... Soft cell was another one that was
considered new wave they were ones that sang Tainted Love. So those were some of the songs.
Kinda like the music you would hear in those movies like Pretty in Pink ... yeah ... like the
Breakfast Club, stuff like that. And if you've seen the Breakfast Club, then you've seen how
some of them dressed and that was kinda like the new wave's image.
Melissa: And, how about the rock scene? Do you remember the rock scene?
Cristina: Yes. The rock scene during that time was like Metallica, urn some ACDC, ACDC is
kind of like an old rock group but they just keep on going throughout the years they're kinda
Page 1 7 like the Madonna of rock. So, they change up their style but definitely Metallica was part of um the rock.... the rock group and um some of the ...some of the new wave music sometimes you could categorize it, some of the artists you could possibly categorize them in the rock genre as well because of the sound sometimes of their music.
Melissa: And with like rock - how would those kids dress?
Cristina: Rock was mostly....y ou would see them in black .... urn black attire... um jeans ....t- shirts ....um just very very casual very laid back. Tennis shoes or if not you would see some with hiker boots is what they would call them like the steel toe boots and things like that.
Melissa: Hasn't changed?
Cristina: IVo, that ...that particular um dress code for that genre doesn't change over the years.
Melissa: How do Chicanos express their sense of style in relation to freestyle? Oh..l also have some examples like hair?
Cristina: The hair .....for the guys was really sho rt... um I think that's like when ...what they use to call it ... um ...what was that hair style called.... like the ... when they start shaving like their head
Melissa: The wedge - did they have hair on top?
Cristina: Yes
Melissa: Okay then it was the wedge
Page 1 8 Cristina: The wedge ...y eah .... um... that was ...that was the hair style for the guys. For the girls, urn.... it was ... it was a little bit of both because of the artist ...depending on which artist you were listening to, so depending on what they wanted to mimic some of wore straight hair urn not too long kinda like shoulder length urn and then some had curly hair, wavy hair because it just depended on you know who their favorite artist was and who they wanted to idolize.
Melissa: And it's like the same thing with clothes?
Cristina: Yeah ...with the clothes.... the guys like I said wore a lot of the baggy pants. If you ever seen a video, like with a freestyle artist -you see ... it's like urn dressy casual .... where it was ..... they weren't completely laid back ... urn ....casual ... but they did ....they had urn like the loose fitted shirts but were kinda stylish urn like the button up long sleeve ..... urn some wore like silk and then of course the khakis pants.... urn but they weren't ....they weren't like khaki pants like Dockers or anything like that ....they were like the nice ....the nice pants. And some ....y ou would even see them wearing like some Stacy's. Urn... possibly urn because they were slippery ...so it's easy for you to do the moves you needed to do ....y eah.
Melissa: How about like body piercings - do you remember that?
Cristina: Um ... body piercings... mostly the ears ....the guys ....thats ...that's when you see a lot of the guys like the trend ....the piercing of the ears. Urn but ...urn anywhere else not really.
That's something you would see more on the new wave people ... like the piercing of the nose or the lip or whatever ....that was more that trend.
Melissa: Did listening to freestyle music have any stigma associated with it?
Page 1 9 Cristina: Um .....stigma
Melissa: Like ....what did it ...um ... did they look down on it?
Cristina: Not necessarily - because it wasn't like bad lyrics, it wasn't .... um it wasn't anything that was disrespectful or anything like that. It was pretty clean ...clean cut versions ... um like I said it was mostly about love ....there wasn't any reference to like sex or drugs or alcohol or anything like that. It was ... it ...sounded a lot like... like lyrics you would hear like today in country music... but in that form ... in the freestyle form ...with the latin mix ... and ... it wasn't like ... like if right now you hear some rock music or hip hop or whatever there's a lot of reference made to like sexual um ....actions or drugs or alcohol or you know somebody shooting somebody else and freestyle was nothing like that. So freestyle was just, I mean it ... it was easily accepted ... um like if you are saying or referring to like what - parents would they agree with their kids listening to it - there wasn't anything wrong with it.
Melissa: alright ... okay .... the dance styles now.... what were some of the popular dance moves associated with freestyle?
Cristina: Wm ... it was a lot ... a lot similar to break dancing. Um a lot of the moves are very very similar to break dancing.
Melissa: Can you describe genres or the types of music that inspired the sounds and beats connected with freestyle music and its dance moves?
Cristina: Yeah ... it would be like in Spanish like the Cumbias. Um that rhythm like the
Cumbias had .... it had that Latin ... it was that kinda Latin rhythm and also with a mixture of like
Page 1 10 break dancing music so you kinda put those two together ...y ou got freestyle. And a lot of
it... there wasn't any specific moves that were like you could say well it's suppose to be done this way because freestyle - it's basically like your own style ...so you just make up whatever.
Melissa: So there wasn't really a specific move ... it was whatever
Cristina: Exactly ...and kids would get together and they would come up with routines and well this beat .... this move kinda goes with this beat ...they would just make it up.
Melissa: Were there gender differences on how Chicanas and Chicanos danced? Like did they dance differently?
Cristina: It was pretty similar except with ...y ou probably wouldn't see a lot of the females like throw themselves on the floor .... kinda moves... but other than that the other moves were very, very similar.
Melissa: Did the girls do break dancing?
Cristina: They're some that did ... some that did. I guess it was just the comfort level ....for each person ....um if you felt like if that was something you could do and you didn't worry about getting hurt then you'd be open to doing it but if not then you pretty much stick with the .... the moves like where it's all up here... not on the floor.
Melissa: Is it more like a group?
Cristina: Right ... right ...exactly.
Melissa: Did you identify with freestyle artists because they were like from Latin descent?
Page 1 11 Cristina: um ... not really ...for myself personally
Melissa: Did you ever see the videos .... l should have asked that first? Did you remember
seeing the videos to freestyle?
Cristina: I remember some of the videos ....y eah some of the videos ...when you ...when
you watch the videos it's very easy ... if you are of Latin descent ... it's very easy for you to relate.
Melissa: That's what I want to know - did you recognize... that's what I'm thinking - cause
I've never seen the videos until now... l didn't know who they were.
Cristina: Well it's pretty easy to recognize them on TV .... um if you're watching the videos
especially if you've bought.... if you bought their music because of course their pictures are on the cover so you'd see them on N...oh that's so and so .... and so um...y ou ....some were easier to
recognize than others and well if they were brand new then of course ....who was that. And
some were surprising... because some of them were like African American descent and they may
have had that Latin mix. And um so sometimes it was like wow I didn't know he was the one that sang it or I didn't know she sang that song... because you wouldn't ...y ou wouldn't really
expect that .... urn but I guess that's where it all starts opening up all these other possibilities.
Melissa: Yeah.
Melissa: What was the musical preference of your family? Your parents?
Cristina: During that time?
Melissa: Urn no...j ust in general?
Page 1 12 Cristina: Well my parents were pretty much raised on like the Mexican music like
Rancheras, urn Polkas, Tejano urn ...that kind of music.... um my dad though ... he and his brothers... urn. ..were also very into the Oldies like the fifties and sixties kind of Oldies. Um ...so because our parents were very eclectic in that sense we didn't really have one specific preference. We basically listened to what we've been around all those years .... And for us, it was Oldies, it was Tejano, it was Rancheras, it was Polkas, it was Cumbias, urn and then of course whatever our friends were listening to or whatever we picked up from like going to school and who we hung around with and our cousins, and things like that so we kinda had a mix - it wasn't one specific preference. Um when we did go to family functions - the majority of what you would hear was Spanish like Tejano and that kind of music.
Melissa: Did you enjoy your parent's music? Obviously....
Cristina: Yeah ... and urn I would say like for myself and for my siblings... urn I think like I said that's why I say we don't have one specific preference... I mean we are pretty much open to any kind any genre ... because that's the way we were raised.
Melissa: Can you name a few artists you grew up listening to?
Cristina: In any ...any genre?
Melissa: Yeah ...when you grew up ....what was like your favorite artist or your favorite song?
Cristina: Well, when we were growing up what we heard a lot of was like Little Joe and la
Familia.... which was Tejano. Um ...something like from the oldies is like Chubby Checker, Fat's
Page 1 13 Domino. Urn... and ... as its moved on through the years .... It was like Madonna, Prince... urn and then from the freestyle it was like Johnny 0 and Cynthia, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Vanilla Ice, MC
Hammer .... um and then just recently um... well not just recently but up to a few years ago, I started listening to more like the country. Um ...so ... and in country ... l have lots of favorites.
Melissa: Well that was part of my next question ....what were the artists urn ...what artists did you identify with and can you name a few artists? And I did put categories like Tejano ...um like did you name ...y ou did say Little Joe ......
Cristina: Little Joe and the Familia and I noticed you also have Mariachi on there and yes
Mariachi is my favorite ... and for me I think that's my favorite and the reason why I could relate to country music now so much... urn... for me Mariachi is country in Spanish. Urn when I hear country music... artists like George Strait and Keith Urban and urn Reba and Shania and artists like that. When you hear their lyrics and you hear the message and what their trying to say and the way they sing it ... it's like from their heart ...y ou know it's so passionate and when you listen to Mariachi music it's the same ...
Melissa: You find the same connection?
Cristina: Exactly, it's the same connection and um Mariachi music just really.... one ... because I like... l love to sing it ... um I love listening to it .....i just love what it say and a lot of times you could relate to it. Um if you want to hear music that you could sing... that you could hear the passion and like the really the person really feels like what they're saying that's the music to listen to.
Page 1 14 Melissa: Any how about any other Tejano artists?
Cristina: Selena, of course. Selena, Mass, Gary Hobes, urn Fama, urn La Mafia.
Melissa: How about the Oldies?
Cristina: The Oldies were like Fats Dominio, Chubby Checker ... um Ritchie Valens. Urn some of the females were like the Supremes... urn who else ...Gloria Gaynor could probably be classified in the oldies cause she was from like way back during that time as well.
Melissa: How about R&B?
Cristina: R&B, I would say like Keith Sweat ... urn Luther Vandross ... urn ...
Melissa: And those are artists you liked?
Cristina: Those are the artists I used to listen to, yeah. So like Bobby Brown was also categorized him as R&B ...y eah ...those are all artists I used listen to... I'd say I really didn't have.... urn if I like the song and I like what they said or the rhythm is like attracting my attention .... but mainly for me me it's the message ...what is the artist saying, is it something I could relate to. Because you know how when something happen to you in your life... and you know exactly what they mean ...so that's the kind of thing that grabs my attention.
Can you name some dance moves linked to the music above?
Cristina: Yeah .... well for the different categories. Urn If we started with like Tejano, it would be like what the ...the ....they call it like the Texas Two Step for the Tejano. The Cumbia move... urn country also has the Texas Two Step. And urn oldies.... would be like the Twist ... um
Page 1 15 let me see what else ...Oldies ...they had like the Mashed Potato.... another one that they did was the Swim. Those were pretty much the ones that had a name ... like if someone said ...y ou know how to do this ....then yeah I know that dance. Um what else ...
Melissa: Mariachi doesn't really have a dance?
Cristina: Mariachi doesn't really have a dance.
Melissa: Okay ... I just want to clarify that.
Cristina: Unless it's like a Ranchera, something with a fast beat, like Campanas de America had some songs that were Mariachi but more of a Cumbia beat .... so you could dance to like a cumbia. And then there's others that were Rancheras that you could dance like you dance a
Tejano Ranchera. So um... it's a possibility you can dance to some of those .... but the majority of them no.... it's just for listening.
Melissa: And the country -with the two step?
Cristina: The country has a Texas two step ... urn the line dance ....the line dances like the boot skootin' boogie and things like that.
Melissa: Okay ... I should check that camera ...... we're fine
Melissa: Next, did you get to see live performances?
Cristina: Um from any genre?
Melissa: Yes
Page 1 16 Cristina: Yes ... um I got to see some Tejano performances. Um like when I would go to the clubs like the Tejano clubs I saw like Gary Hobes .... l saw Fama ... um Los Desperados. Um...when
1 was younger, we use to see um some performances like at Woodlawn Lake ...when they had fuctions there like Patsy Torres would perform there. Um let me see, Mariachi, um I got to see those all the time um because a lot of times ... l went ... l went to some debuts and weddings things where Campanas de America would perform... urn... and they were actually my instructors when I was at Fox Tech ...when I would go to Fox Tech to practice for Mariachi for school ...they were our instructors as well. Urn.... what else, count ry...y es ... l've seen country artists... urn like
Rascal Flatts... l've seen Keith Urban .... um I've seen ...what else ... mostly the new ones ... because I just started going to those concerts.
Melissa: But that's your taste right now.... as an adult ... right?
Cristina: Yes ...as an adult ...well right now... like today ...that would be my preference.
Melissa: Okay - can you name a few places where teens enjoyed the freestyle scene ... back in the 90s?
Cristina: The freestyle scene, yes, at school functions like school dances. Um there were some teen clubs that they would go to. Urn ....some of them were like Image ...there was a club called Image, which was located over in the lngram area ... lngram Park mall area. And then there was another one called Jammin' and that was located at like Las Palmas ...so just ...j ust by um the locations of those two places...y ou could pretty much tell... like what kind of ...what urn background of kids were attracted to that music.
Page ( 17 Melissa: Yeah ....that's what I was going to ask ....um like the venues you just mentioned ...where were they located in San Antonio .... and it's like you said it's in the Las Palms area and that's kind of the Westside of town ....
Cristina: Yeah, and earlier like I mentioned, with weddings, Quinceneras, parties, things like that ... is where you would see them get all together.
Melissa: Um ...any parks or anything...y ou said Woodlawn?
Cristina: Woodlawn Lake ... um that was one of the parks that had it .... um there was another one called Camargo Park over on highway 90 had those functions as well ....um
Rosedale Park on the Westside ... um... on the Southside it was Mission County Park.
Melissa: Okay ...the venues you just mentioned, what other types of music was played and popular around the... around the crowd?
Cristina: The Tejano music. \
Melissa: It's like a must ...Tejano ...
Cristina: Yeah, Tejano music.... and you could find it all in those places
Melissa: And they played freestyle too ... so it was like a mixture?
Cristina: Yes.
Melissa: I just wanted to make sure. Okay did you attend any club scenes during your
youth ... like the clubs you just mentioned?
Page 1 18 Cristina: Um I didn't .... because our parents were a little stricter ....
Melissa: Yeah ... l was going to say was there a certain stigma?
Cristina: no ... not so much ... um not that it was anything bad that we were ... like if we went
there it was like oh my god ...or what are you doing going there ... but mostly
because ...y ou know that's the way my parents were ... um they were like no because we
don't want you getting in trouble ... we don't know who you are going to be with ... or if
that's really where you're going and things like that. But ...not necessarily because it was
a bad thing... um it was just ...they just didn't feel comfortable with letting us go.
Melissa: Okay .... um ....what was the popular radio station with teens at that time?
Cristina:
Melissa: Oh .... were there any like popular programs?
Cristina: On TV?
Melissa: On the radio... or maybe on TV too?
Cristina: Like on TV, for example fammin' was. ...was televised ...so like when you would go
there it was live ...and you could see it at home if you couldn't be there ...y ou could watch
it at home.
Melissa: And it was televised?
Cristina: Um..yeah.
Page 1 19 Melissa: On what channel?
Cristina: Um .... l wanna say it was channel 5...it was in the morning around eleven
o'clock ...y eah it was around eleven o'clock in the morning so there wasn't any risk of
getting into trouble because it was early in the day .... it wasn't like you were out at night
just wondering around by yourself.
Melissa: So that was live?
Cristina: uh um .... it was live ...from ...from Jammin' at Las Palmas. Image wasn't televised.
Um ...on the radio they had .... um if the ...the radio stations were broadcasting live from
those places... then you would hear them on the radio as well ...so you would know what
was going on ....so even if you couldn't be there ...y ou could still enjoy the music.
Melissa: Oh. Now I'm gonna to describe a couple of scenarios ...and I guess just describe
your experience .....
Cristina: Okay
Melissa: First - if you were at a family backyard get together, what music would rotate to
please all generations of Chicanos?
Cristina: Urn.... Tejano ... and we had freestyle ...we had um ... oldies ...oldies were very, very
popular with Chicanos.....
Melissa: Another must ....
Page 1 20 Cristina: Yeah ... what else .... um that was pretty much it. You'd hear ...oh you'd hear like
the old hip hop ... it's not anything like it is today ... l mean ... it had more of a rhythm ... more
of a beat ... um like MC Hammer was hip hop. Vanilla Ice... was like a rap slash hip
hop ...that's what you would hear.
Melissa: Um ...were there any family performances? And if so, what song or artist would
invoke the performance?
Cristina: Family performances... like family bands?
Melissa: No .....like in the backyard... like someone singing
Cristina: Or just a family member singing? Oh yeah ...all the time ... especially when there's
alcohol in the system .... anything goes. (laughing) Yeah .... um like aunts and
uncles... they'd ...if they heard a song like if it was their favorite ... regardless of the
genre ....if it was just one that was their favorite then you'd just hear them break out
singing on one corner ... and everybody else would lead them on. Um ... um.... that's
basically....y ou. .. you asked what would invoke the performance... it's ...if that was their
favorite song.... alot of times if you were drinking ...that usually tends to build a little
more courage in the person so that would be the other thing... that would invoke that.
Melissa: Okay .... second if you were at school, like at a school sponsored dance, what
music would rotate to please the youth crowd in your teen years?
Cristina: Um..in school .... l remember... when ...the few dances I went to at school. Um
believe it or not, Cumbias... they would play cumbias... um and ... like the hip
Page 1 21 hop ... rap ...some of the break dancing because it wasn't really break dancing but it was
more like the freestyle... freestyle hip hop slash whatever you want to call it.
Melissa: It was all mixed....
Cristina: Yeah ..... yes it was all mixed...
Melissa: Last question, overall - how would you describe your music taste throughout the
years? Like how has it changed, I guess?
Cristina: How has it changed or just like ....
Melissa: I guess you could just first describe ......
Cristina: By music taste throughout the years I would describe it as being eclectic because
it's a variety. Um ... l never just stuck with one kind of music ...one genre ...it's been mix.
Like when we were little I remember... um my dad would ...we'd all pack up in our station
wagon ... and no matter where we went ... it was always on KONO you know from the
oldies... so we'd listened to oldies... if my dad was in a different mood ....we'd listen to
Tejano or some other Mexican um ...songs ...and that's what we'd listen to. So when we
were little... it was mostly Spanish music... um... and the oldies. And then we started
going to school and .... kinda seeing what the trends were ...then it was more of the
freestyle.... um the hip hop ... um from back then ... um new wave ... urn basically anything
that grabbed our attention. In high school ....that's when 1 really started grasping
Mariachi and more... more importantly.... l think because um my dad had a DJ and so we
would always ... always ... always no matter what be listening to music. And I would go
Page 1 22 with him on the weekends ...so I got into wanting to sing and um I started out singing the
Selena ...the Tejano um and then I decided to try some ...some Mariachi because I liked
some of the songs like from Vicente Fernandez... and artists like that ... um when t got to
high school ... when I saw there was a Mariachi group... um 1 decided to give it a shot ...so
for the first time in the Calvacade... is when I was able to actually perform and I love,
love the beat and I love the music....
Melissa: It seems like that music stuck with you ....
Cristina: Exactly. But a lot of the music that I'd listen to I'd say would have a Latin
background. Up until recently, in the past few years is when ... my primary choice has
been country and country because it tells a story um ... its music you could relate to... it
has a message um... but ... even just because I listen to country primarily doesn't mean I
don't listen to anything else cause I still listen to everything else when I go to clubs or
family functions or things like that. You know.... now a day's ...there's not a single club
that only plays one type of music ... any place you go to now... it's mix ...so you could
pretty much listen to anything and everything... and so now... right now... l listen to
everything. If your ride with me in my truck ...y ou'd hear mostly country but
sometimes... um ...one ...j ust one type of music can get boring after awhile so you wanna
switch it up so my CD collection is .....
Melissa: Yeah I know... is huge
Page 1 23 Cristina: I have everything from country, Mariachi, Tejano, Freestyle, um the 80s like new
wave, I have um ...hip hop the old hip hop ...the new hip hop.... everything... even oldies. I
even have oldies in my collection.
Melissa: Would you like to say anything else, I don't know like what I didn't get .... is there
anything important that ...that you remember... that maybe you want to tell me about
freestyle, I guess. Or, maybe just the culture you know ... embracing all these music
genres.
Cristina: I think if you just limit yourself to just one...one genre ...y ou might just be missing
out on ... um ...j ust on the whole other experience of what other artists have to offer.
Um ...l think to really say you love music ...when somebody says oh I love music.... l
think ... for you to be able to say that ....y ou really have to open the doors to yourself and
give yourself the opportunity to not just ...not just freestyle... not just hip hop.... not just
Tejano ... but everything because otherwise... it wouldn't be a true statement. You can
say you love music but ...y eah right ... because music ... it's ... it's all encompassing. It's from
one era ...one decade ... all the way to the present... so even classical sometimes if you feel
stressed out ... um I recommend classical music.... it's very relaxing... um sometimes I'll put
it on soft rock and just to give you that chance to wind down and help you put you at
peace. So every type of music has a purpose... it just depends what you're in the mood
for.
Melissa: Okay ... l guess that's it ... and that concludes our interview ...alright ...thank you
Cristina.
Page 1 24 Cristina: You're welcome.
Melissa: Let's make this formal here. (handshake) And that's it ... let me turn that off.
Page 1 25 Popular Freestyle artists and songs
Freestyle Express Don't Stop The Rock
Cynthia &Johnny 0. Dreamboy/Dreamgirl
Johnny 0. Fantasy Girl
Stevie B. Spring Love
Party Your Body
Because 1 Love You
Lil Suzy Take Me In Your Arms 1992
Debbie Deb Lookout Weekend
When I Hear Music
Trinear They're Playing Our Song
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam Wonder If I Take You Home
Lost In Emotion
Head To Toe
'The Cover Girls Show Me
Cynthia Change On Me San Antonio Freestyle Artists of 1980s - 1990s - Unknown
San Antonio Freestyle Artist of 2000 -Jeannie
(see attached)
Album is "New School" freestyle sound
Popular songs: Runaway & Meant 2 Be