00:00:01.139 - 00:00:21.219

1949 Dewey was brand new and, and we took him to, uh, Estrada Ranch and, uh, here I had a lot of fun. Both of them had a lot of fun and all that. And that's when they remade the contract. Now, I don't know what happened because

00:00:21.229 - 00:00:39.220

I don't remember. But, uh, but I'd like to get that story again. Your, your, your mother and father are both buried in, what's the name of the, of the grave? Hernando. San Fernando Cemetery, cemetery number here in San Antonio. And, and your father died in 38.

00:00:39.229 - 00:00:57.380

Was it 1938? Yeah. And, and then your mother was worried about, about him getting out, taking him out of the grave, you know, because she couldn't, she couldn't pay $25 at the grave. You know, the land was the price of the land at the time. And,

00:00:57.389 - 00:01:16.730

uh, in fact, ah, Andrew said that, ah, still right now, four more persons can be bear with them because the time it was too deep, the big plot, I guess they put him too deep now. Only I, I think they don't, they say they don't, is

00:01:16.739 - 00:01:43.529

allowed to, to do a lot. Well, that's, that's what happened. My, my wife has been working for 33 years for the transit consistent. He's been there 33 years. Ok. Take it away. He was working, just start working 33 years ago. Uh, what year was it? Yeah.

00:01:45.349 - 00:01:59.730

Oh, I used to drive them. Yeah, I used to drive them over there and we used to go to Ellis and then they used to and they used to, uh, record there. Did, did, did, did Lydia go with you or? No, no, no. Who would, who

00:01:59.739 - 00:02:15.619

would back him up? You remember? It was the same company of the man that has the company over there in mcallen. No, this was EDR. Uh, I don't know, but, I mean, they, they, according to what I knew there was the same man and, and, and,

00:02:16.550 - 00:02:32.529

and the, the representative of the company, uh, who still, he still comes. San San Antonio once in a while and drinks beer and all that. Uh, he, he, uh, he was the representative of the company in Inna, is his wife and, and her sister used to

00:02:32.539 - 00:02:50.070

make records too. Uh, yeah. Uh, uh, what are their names? Would you, would, you, would your mother go along too? Oh, yeah. She used to go along with everything but she was the boss. She was nobody, no, nobody made no deals without her. Even Lydia wouldn't

00:02:50.080 - 00:03:15.009

make no deal. She was, they had to deal with her. So Lydia couldn't make no deal. She was the boss. She was the trooper. We were driving to, to mcallen too. Yeah. Yeah. My aunt used to live there. I still probably died. Beatrice. No. No. Your

00:03:15.139 - 00:03:34.660

aunt, the one that lives in Jack Pot right now? Yeah. Yeah, because Beatriz, my older sister is over there with Maria right now. Oh, really? How he hit the jackpot because she's there right now. Oh, good. How did you find out she come to town? She

00:03:34.669 - 00:03:48.940

came because it's a lot of, a lot of problems that I have to straighten it out, you know, because she received her social security check and she was receiving it with her daughter and now she hasn't received it. So she came and she didn't get it.

00:03:48.949 - 00:04:08.229

She went back now she's back. She wants her check and I have to straighten it out. The, the Beatrice swallowed the marvel when she was little and, and, and my mother stuck her finger, uh, and pulled it out and bus or something right here. Her vocal

00:04:08.240 - 00:04:31.368

cord. Really one of the vocal and she can, she'll talk. But she, she kept talking my brother, you know what mayo calls her? The go go girl. She's, she's, she's about this size. Oh, really? She talks a lot. You gotta get a kicker. Oh, wow. Wow.

00:04:32.889 - 00:04:52.260

You're gonna be having problem understanding her because even I do, have you heard lately from your, uh, from your grandmother. Uh, let's see. Is she the one in Monterey? My mom, that's your, your aunt then? Have you heard lately? Because Lydia said that she hasn't seen

00:04:52.269 - 00:05:15.720

her in 20 years. But have, have you heard from her? No, that's a lie. Oh, really? That's, it's a lie. Monica just died a little while ago and she was here when Monica died. I don't remember how many years ago, how long ago did II I

00:05:15.730 - 00:05:42.059

can find out right away. And my wife, huh? You, you don't, you don't remember who the person was that? It was? Let me see. It was a, I'm gonna move my chair a little closer. Yeah, but you know that they, they want me to that man.

00:05:42.070 - 00:06:01.070

Uh uh want me to sing like Lydia and play Dictate and I'll do it. Uh huh. Uh was it, was there somebody making a movie at the same time that you play? We, we, we just make 11. it's not a movie like, just like, um, I

00:06:01.079 - 00:06:18.769

don't know what, what they're gonna do over here in San Antonio. And, uh, I think it was in the, in the auditorium over here municipal auditorium long time ago and we make it over there. My, my, uh, just like, um como is a Comun Coronas. Yeah,

00:06:18.779 - 00:06:36.040

one of those little shorts and, and then my, my brother and my sister, Janie dancing the, uh, t I'm Maria de Mi uh huh. And they made a little short. Yeah. Did they show it in the movie houses here? Did you see it? No, I haven't

00:06:36.049 - 00:06:52.570

seen them but I, but I, we was there all the family and see, but they do it over there. See you? Ok. This is Un Corto. Uh, IIJ ba, I'm Maria Cheni here. And then one of the two men was there and start hauling like, uh,

00:06:53.019 - 00:07:13.299

hillbillies. Oh, really? Oh, they also recording, you don't remember their names? No, it was, it was uh one tall man. Start to, to have a rope in the hand and do it like that. A and start a say, say things in English, you know, uh amigos

00:07:13.769 - 00:07:34.059

and these in, you know, uh um OK. Then you didn't record until when you and Juanita form the, the, the due to Yeah. OK. That started in, you don't remember when you first went to California. Do you sort of remember the first time that we went

00:07:34.070 - 00:08:04.570

over there to make me and J record to, to Azteca? Let's see. It was, I think it was I That's right. That's right. Yeah. Azteca was the first record with, with the Light. I think it was uh you know, 1950 no, maybe 47 1940 seven. My,

00:08:04.579 - 00:08:17.480

my brother Manuel went to, to the army as far as I can remember the first time we went to California. It was in the P A No, but no, I for now. I mean, I didn't perform for you all day. Well, I know you went to

00:08:17.489 - 00:08:40.080

Hollywood. Oh, yeah. No. Correct. Correct. You're, you're right. You actually recorded for our, for Victor in Hollywood in 1939. You, you, you, you, you are correct. You are correct on that. Except that the girls did not sing on that. That was later, it was later. But,

00:08:40.369 - 00:09:34.820

you know, when we went to California to make AAA program over there in, in Mason after the war. Wait a minute. Let's, let's go back to that. Ok. In the middle of, uh, in California, they don't make movies. Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, you put

00:09:34.880 - 00:09:59.159

on the variety show in 1939. I wasn't, I wasn't performing. I was only about eight or nine years at the time and, uh, they were performing at the time and, uh, the, I mean, the, there was a, uh, a comedian from Mexico City and Chalan, uh,

00:09:59.169 - 00:10:20.390

who deceased now at the time he was a star but, but the people didn't want him. They want Lydia and, and, and f had just bought, uh, opera Opera House, which is, was the ma theater and he, he fix it right away and open it because

00:10:20.400 - 00:10:40.539

the people wouldn't, couldn't, he couldn't pick California, couldn't pick the people that wanted to see. So he, he changed the whole, the state show to the Mason. It was in 1939. Is that the first time the family went to California was the first time that we

00:10:40.549 - 00:10:58.919

went as far as I can remember. I don't know Monte was there because it's apparently the only time you recorded in San Antonio until in 38 in October was the last time they came to San Antonio. And then in September of 39 it shows you were

00:10:58.929 - 00:11:19.309

in Hollywood recording the, the, the whole family. That's right. The family. Yeah. I don't think, uh, Andrew was on that note, but actually it does show Maria was singing on some numbers. I'm not sure which one. Me, yeah, apparently you were singing on some. Let me

00:11:19.320 - 00:11:37.580

just, this is for, with Alberto Parra you made this record, I think it was Gilberto Parra. Oh, Alberto Parra, not this one. the, the, the, the, it's a composer. No, it's not the one but they, they, they, they listening was, uh, one of the two songs

00:11:37.590 - 00:11:58.809

you made, uh, Nira de Certe and the other. Well, us Morante, those songs belong to Morante Deer and the other side, he never brought him out. No, I don't think, you know, when we're talking with Juanita, you don't really have a chance to say no, because

00:12:01.210 - 00:12:16.460

they don't let you to talk. What's, what's sort of the first things that you remember? I remember a little bit when I was a little child. Uh, when was the first time we live, uh, in, in, uh, in, in Reynosa, in Reynosa we used to live

00:12:16.469 - 00:12:34.270

there and we, I'm gonna start to, to tell me about what you would do during the day and the time I played the, the Clavis, you know, those little things. And then can, can you re remember, can you recount for me? Like, where did you go?

00:12:34.280 - 00:12:49.500

That, that afternoon? Is that, can you remember that when I was with my, with my mom that particular day when my, uh, I don't remember the day, but it was a, I think it was a Saturday because uh we went over there to sing. Uh I

00:12:49.690 - 00:13:06.809

was a little girl and uh and my mother and my father and Lydia too, but she, in that time, Lyra was so, so j is like a girl and then we start to, to sing, you know, in the, in the time that I think it was

00:13:06.820 - 00:13:28.809

19 sev uh 20 2627. Correct? And where did you, you can you describe for me what the place look like? What you want to say? It, it was in, in, in and not in the street. But we just play outside in, in white building and inside

00:13:28.820 - 00:13:47.369

was uh something like uh selling some uh things, you know, and they let us uh chairs to sit there and then we sing over there and then, and we put them ahead and give us some money, you know, Mexican and I go and test because I'm

00:13:47.380 - 00:14:03.510

start to, I'm not, I play the mandolin at the time I was about five years I remember and I just, uh, start to, to, to dance for and, and if it took those little things and all the people was laughing about me because I don't, I

00:14:03.520 - 00:14:19.059

don't, I'm not baseball, the other ones. And then when I finished and I put the head to the people and they put me some money. Where did you live at the time? Did, did over there knows that. Did you have a little house or apartment or

00:14:19.070 - 00:14:36.650

room or something? No, just we live in a little house. Not about 22 rooms. We live all, all together on the family, the whole family was there together. And then we, we went over, we started in Reynosa and then we from Reynosa from uh Rio Road.

00:14:36.799 - 00:14:56.080

We passed over here to, to Elba. You know, it's a, it's a near, we passed from Reynosa from uh from Mexico and we pass from Reynosa but that was from Reynosa. And, and, and we, we um we live uh uh uh in West Laco, Texas. Can,

00:14:56.090 - 00:15:13.049

can you remember anything that happened to you when you, what, what uh any, any, anything that you can recall, you know, or that you remember? Well, II, I used to live over there in, in Wells Laco and with, with my uh Como and Medina icon Jesus

00:15:13.440 - 00:15:35.179

Sita. N I used to live with my grandmother and we, we live with her when we, when we passed off to the village. Yes. My father paid just for me and for my sister and for Jenny because we was born in Monterey and Lydia was, uh,

00:15:35.190 - 00:15:54.190

she used to, she used me. No. Well, my father, I don't know, but he, he gets sometimes, uh, liars. What would you do during the day? Do you remember what you did? Did you play with some? Well, I, I like it. Iii I went over to

00:15:54.200 - 00:16:11.520

help my, my, my, my godmother to, to get some water from the Nodia. You know, we don't have no, no water in the pipe. Yeah. The Well, right and help him over there. And the night we went to the, to the uh some uh some town

00:16:11.530 - 00:16:31.840

to, to sing and I go, my father, me and my mother and Lydia because Manuel and Jamie was a, they stay home. You leave them with your godmother. Yeah. We, we, and then we moved from there and we went to all the valley, you know, we

00:16:31.849 - 00:16:58.549

live in um and then, and uh let's see in the first was where like 100 films in Ross Town. That was the, do you remember, what do you remember about it? I have, we, we just go over there and we went to Riverstone and, and, and

00:16:58.559 - 00:17:15.479

the cousin of my mother, they have a little, like a little ranch. We, we, we go over there, they have a lot of chickens. And, um, I remember one time that I'm trying to, to, to, to follow chickens, you know, and put some las chapi las

00:17:15.630 - 00:17:33.699

pp, I like to, to put a stone to the chicken, you know, and, and all the chicken to fly and they, and they, and they, and, and both of them dropped me in the, no, they, they dropped you, they dropped me in the cactus because I

00:17:33.709 - 00:17:50.810

was very small. Do you remember that? Pulling out the, no, I, I went crying with all the sticking out of me in my face. You know, I went to my mother and, and we used to live in the valley a long time and then we uh

00:17:50.819 - 00:18:09.219

we just live in the United States by the time 1919 27 we passed and then we came over here to San Antonio and we were here and then uh we started when uh when we started uh Lydia, my mother and my father and me start to

00:18:09.229 - 00:18:26.339

play in the plaza over here. It's what does the plaza look like? Could you describe it? Oh, yeah, it's very nice because they have a lot of tables like in Mexico and they make some men and chil like a Mexican like uh Mercado from Mexico. And

00:18:26.349 - 00:18:50.569

all the, the groups have a Mexican cousins in and we, we play over there but just me Lydia and, and my father and my mother. Mhm Because uh Uh, no, he, he didn't, was born, he was born in Detroit to 1927. Yeah. And then we start

00:18:50.579 - 00:19:06.489

here, we, we live here in San Antonio but I think about a month. No, about a year. And then over here we don't. My father say, wait, well, let's go to, to the north to Michigan and we get in a train, they have some, uh, people

00:19:06.500 - 00:19:22.380

to take over there to the, but after hiring them, yeah, not to send, just to decide to, to be, to beat you to work in the beat field. Yeah. And they take us in the, we, in the train, all the family. Do you, do you remember

00:19:22.390 - 00:19:39.329

that train ride? Can you tell me a little bit what it was like? It was old, it said that those machines old, you know, and I like right now that wooden chairs and, yeah, they have some, uh, so chairs but, uh, old ones. Not, not, not

00:19:39.339 - 00:19:53.209

a new one. Not like they have the train right now. How would you eat? They, they, they always eat over there. They, they bring some, uh, a big basket with, with sandwiches. You took it with you on the train. Yeah, they, they go over there one

00:19:53.339 - 00:20:11.310

man, the, the train stop and then say the, the, the time they're gonna eat all the people, they, they bring the basket and give us some sandwiches and soda and then start to go to, to Michigan. That was, that was your first big long trip on

00:20:11.319 - 00:20:30.589

the train? Was it, what do you remember anything special about? Well, I remember that we just waiting over here to go to, to Michigan, just waiting to, we have to, the train had to go. And then my, my, my little brother Manuel get down from the

00:20:30.599 - 00:20:44.369

train to see, you know, to play over there in the, in the ground over there in there. You know, he was a little, little boy and my sister Jenny too. She was a little girl. And then, and they, they, they, the train gonna start to go

00:20:45.180 - 00:21:02.020

and then my father was scared who is Manu is Jenny and Juan de Ajo and says, Manuel Cor I, Juanita pu vm Jenny start to forgetting in the trend, the uh the and this she still have the that nail, you know, the, the, the, the door

00:21:02.030 - 00:21:18.089

la Machu over here. And then when I get there and my father was uh uh uh he, he came at me, he say, hey, you don't have no, do you see your uh your brother and, and your sister see then why you determine to get in

00:21:18.099 - 00:21:35.930

the train because they gonna go and then we go and, and Jenny have a blood bleeding and then we went over there to uh we uh up to Michigan and they already have those that, where did you, where did you remember what the first place was

00:21:35.939 - 00:21:56.839

that you went to, that. It was a little house they gave you. No, they have, uh, those, uh, uh, how it, like a, like a trains but they just, uh, cars but without, without, without nothing, just, just, just train cars, empty railroad car. But they have

00:21:56.849 - 00:22:16.910

a stove over there. Yeah. But they have, uh, uh, they have everything over there, stove and, uh, a lot of roses and everything. They have everything ready for us and it was on the farm. Yeah. Yeah, it's a, it's about a 15, about 15 miles from,

00:22:16.920 - 00:22:38.569

uh, from, uh, uh, from Detroit. It was a very cold, cold. And then my father and then, and then my father and my mother, not me, they went over there to the table to get some beats and clean, you know, the things and, and my father

00:22:38.579 - 00:22:59.280

said, no, I'm not gonna work. It's too cold. Let's go to town and go and sing and they, and they, they, they say, and then take me, take me, me and Lydia, uh, uh, uh, and Panchita, my other sister that she passed away and my mom

00:23:00.010 - 00:23:20.260

and my father and she live over there with Manuel. Uh, uh, you heard over there? She was with you at that time. She was about 13. Yeah, because I thought she was, she was raised in, be Beatrice, was, was raised in, in Monterey. Was she? No,

00:23:20.270 - 00:23:49.479

she, no, she, she works in Houston too. Oh, she was born in Houston and she, she, she, she was the old and, and my mother and my father leave her with Manuel and Janie and me, but Beatrice didn't sing or play. And then we were, my

00:23:49.489 - 00:24:04.589

father say, let's go to, to the town and we went to, to Detroit and we leave everything over there and they do you, do you, do you remember when you went, did you go just on the street? What did you go to a restaurant? No, we

00:24:04.599 - 00:24:21.709

went, uh, my mother looked for a, for a house over there in, in Detroit and, and they, uh, we came for us to take us over there. Her and me and Manuel and Jamie and, and, and the, the lady from the house, they have, uh, they

00:24:21.719 - 00:24:39.079

make some, uh, and the time and the time they have some uh people, you know, they make some borders and my mother started to help the lady to what, what time of day did you go out and sing or did you do every day or no?

00:24:39.089 - 00:24:53.219

And then I, but, but when we went over there, we don't go, we sing over there in, in, in the house because there are a lot of people came in the house because, you know, they have a border man and, and a lot of people, uh,

00:24:54.060 - 00:25:18.719

get, get there and like to hear how many people lived in the boarding house. But uh they have a big house, storage, storage. Roughly how many, I think about a 20 I remember because I, I go up the stairs and my mother said because my mother

00:25:18.729 - 00:25:37.810

was busy and I go upstairs and clean the rooms and I have, uh, I was about six. Can I help my mother or you help clean the rooms? Me and Lydia and her. So, uh, and what did your father do during the day? You know? No,

00:25:37.819 - 00:25:52.810

he, he don't do nothing because he don't, he don't like to work. That's the truth. Yeah. Well, it was hard for him probably. When did, when would you sing at night? After the, well, in the night, yeah, when they all, uh, most of the time is

00:25:52.819 - 00:26:13.150

what the Saturdays and the Sundays, all the people was there and like to hear things. Do you remember songs that you sang? Yeah. It said Rancho Grande and a Sele Tolin and La Paloma la and all those and a lot of American people we went there

00:26:13.160 - 00:26:35.689

to see Hero sing with, it was a surprise for no, nobody singing like ours. You know, from that time it, 19, it was 19, uh, 29. Yeah, because he was born 1930. He was, did, uh, did, did Panchita ever sing at all or? No, she likes

00:26:35.699 - 00:26:52.819

to, she plays the guitar but she was so base. She don't like nobody to see her. She, when, when she see people she's running and don't come. So, so she wouldn't s, no, no, she don't. She, she didn't know how to play the guitar. But she

00:26:52.829 - 00:27:09.619

was based, she put a little cap, everything. But no, she, she never likes him. And my mother don't wanna force her, her because she, they have to, to whip her to go with us and, and my mother don't wanna do that. Well, you don't like and

00:27:09.630 - 00:27:32.089

then from there, do you remember where you went after when we stayed there in Detroit? And then she met a boy over there and Chic, oh, Beatrice, your, your older sister, Monica Monica was the oldest but she, she passed. Yeah. Yeah. And, and, and, and she

00:27:32.099 - 00:28:02.689

was, she was about 14 and uh uh the border really like Libya Letter and she got married, she got married and she got married in uh, with everything. This is Beatriz. She got married there in, in, in, in 1929. She was 15 and he was 22.

00:28:07.550 - 00:28:31.989

Well, except how are you? Well, let me, let me do this first and you know, one thing at a time. Um, so, so Lydia was, was also in, she also liked the boy that, that you, that Beatrice got married to, I mean, lo in. No, no,

00:28:33.170 - 00:28:52.170

no, I wasn't there. No, no, not Lydia. Lydia her. Ok. And, and what, and they, they left you after that. So they went and then she got married with, with Ignacio and then they go with him to Ignacio, what was his last Ignacio Montoya and her

00:28:52.229 - 00:29:34.569

husband and they went to where they, they moved to Pontiac near of Detroit, I think. But you go with him. Go see and then we, we just stay, me and my brother Panchita. And then, and I was, and they were there. No, no,

00:29:34.660 - 00:29:55.400

no, no, no. How did they know about each other? Because if you talk to Jose, he's gonna tell you that he knew in, in, in, in us when, when we came because my sister, Monica, uh because my mother, let me tell you the truth. Let her,

00:29:55.410 - 00:30:13.339

let her, let her talk. My mother got married two times the first time she had 12 years when she got married with the first time that was in, in Monterey. And then she had two a girl and a boy with the first husband. And then Monica,

00:30:14.119 - 00:30:36.380

Monica Andres. Yeah. The two of us, they were the brother and sister and then my mo my, the, the, my husband's, my mother, husband passed away and she used to, he was a musician too. He played the, those the guitars, you know, like Caba and then

00:30:36.390 - 00:30:57.199

he passed away and my mother was widow and she was 17 and she was a widow. And then she, she go, she go back to, with my grandma, her mother to live because she was alone with the, with Monica and, and Andrew and just to leave

00:30:57.209 - 00:31:21.339

it with my, my grandma and then she started to work in Monterey in, uh, like a, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And she start to work over there. But you were young. And then my, my father went over there one time to fix some pipes over there in

00:31:21.349 - 00:32:13.550

the hotel and, and, and he, and he see my, my mother, but she, she was young and very good looking woman was a very, very good. And then, um, are you feeling, first of all, I was curious, did, did you like

00:32:13.560 - 00:32:30.130

any other kind of music? Except what your parents played or did you play the piano or you, how did you come to learn to play the piano? Just, just by ear? Ok. My ear. Yeah. What, uh, how did you decide to play on the piano? Because

00:32:30.140 - 00:32:44.010

I like so, uh, just because I like, uh, I play the piano and I don't have no piano and I went, and I went with a friend of my mother and, and, and the group, she had a piano and I like to play and I started

00:32:44.089 - 00:32:57.069

to play but by ear. No, she played by a note but I, I can play by a note because my mother put me a, a professor with note and I can't make it. And then I start to play and playing by ear and playing pin. And

00:32:57.319 - 00:33:15.959

I used to, to play all the, all the, the shoes came to the Zaragoza and the National Theater from Mexico. And I, and I accompanied the bole and the dancing. Uh Did you, did you go by yourself sometimes to the teatro, where did your father take

00:33:15.969 - 00:33:32.300

you sometimes? No, my father passed away when I used to, my father passed away in 1938. Yeah. But you start playing piano before that. But not, not too, very good, but I play the piano. OK. When you, when you heard these other musicians play, I was

00:33:32.310 - 00:33:48.579

just curious if you can describe to me, was that in the theater in Mexico or in San Antonio here in San Antonio. And, and they would come to, to the theater and no, they came out like, like uh make some uh uh barried dancing from Mexico.

00:33:48.589 - 00:34:05.910

They came from Mexico and they looking for uh well, I'm that way. I just hear what they want me to do a campaign and I do it because I know all the, all the dances, all the, all the songs by ear, you know, and then they

00:34:05.920 - 00:34:20.989

say, well, how come you know the she she know how to play the, the songs. So they tell me, do you not have that? So I said, yeah. And you just heard and then I start to accomp and they singing and then dancing, you know, I

00:34:20.999 - 00:34:46.300

just took to uh Jamie and my brother Manuel used to dance, you know, I play the piano and then las P de so chaps and everything I say. Yeah. Sure. Uh, ok. Uh, uh, I'm gonna, I'm gonna tell you what I remember. How about Maria? Maria,

00:34:46.320 - 00:35:11.469

uh, had to be coach by my mother all the time because Maria was very rough. Not only with the piano, not only with the guitar, not only with the, any instrument that she would play or with her voice. Uh, she had to be coach because, uh,

00:35:12.060 - 00:35:32.830

if, if he was, she was, my mother used to say that if she was left alone, uh, she would break the piano, but she would play that hard, she would destroy the, the, the, the fingers, uh, the, the things of the guitar, he would destroy them

00:35:33.780 - 00:35:57.340

because I play like a, like a note and do it very strong. I feel it very strong. Who were some of your favorite performers that, that, that you did, you want to sound like somebody or? Well, you know, the one who helped me too much because

00:35:57.399 - 00:36:15.080

he know how to play the piano by ear. Arturo Vasquez. I don't know if you hear, he makes a lot of rain and he made me and he, and he told me, don't play like hard and like that, he played hard too or he, he played

00:36:15.310 - 00:36:25.820

hard and you end up playing like me and, and then I start to play like him and I played like him. I don't have a piano if I have a piano right now, where did you find the piano to play on when you were little? Like

00:36:25.830 - 00:36:39.929

when, when my mother buy me one, a second hand would buy me one. That was when you finally settled in San Antonio. We used to live over there in, in Smith Benedict. But, but in those days when you went to, uh to Detroit and so on,

00:36:39.939 - 00:36:52.254

how, where would you find the piano? No. Well, they have a piano sou in, in the houses that we went. And then I go there and sit down and play the piano. And the, and the lady say, hey, did you know how to play? And it

00:36:52.264 - 00:37:08.010

was a little girl. And she said, my, my, my, my father, she know how to play every day. And I was proud of my car and then it started to play, I just, my, my video, I was a little and, and I start to play the

00:37:08.020 - 00:37:25.530

piano and then how come that, you know how to do it? But I'm doing it. And then when I start to learn more and more and more more and then I start to play in the orchestra in my ear because I just wanted, I just hear

00:37:25.540 - 00:37:39.739

the, the sound they're gonna start to play and then I follow in them and then I start to play the piano. What, what do you remember from the time when you came back from, from Michigan and so on? And you came back to Houston? Is that

00:37:39.750 - 00:37:57.780

where we came from, from Detroit to, to Ker first. Do you have any stories that you wanted when we went? My, my, my big sister, Monica lives there in T LA. She was living and, and they, and, and, and, and we went over there and live

00:37:57.790 - 00:38:19.989

with her. We stayed there with her. But, uh, I think, but I, you did, you did, did you go out and sing that too? Oh, I see. We went to visit me and we went to stay for a year the first time. They, they, oh, that's

00:38:20.000 - 00:38:42.679

good that it happened. And then when you stay there, well, my, my, my father is the one mean he, he don't like, that's why. And then my sister for a year. Well, my mother want to stay there because they, they, it's been a long time. I

00:38:42.689 - 00:39:05.129

don't see my, my mom, my sister, Monica and my sister, Monica was so happy when my father and, and my brother in law don't make it. So finally got out and then she was, you know, my mother wanted to take everybody with her and she was

00:39:05.139 - 00:39:21.060

in, in, in, in, in, in living Pon and she said we're gonna go down to, to, to cheer with Monica and, and, and she bring her and, and her husband. Yeah, over there too. We stay there with Monica, her and her husband and, and, and her

00:39:21.070 - 00:39:39.500

first child, Charlie. Oh, a lot of family. They have a big house. No, they have all those houses. The company gave you a long time ago over there in Sugarland. Remember they have a company? They give you the houses was that for the sugar company. And

00:39:39.510 - 00:39:59.510

my, my brother in law and in la de la and they give the, the, the house they have a, but the five rooms, that's all, what would you do during the day that you remember they went over there to, to go somewhere to, to sing. What

00:39:59.520 - 00:40:21.310

would you do? Did you go, they go, we go around the Houston Richmond Rosenberg. Just Yeah. No, no. Ro win in the pal. You know, we went, uh my mother just leave him over there with my big sister. He was a little, little one and she

00:40:21.320 - 00:40:42.469

had a little, a little boy uh Oscar and, and she had to feed him. He, him and, and, and, and, and her and, and, and Janie stay there with Monica and, and we just go, me in, in Panchita, just me and Lydia and my daddy, my

00:40:42.479 - 00:41:04.050

mother and Manuel go to and we, we around all the little town in Rosenberg and, and um how would you get out there? Did you have a car? One car and in 19 era in 1929 that the one they bring us over here to Houston to

00:41:04.080 - 00:41:29.389

Ch Yeah, but it, it was, it's a good cut cha and then you came back to San Antonio. Eventually. No, we, we moved to Houston. We moved from there. From New. Yes. Do you remember that? Yeah. Go, well, you know, you know, it's a long trip

00:41:29.639 - 00:41:47.850

from, you came from Detroit to, to Texas and we have AAA little truck and, and we have to put some of those big cases, uh, old ones. There's, there's two cases and put it in the truck And my father, uh, there's the one, drive that, that

00:41:47.860 - 00:42:10.459

truck. But always the, the, when he started to, to run in the trouble, one of the cases and this starts to, to say a little bit and putting back her husband and him, put him back and, and then her husband said, no, that, that's what they

00:42:10.469 - 00:42:35.330

call you. I'm not gonna help you no more. Yeah. And then when I, well, you know how many, uh days to get here to ju we, we, we spend, but, but two months, three months or two months because we came, yeah, from, from Detroit to Children

00:42:35.449 - 00:43:11.340

and Texas because we came too slowly because we, we, we, we, you know, we used to go to, we need to, and I'm talking about this is my son, you know, my son. Yeah, I think I mentioned that this is Beatrice, uh who is the oldest

00:43:11.350 - 00:44:10.000

living sister of the Mendoza family. And, but, but she was raised in, in Monterey. No, where was she raised? On, on, on the, on the Tate. Mhm. Was a child? And they used to go, uh, and raise it.

00:44:11.090 - 00:45:08.000

Uh, my father parents, uh huh. HTML. Was, I was in, in, where was this in? I was, look at something but the one I'm sorry. Get it. Ok. Hm. Why not? Ok. Beatrice was born in 1913 and ask her what she,

00:45:08.010 - 00:46:16.739

when did she first remember the Mendoza family going out and singing? Does she remember where that was? Mhm. Oh, yeah. I can't, why not? You know, not is here. Yeah. Her husband was a boarder at that boarding house, uh, uh, car factory, her

00:46:16.750 - 00:46:44.850

hospital worked in a car factor and that's when she met him. My, my mother was the, the board. What did she think of, of the family band? Did she like the music they played? Oh, yeah. Yeah. She liked them the way, the, the way of life.

00:46:44.860 - 00:47:17.449

She, she, she agreed with that. But, uh, at the time was Janie and Mary women. They, they didn't sing. My mother wanted to teach her how to play the violin but she never learned. It. Didn't like so much. You, you say it? I don't think they

00:47:17.459 - 00:47:35.530

did. Uh, it was a lot of going out of dancing and all that. That's what she said. That's what she said. So she probably had a nicer life than the rest of them who had to constantly. Actually, you know what? II, I remember and I, I

00:47:35.540 - 00:47:56.560

too like that life when I was a because, you know, you know, uh, no, uh, are you happy? You, you, you don't care for nothing and, and, and now when you grow and get married, the older you start thinking and troubles and everything, you know, I

00:47:56.570 - 00:48:16.820

wish, you know, if my mother was alive I didn't get married. She never let me to get married because I'm the one, I'm the one, with her. And she always tell me Mary and, and when they want to do something, say go and tell Mary if

00:48:16.830 - 00:48:29.580

she wanted, if they let you to do this and that you do it if she don't let you don't do it. And she gave me the, for both the bo to say the boss in the house and, and that's the reason I don't like because I

00:48:29.590 - 00:48:45.000

got married when I was 30. But, but you, you think you were happier when, when you, when you were singing in the music and all that. Yeah. Yes. I used to do a piano but I had to, to sell it. But over here I have a

00:48:45.010 - 00:49:04.030

piano. You still play it. Yeah. But not this one. This is no good. I used to have another but I have to sell them, you know. No, I can keep it because I, well, I tell you the truth, I need the money and I have to

00:49:04.040 - 00:49:27.899

sell it and now I'm trying to give this in trade in and, and, and get me another because I wanna have a piano in my house. Where, where's the other piano? How did you feel when, you know, when you were starting, uh, everybody was sort of

00:49:27.909 - 00:49:43.620

a part of the group. But when Lydia made Malore, then she became a star, did you sort of resent that little, or? How did you feel about it? Oh, yeah, I feel, I feel lonesome. You know, because you know, you know what, at one time, uh,

00:49:43.629 - 00:49:58.729

you know, I don't know when you start to, to make the records, she have a lot of publicity and all the people came and you heard that, you know, Meda is the first one. Made the Blue Bird records. I don't know if you know him about

00:49:59.000 - 00:50:18.959

the me daddy. That's what his last name I remember. And she, she, she got married, she made the records when she was with, uh, before she got married and then she got married and my father was so lonesome because she gonna get married when she had

00:50:18.969 - 00:50:57.649

all the publicity and all the people like her and she got married. You're existing in there. He did. And I'm gonna tell you the truth. If anybody, anybody made Lia Mendoza famous, it was him because your father, my father because he would carry, you know, at

00:50:57.659 - 00:51:14.120

the time, very long time ago, he used to, he used to carry, he used to have one of those uh uh you know, record players. We used to go like that and, and if he would go to jail, I remember we got that show. Yeah, those

00:51:14.350 - 00:51:33.189

things he would do that, you know, and, and, and he would tell everybody, you know, uh that's my, my daughter uh singing right there and uh, and that, that, that perfect, you know, perfect. That, that makes a person gets up there, you know, because she was

00:51:33.199 - 00:51:56.489

good. I, she is good and she's always been good but I think that he was the responsible to make her better than what she was. Uh and uh but, but they never would, would, would, would let you sing solo like she did. She didn't let me,

00:51:56.500 - 00:52:11.199

she don't, I know that she didn't let me do because I'm trying to tell her to take me over there to Houston. Uh because, you know, she had she publicity already because I just, the, the, the people know me the due. I told me and, and

00:52:11.209 - 00:52:27.379

Janie, well, we have a lot of when we went in and they have uh somewhere, we have a lot of people come out and, oh, well, now I get married and, and nobody see me, not me, not Jane anymore. And I tell Lida, why don't you

00:52:27.389 - 00:52:46.969

take me over to Houston and I can go take me over and introduce me with it and you play, you sing because I play the guitar too. And she said, well, well, some days later lady was not there. Yeah, I'm doing it because, because I did

00:52:46.979 - 00:53:07.709

it every time with Mama. Yeah. But not last day. But I, I didn't mama, your mother didn't want you to record, like, like Lydia did on her own or, or no, my mother, they want the due to me and Jane, they don't want me to, to

00:53:07.719 - 00:53:23.949

make records by myself. I was, I was thinking about earlier, you know, when in the thirties, you know, when Lydia first recorded, didn't, didn't, didn't you get the idea that you wanted to sing too or something? Yeah. But, but, uh they, they, you know, there's a

00:53:23.959 - 00:53:45.969

reason Lydia get some more of fa fa fame early and all the people like her, nobody, they don't see nobody, just her. And then when she got married, my, my father was so crying. Well, well, she, she got married well and I think 35. And then,

00:53:45.979 - 00:54:00.510

uh I remember when she used to live over there in Matamoros the west when she got the first shot. And then I went there, I go over there with her because I like her very much and, and help her to clean the house because she had

00:54:00.520 - 00:54:19.510

a little girl. And then one time I see, then me and my dad is go over there to, to her house. Uh And I don't know what they say. They, they say her to sign a paper but I don't know what, what happened because he, she

00:54:19.520 - 00:54:38.360

signed a paper for him and, and he stole money for her. He stole money for her. I know, but she signed the paper and then, and then give her a check. But for 200 or 300 I remember, I see the check and, and they uh uh

00:54:38.370 - 00:54:57.500

uh her husband uh uh once say, oh, we have a lot of money and this and that and then I was crying because we don't have no money. We just sports, you know, me and my, my mother and all the family and I say, well, she

00:54:57.510 - 00:55:19.709

had a lot of money. We don't have nothing and I start crying, crying and, and li tell me what happened to you 136 in 19 thirties. If I Yeah, which, which, which house burned in 1937 Cinco de Mayo, right? You know what Mario is right now.

00:55:19.719 - 00:55:44.080

Yeah, the heart burns, everything goes to ashes. I mean the furniture when we had and uh at, at the time the family, I was very small. I was just a child but the family was going, going to the plaza still. And uh they, they won't record

00:55:44.090 - 00:56:02.919

the family. No, but that it wouldn't give no records. There wouldn't be no records to the family because Lydia at the time was famous. So we didn't have no furniture. We didn't have no house. We didn't have nothing. So outside, outside the place, outside the Cantina

00:56:02.929 - 00:56:26.060

right there, my mother built a tent, we stay there. So then Lydia uh she had the money. She was, she was famous at the time. So she rented a house. I don't know if you recall that or not, but I do. Hm. Uh So then, uh

00:56:26.989 - 00:56:45.600

she says, uh I don't know what Bluebird or whatever it was the recording. He said, I'm, I'm gonna get you to record some right there. So you can get out of these. He told my mother, so any cow she did record and you got the recording,

00:56:46.969 - 00:57:08.060

uh, with us and she played, she didn't play the guitar, she played the violin at, in the recordings and, uh, they didn't want, they didn't want my father close to the recordings. He had to go back. And, uh, so anyhow, it was just something to help

00:57:08.070 - 00:57:33.469

us. Uh huh. So, so she did that for us to help us. So they gave us report, not me, but the family. And, uh, right after that happened, uh, my in, I'm just talking about what happened. Uh, my brother in law will face, she, she had,

00:57:33.639 - 00:57:58.030

had bought uh, two chap for him in the other side of the National Theater. And Lydia had bought a shoe shop before her husband came. So, so he ordered right away, he ordered new machines for the job that he had. The reason that he did that

00:57:58.040 - 00:58:19.830

because he didn't want me to help us. He didn't want Lydia to help whom the family or, or you mean, her husband didn't want to want to have, help her family. Yeah, because they Lydia at the time. I mean, if we go back and understand those

00:58:19.840 - 00:58:42.469

things, uh, right now, Lydia could be a millionaire but though the money was gone, I mean, the money was thrown away. You know, it was the reality. nobody knew it in those days were at those times, Lidia was making about 35 to $75 a day. At

00:58:43.679 - 00:59:06.120

that time, it was a hell of a lot of money. And, uh, I remember I can go back as far as what Maria was talking about. That, that was a house in two houses in a duplex. He was living in a duplex at the time and,

00:59:07.010 - 00:59:29.629

and then there's a person that is very rich right now. And, uh, at the time that person told Lydia Lydia, uh, buy me this house. Hm. All you have to do is just pay me like, right. And she got it. Uh, that was back in 1937

00:59:29.919 - 00:59:51.629

1936 and, uh, 1936 and, and Lydia, Lydia had a contract at the time at the time, she had a contract with the station and she was getting paid for that contract. But, and then she was pregnant and she was keeping the contract with the, the station

00:59:52.429 - 01:00:13.860

and at the same time when she, when the child was born, all that, uh, my brother in law in PU, we're working with the KC and then he, when he put his own job back in the 19, when we were talking about the, he was not

01:00:13.870 - 01:00:36.570

working anymore. But yet Miss Lucchese was a personal friend of Lydia. You know, he was a millionaire. So my brother in law had been telling me. Yeah, that location needed money. Who is this person locating? Lo what it, it's, oh, the boot shop. Yeah. Lucchese boot

01:00:36.580 - 01:01:01.580

shop. Uh you know, one of the brothers of the National Theater, they were, they're millionaires and, and my brother in law was telling Lydia that Lucchese needed money and he was borrowing money from them. Hm. And Leah was believing him. So then the child is born.

01:01:02.020 - 01:01:25.770

Yolanda was born Yolanda was born and Lidia goes to Joys and Leah makes a check. She buys things for the child, you know, creator and all those things and she makes AJ when she comes home. And then a little while later the, the detective from location,

01:01:25.850 - 01:01:44.189

she come to this house, my mother was there and I was there. They come and say, well the check bounced, you don't got no money. And liia says, liia says, what do you mean though? I got no money and they say no, you don't got no

01:01:44.199 - 01:02:06.590

money. Either we get the money right now or else we take but she bought. So she goes in the piggy bank, gets out the money and pays more. Then my brother in law comes home and she asked me about it. And then my, my brother who

01:02:06.600 - 01:02:32.260

gets mad and tells my mother, you get that, get the hell out of here if you are the one that, that are inside in Livia to war against me. So she run us out. She, he ran us out and Lydia was not there because she had

01:02:32.270 - 01:02:49.020

left to go to the station to sing. So we get out and then it was a duplex. So we go to the other house when we get out, me and my mother get out. Then the other person, the person that lived in the other place, she

01:02:49.030 - 01:03:05.280

said, come over here, Mendoza, I heard what happened? Your son-in-law run you off. So we sit down outside and the lady you know, start talking to my mother. I was very young at the time that I remember like it was today. And then Lydia comes in

01:03:05.290 - 01:03:26.070

Cortez, go or tell the owner of the case. You are the hero. Leah comes out and tells my, ask my mother, what are you doing outside? My mother said, what? Your husband is drunk. You run me out. What? I don't know. You said that I was

01:03:26.080 - 01:03:44.340

in exciting you exciting you and all that. So well, it's gonna be fixed up by then my brother-in-law hit his mother in the house and an end. So then my sister walks in there and, and she said, do you?