Before Selena, she was hailed as the queen of the Latin music style

[crystals]

LAURA CANALES: 1954-2005
Tejano singer was a pioneer of the genre
Before Selena, she was hailed as the queen of the Latin music style
By RAMIRO BURR
For The Chronicle

SAN ANTONIO - Although she was predated by pioneers Chelo Silva and Lydia Mendoza, Laura Canales was the first widely popular female singer in the macho world of Tejano music.
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Before Selena, Canales was recognized as La Reina de la Onda Tejana (Queen of the Tejano Wave).

Canales died Saturday night of complications from gall bladder surgery. She was 50.

Veteran San Antonio songwriter and producer Luis Silva said fans today don't realize how big Canales was in her day.

"Laura was as big as anyone could possibly be in the Tejano market of the '80s," he said. "She was it. And no matter how big she was, I remember she was always kind to everyone."

Born Aug. 19, 1954, in Kingsville, Canales was inspired to get into music by her high school choral director. She made her recording debut in 1973 with Los Unicos before joining El Conjunto Bernal for a short stint. Her first regional hit was a cover of Midnight Blue, which she performed with Snowball & Company.

In 1981, Canales married drummer Balde Muñoz and formed Laura Canales and Encanto.

The title track from their debut album, Sí Viví Contigo, was Canales' first major hit. Written by Luis Silva and featuring Canales' distinctive voice, it vaulted her to the upper echelon of the Tejano market.

"Laura will best be known for delivering a balanced yet soulful punch to her polkas, rancheras and ballads," said former Latin Breed singer Ruben Cubillos, who worked with Canales.

Much of Canales' popularity derived from her rich, supple and emotive voice. She had a little-girl quality that fused innocence with exuberance, but she could easily and convincingly convey the anger of betrayal or the fear of loneliness in her songs.

From 1983 to 1987, Canales won both the female entertainer and female vocalist honors at the Tejano Music Awards, a record that stood until Selena eclipsed it in the mid-'90s.

"Laura was instrumental during Tejano's rise in the late '80s," said Robert Arellano, head of the Tejano Music Awards. "She held her own among the male artists."

Images of Canales from her '80s heyday always show her impeccably dressed, her hair perfectly coifed and flashing a thousand-watt smile.

In 1989, Canales quit Encanto over management differences and went into semiretirement. Her comeback yielded hits including Cuatro Caminos, Dame la Mano and Dile a Tu Esposa.

Noted producer Gilbert Velasquez, who worked with Canales on more than a dozen albums, said that despite her years of experience, Canales still got nervous during the recording sessions.

"She always had a little Chihuahua named Chi Chi Bell with her that helped her calm down," Velasquez said. "(But) what we remember most about her in the studio was that she was always giggly, always bubbly. She was a friend to everybody who came into the studio."

Added publicist Ramon Hernandez: "She never let anyone or anything get to her, and if she saw you looking depressed, she would say, 'Build a bridge and get over it.' And that is exactly what she did."

Rosary services are scheduled this week, with funeral service scheduled Thursday in Kingsville's Memorial Funeral Home.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory...olitan/3141089

[Ags2000]

There were over 400 people in attendance. The cemetary parking was packed. From where all the cars were I thought she was burried in the first cemetary, but it was actually the one in back. There were LOTS of people there.

D

[consentida]

I'd never heard of this woman until her death. I wonder what her music sounds like. She must have been really something though.

[Pitooey]

I've never heard of her either. It's sad she's died though. She looked quite attractive too.

[Ags2000]

I never listened to her music much, but she is VERY well known down here. She was a really nice lady, my mom had a class with her in college.

D