Warden singer to compete for 'Next Diva Tejana' title

WARDEN — A Warden woman will be among the finalists singing for the title of the “Next Diva Tejana” in San Antonio Thursday night.

Anjelina Jalomo will be one of six women competing for the chance to record with Tejana/Tejano stars Shelly Lares and Stefanie Montiel, among other prizes. She was one of hundreds of women who sent in video auditions, and one of 10 to make the second round.

“I was pretty excited that I got the chance,” she said. The six finalists will take to the stage at the Thirsty Horse Saloon in San Antonio Thursday, with the winner announced Saturday at the Fiesta de los Reyes.

(Spanish indicates the sex of the person being spoken about by different word endings. So when guys sing the music it’s “Tejano,” and when women sing it’s “Tejana.”)

The roots of Tejano go back to Texas; it’s a blend of the music of different groups that settled the Lone Star State. There are different sounds from old Mexico, of course, but there’s also the accordions and polka rhythms of immigrants from Germany and Poland. Texas had jazz, Western songs and the country sound, and the Cuban/African sounds of salsa coming out of the north.

“When you listen to Tejano you can hear all kinds of different styles in there.”

Anjelina grew up with Tejano music, she said, a favorite of her dad. “I just love it.” She sings with Cover Story, a Moses Lake band that doesn’t play Tejano, but she wanted to find a Tejano band too, she said.

A gig with a band in Tri-Cities didn’t work out – work schedules conflicted – and Jalomo was thinking of going solo with recorded music when her cousin Becky saw an ad for the Next Diva Tejana contest.

The 10 competitors performed March 18. “When I was waiting, it was nerve-wracking.” But then she got out on stage. “Once the music started, it was on.”

She likes her chances on Thursday. “I do. I really do.” Anjelina is the only competitor from the Pacific Northwest, and she looks a little different than most of the other competitors. “I’m okay with that.”

She saw similar reactions from some people in the audience at some of her previous Tejano performances, she said. “When I start singing, no one sees anything. They just hear my voice.”

If she wins, she wants to make her mark as a Tejana performer; as a genre, Tejano has relatively few female performers. “I want to be one of those pioneer ladies.”

If she loses, it’s still a great experience, she said. “I would do it all over again, even if I don’t win.” She has met and learned from Tejana legends, as well as watching and learning from the support crews and producers. She learned from “the other ladies (contestants) I met too. They are amazing.”

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.