During the 1990s, FAMA was known as one of Tejano music’s
most musically irresistible and photogenic groups. With such
unforgettable hits as “Querer tu Amor,” “Te
Voy a Enseñar,” and “Quiero Volverte a Ver,” FAMA
helped Tejano cross borders and win new fans.
Now, in 2005, the music is still catchy and still fresh – nine
of the 10 cuts on Javier Galván y Fama’s new album
Mis Raices (My Roots) were written by Javier himself. Featuring
healthy doses of accordion, Tejano rhythm, and Javier’s
contagious charisma, Mis Raices was produced by Danny Zapata
(of Grupo División) and Eddie Pérez.
The first single, “Que Viva Ramón Ayala,” is
a ranchera-styled corrido that pays tribute to Ayala, the legendary
accordionist who’s still topping the charts 40 years into
his career. Of course, there was no way Javier was going to record
the song without Ayala’s permission.
“I called his brother, (producer) José Luis Ayala,
and told him about the idea,” Javier says. “He told
me to call Ramón on his cell phone. I was like ‘n’ombre.’ I
didn’t feel right calling him on his cell. So I called
him at home, and he answered.”
Ayala gave Javier plenty of ideas to improve the song and gave
the finished version his thumbs-up.
Javier was born in the border town of Gustavo Díaz Ordaz,
Mexico, but his family moved to Houston when he was very young.
There, during the mid-1980s, he began jamming with his brothers
Oscar and Edgar.
In 1990, the group, now called FAMA, signed with Sony Discos.
Their music, fusing Tejano with onda grupera and Latin pop, made
them one of the genre’s biggest crossover successes.
But the “Behind the Music” aspects of his life kept
him from being truly fulfilled. “Before, it used to be
sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Before, I would let
everyone else take care of my whole career,” he says.
Fortunately, he’s set aside the negativity. He accepted
the Lord as his personal savior in July 2001, and has found new
inspiration for his music.
In 2003, Javier released a solo album, the inspirational One
Nation Under God. Javier is now serving the Lord by going into
the secular world and preaching the message of god.
Now based in San Antonio, Javier’s again recording with
Fama, and he’s got more drive than ever.
“My goal is to outsell every single album we’ve
done in the past. If I have to wake up at 4 a.m. to do promotion,
I’m there. A lot of us have forgotten that’s what
it takes to have platinum albums.”
Javier’s brothers Oscar and Edgar aren’t in the
music business anymore, but they remain great supporters of Fama.
Fama’s lineup is: Javier Galván, vocals; Eddie
Pérez, bass; John Barraza, guitar; Eddie Dominguez, drums;
Israel Dominguez, keyboards and accordion.
