JOEL NAVA
& The Border

Born in Victoria and raised in Port Lavaca, Joel Nava is Tejano to the core. A vocalist justifiably proud of his dual heritage as a Mexican-American, Nava sings on either side of the border

The gifted owner of a voice and range to be reckoned with, he credits a hard-working family for an early introduction to music as a way of life.

"My grandfather played the accordion. Growing up, he was my first and most important-musical influence," says the seasoned performer as he prepares for the release of Soy Otro (I've Changed), his second release on Arista/Latin.

With a rich, tender tenor that rips into ranchera (quintessential polka-based Tejano dance tune) rhythms almost as easily as it slides into Mexican, pop and country ballads, Nava is on the cusp of a break-through singularity.

Having taught himself percussion at age 11, he was a featured member of a Port Lavaca country band by the time he'd entered high school.

It was during his formidable stint as a precocious young drummer in an arena where two-step was just as fashionable as Top 40 that Nava found his true calling in front of a microphone.

"I was about 14 or 15, when I decided I wanted to sing." Nava recalls.

His bandmates, in an outfit named Bobby Lee and the Nightriders, willingly obliged ... and with good reason. Nava has delivered distinctly passionate lead vocals in two languages ever since.

The new blends make perfect sense. The lonesome guitar strumming cowboy and the rugged, fearless Mexican "vaquero" (origin of "buckaroo") share a long and colorful history. And Nava, like many a small town troubador, is perfectly suited to bridge disparate worlds ... to blow open borders.

His new band, The Border, comes with the perfect calling cards: T.J. Gonzales on lead guitar and background vocals, formerly with Culturas; Francisco Cortinas on keyboards, sax and vocals; Larry Villanueva on drums, a seasoned veteran of Ram Herrera's Outlaws; Mike Barro on bass and background vocals, once with Patsy Torres; and 18-year-old young gun Isaac Valverde on the accordion.

Nava is understandably excited about his sophomore CD, Soy Otro. The album gracefully allows the crooning strains of his native Tejano to take the stage front-and-center while horns, accordions and even a guest appearance by fellow Tejano star Jay Perez, roll like prairie thunder over mesquite-riddled brush country.

The opening single, "El Tejano Enamorado," is a ranchera scorcher and a sure-fire dance club hit. Nava and company have taken the heart and soul of the Latin Breed Tejano classic and imbued it with a searing accordion, horn and keyboard edge, all smoothed over with Nava's liquid vocals

The title track rumbles in as a progressive cumbia, ready-made for the giant Tejano dance floors and the circular progression of Tejano aficionados. Laced with keyboard, guitar and pop inflections, "Soy Otro" is a telling song about personal change. Nava's vocal sincerity glimmers with simmering intesity

Other standout singles are "Te Amo," a ballad which showcases Joel's vocals at their strongest in emotion-charged balladry. "El Hombre de Nadie" is an unforgettable ranchera that smokes with bajo-sexto and accordion. And "Linda Morenita"-likely to become Texas' favorite, hands-down-is an extremely danceable polka-based number, anchored by Nava's bright tenor and brilliant vibratto.

Fans and newcomers alike should prepare for a bona fide boot stompin' in time to traditional Texas polka ranchera, frosted with the sweet soul Joel Nava breathes into every note.

A winning release from one of Tejano's commanding performers, Sov Otro is Nava's way of saying it only gets better. A return to classic Tejano, the album also updates the genre with a vocal strength that is rare in Latin music today. Nava demonstrates the uniqueness of Tejano through a glittering array of traditional and orignial album cuts.

"I wanted to make a Tejano record to give my audience more of "Para Que" (one of the hit singles on his debut album]. It's the music that I've grown up with that's always been close to my heart," Nava says. "I'm really glad that Arista has given me that kind of creative freedom."

And the 'freedom' that Joel expresses on Sov Otro is a passionate devotion to the music that his Tejano fans will always embrace.

Newcomers take heed. And while you're at it, check the heels on your favorite pair of boots. You may find yourself on the dance floor before you realize what's happening. And you won't mind it a bit because Sov Otro will lead you right into the next number, the one your partner probably wants to hear.