- Mazz
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Mazz is a Grammy Award–winning Tejano band originating from south Texas. They were formed in Brownsville, TX, by singer/guitarists Jimmy González and Joe López, and emerged as one of the most innovative bands in their genre after adding synthesizer to combine traditional Mexican music and popular Latin rhythms. They debuted in 1978 with Mazz, featuring the hit single "Comprendo Mi Amor." During the following decades, Grupo Mazz became a successful band on the regional Mexican scene, climbing the charts with hits "Laura Ya No Vive Aqui" and "No Te Olvidaré," among other songs.Lopez, with his suave voice, and Gonzalez, with his winning songwriting and producing talents, formed their own groups after Mazz's break up in 1998. Joe Lopez y La Nueva Imagen Mazz and Jimmy Gonzalez y Grupo Mazz.
Since the separation, Jimmy Gonzalez y Grupo Mazz has enjoyed plenty of success. The group won Best Tejano Album four times at the Latin Grammy Awards from 2001-2004. The group also won Best Tejano Album at the American Grammy Awards in 2004. In 2006, the two planned a reunion tour and release of a new album, Joe Lopez, Jimmy Gonzalez y Grupo Mazz: The Last Dance Mazz Live Reunion.Not long after, Lopez was found guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage relative at his Rancho Viejo home in April 2004. He was sentenced to 32 years in prison, but because he will serve the sentences concurrently rather than consecutively, he's currently serving a twenty year sentence. Joe Lopez' music, including the songs he recorded when he was the lead singer with Grupo Mazz, continue to get airplay at Tejano stations around the world today along with Jimmy Gonzalez Y Grupo Mazz' recordings as well.
Contents
History
The group's name was taken from a spelling variation of the Spanish word mas (meaning "more") and spelled similar to that of late 70s band Kiss. Original band leaders Joe Lopez and Jimmy Gonzalez formed Mazz in Brownsville, Texas after already being a part of the former band The Bel-Airs. The group was discovered by Texas music promoter Luis Silva and was originally signed under the Cara Records label. In 1978 they released a self-titled album and began promoting the single Comprendo Mi Amor (Understand My Love). They then followed with their second album release Mas Mazz later that same year. (There are many variations as to how the group Mazz formed, this is one of them. It is thought that Juan Ignacio Murillo was one of the founders of the group Mazz. He is often never given credit publicly except from fellow musicians in a close knit group. The original members or as said here the "first lineup" would leave Mazz and start a new group called The Force. To listen to their sound check out the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgU-qH2rfCA)
The band started on shaky ground as they received most response from California for their music rather than in their home state of Texas. Because of this the band began focusing on their now trademark sound of incorporating synthesizer sounds with various Latin music styles popular in the south Texas region such as rancheras, cumbias and ballads. Gonzalez said, "We were actually more successful in California," "We did rock, and our sound was more international. People asked us if we were from Mexico." Hard to believe now, but people even said they couldn't dance to Mazz's music. The group realized it would to have to rediscover Tejano." Their first hit Laura Ya No Vive Aquí (Laura Doesn't Live Here Anymore) managed to capture their desired audience as planned. Soon after, their scheduled concert appearances drew more audience numbers and record sales improved. Releasing their first live album in the 1980s, Command Performance, large numbers of screaming fans can be heard in the background showing how much the signature Mazz sound had caught on to audiences. Their record sales soon began to rival that of fellow Tejano group La Mafia, a feature almost unheard of at the time.
Many music awards followed, not only for their high record sales, but also for their contributions to the start of the Tejano music boom. Both Sony Records and EMI Latin later took interest in the band and signed the group to their individual labels. Mazz's albums No Te Olvidare (which received a Grammy ), Para Nuestra Gente, Una Noche Juntos, and Mazz Romanticos Que Nunca have all gone platinum. Mazz then became members of Freddie Records, owned by established Tejano singer Freddie Martinez, which helped promote new and already established Tejano music talents such as Ramón Ayala, Elida Reyna, and Michael Salgado.
Post-Mazz
In 1998 both lead singers Joe Lopez and Jimmy Gonzalez split the band, deciding to form their own groups. The following year Joe formed Joe Lopez y La Nueva Imagen Mazz while Jimmy formed Jimmy Gonzalez y Grupo Mazz. For legal reasons, Lopez later would have to change the name simply to "La Nueva Imagen" instead of "La Nueva Imagen Mazz". Lopez y La Nueva Imagen issued the album Mazz Fuerte Que Nunca, a mix of danceable cumbias and Tejano tracks, which featured the hit single Atrapado. Gonzalez y Grupo Mazz went on to release Quien Iba a Pensar.
Band members
First lineup:
- Joe Lopez, vocals
- Jimmy Gonzales, guitar and backup vocals
- Juan Murillo, bass guitar and backup vocals
- Hector Augusto Flores, keyboards
- Adolfo Garcia, drums
Second lineup
- Joe Lopez, lead vocals
- Jimmy Gonzalez, vocals and guitar
- Tommy Gonzalez, conga and sax
- Homero Esquivel, accordion
- Mario Gonzalez, bass guitar
- Brando Mireles, keyboard
- Adolfo Garcia, drums
- Ricardo Barron, percussion
- Rebecca Valadez, vocals
External links
Categories:- Latin Grammy Award winners
- Musical groups from Texas
- People from Brownsville, Texas
- Tejano musicians
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