Texicana Mamas (Patricia Vonne, Tish Hinojosa and Stephanie Urbina Jones) find work at APAP

Texicana Mamas at APAP, from left, Patricia Vonne, Tish Hinojosa and Stephanie Urbina Jones.

Fans of Tex-Mex music were surprised to behold Tish Hinojosa, Stephanie Urbina Jones and Patricia Vonne gracing their Texicana Mamas exhibitor’s booth last month at the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) trade conference headquartered at New York’s Hilton Hotel Midtown.

The threesome, each with her own lengthy list of influences and credits in Tex-Mex rock ’n’ roll, Texas singer-songwriter and country-rock, folk, flamenco, Americana and numerous border music styles, showcased at the hotel and hustled gigs under their new group name, and seemed to be off to a good start: Upcoming concerts include Texas Radio Live in Austin, Feb. 26; Canciones Concert Series in San Antonio, Feb. 28; South By Southwest Official Latinapalooza Showcase in Austin in March, and the Kerrville Folk Festival in May.

All three Texicana Mamas are natives of San Antonio and have recent solo albums out on their own. But they joined forces in 2018 when Vonne, now living in Nashville, had a date at the Bluebird Café with Urbina Jones.

“We wanted to get another artist for a songwriters-in-the-round, and asked Trish, who’s an icon!” said Urbina Jones.

“We had great fun, and something clicked with us and the audience, and we immediately got great performing arts center gigs in Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and Houston—and at The Kennedy Center.”

“We all sing bilingually and tell stories about our roots,” added Hinojosa.

The Texicana Mamas are currently working on their first group album, to feature material highlighting “our cultural mix,” said Urbina Jones.

“All songs are original except one or two traditional tunes, also Linda Ronstadt’s ‘Lo Siento Mi Vida,’ from the ’70s [1976 album Hasten Down the Wind, and her first Spanish recording]. She’s my hero as well.”

All Texicana Mamas promise “a dynamic show that’s a lot of fun.”

“We really love what we’re doing,” concluded Urbina Jones.