Adventures of the Coconut Caucus

Now that Congress and its many useless caucuses are on vacation (OK so the Senate) we have time to focus on more important pressing issues for our community… such as country music.

Apparently some musics execs want to make some money off of us by forcing us to listen to country music…

Panel Discusses Opening Up Hispanic Market to Country Music

But Executives Admit They Don’t Know How to Do It (being less racist might help)

By: Edward Morris

Americans of Hispanic descent are a huge potential audience for country music — but no one is yet certain how to tap this expanding market. These were the two broad conclusions that emerged from the “Hispanic Market Research and Strategy” discussion held Wednesday (Aug. 1) at Nashville’s Belmont University.

While acknowledging the economic (we want your money) and cultural importance of Hispanics in the U.S., a panel of country music executives confessed they were doing little to appeal to that population.

Moreover, they said it was a delicate area to explore since country audiences tend to be conservative and hostile toward Hispanics, an attitude often fostered by country radio personalities. (yeah, like those guys in Nashville who keep saying we should all be deported or shot at the border!!!!!!)

(Yeah, with like T-shirts like these)

…

Criticisms of country music included “it’s boring,” “the stories are repetitive,” (lost my trailer, shot my wife, dog is the only one who loves me)
“I don’t relate to it” (don´t wear flannel shirts)

and “people don’t like to dance to country music.” (because nothing beats dancing salsa till dawn or a slow and close Juan Luis Guerra ballad)

Roberts’ company, which is based in the Nashville suburb of Goodlettsville, Tenn., recently launched a Latin division in Los Angeles. It is headed by Maritza Baca, president of the U.S. Hispanic Country Music Association. (who knew?)

The division currently represents a package show made up of Nashville Star alumni John Arthur Martinez and Melanie Torres, plus Bobby Marquez and Janie Feliz.

Dungan conceded that his label is doing little to open the Hispanic market beyond keeping its eye on promising talent. “What our market needs is a Hispanic star,” he said. “I think it will probably be a female star first because our culture tends to accept females [more readily].” (WTF?)

So back to country music, I guess since African-Americans haven´t responded so good to country hits like: “If the south woulda won we´d had it made” by Hank Williams Jr., and then again they have jazz, I guess according to the census it is now time to target Hispanics….

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