Freddy Fender's earliest Tejano rock recordings are compiled on
Canciones de Mi Barrio, a fine collection of singles first issued between 1959 and 1964 on the tiny San Benito, Texas label Ideal. Sung mostly in Spanish, these "canciones" bear a large debt to
Elvis Presley's hits -- there's even a cover of "Devil in Disguise" -- although
Fender's clear, sweet voice and the music's strong Latin roots combine to give his formative efforts their own distinct identity. ~ Jason Ankeny