The Power of Tejano Music
By Carrina Ramirez Dabdub
Jose Carlos Estrada Brings Tejano Music to Brenham, Texas
“Everything has its Time”
Jose Carlos Estrada, (also known by many as DJ JC) has been bringing Tejano Music to Brenham, Texas and surrounding areas for almost 35 years. His love for Tejano music and Mexican culture is apparent in his work, and his radio broadcasts are now able to reach people all over the United States on Club Latino on KTEX 106.1 from 4:50 pm- 6:50 pm on Sundays.
Where He Got His Start
“I started as a mobile DJ in the early nineties. Randy Reeds was a musician and would rent me his equipment. Randy was also a DJ and he would cover sports. Randy Reeds recently passed, may he Rest In Peace.”
“I started doing DJ work for dances. The first dance I had was at the old KC Hall here in Brenham on 577. I think it is now a church. The first dance had only three couples, and I remember getting a little gift from the couples because they felt so bad for me that there wasn’t a big turn out. It was a little mouse souvenir that said “Hang in There.” I still remember who the couples were and still see some of them around today.”
Carlos included his family in his DJ business. He would often bring his family to dances, and turn his gigs into a family road trip. His brothers Mario and Robert would also help with lighting and smoke effects.
Beginning Struggles and TriumphsOne of my first parties that I DJ’d for was one for the owners of a popular Mexican Restaurant. I had all my music on CDs that I would record a variety of music on and it was very time consuming to prepare the party. The crowd was not into the music that I had prepared for the event, but this was a lesson learned to include more of a variety of music for future events. I almost gave up DJing that night because of the humiliation that I felt, but the good Lord had other plans for me.
After getting some experience under his belt, JC moved on to DJ more local parties and events. He recalls being hired to DJ some parties at Silver Wings Ballroom. Sometimes, he would rent a U-Haul trailer to transport equipment to out of town venues.
JC remembers making flyers and taping them to store windows all over the area to promote the dances. He would book different bands for dances. He recalls scheduling a variety of bands for the Washington County Fair for Tejano Night, including Grammy award winning bands Los Palominos, Jimmy Gonzalez and Mazz. Admission to the dances he would organize ranged from $10-$20 depending on who was playing that night. At that time, the dances would draw a good sized crowd. He would expect anywhere from 500-700 people in attendance, good thing social distancing wasn’t a thing back then! He used to love to use the little machine to scan tickets and “beep” people in.
La Hora Tejana on KULF 94.1
In the mid-nineties, JC had the idea to start a Tejano Radio Segment, and pitched the idea to Roy May and John Dee May, at KULF. Roy May was the owner of KULF and John Dee May was his son. They have both passed since then, and JC fondly remembers how they both helped start his career as a DJ.
“I don’t know. When I was in the valley, I never pursued it even though I had that idea when I was growing up. When I moved to Brenham, I still had the idea in my mind. I would listen to KULF regularly, and pursued the idea of having a Tejano program. I would gather sponsors to cover the cost of the radio program and the rest is history.” JC jumped head first into the radio industry, and never looked back. He said that he was a little nervous in the beginning but never let that stop him from trying new things such as remote broadcasts, and more. As time passed, he became very comfortable in the radio industry and his hobby turned into a source of income. Some of his earlier sponsors were local businesses in the area and some of those businesses still exist today. In fact, State Farm Insurance, Mike Hopkins Distributing Co. and La Roche Chevrolet Buick GMC were sponsors during his time at KULF are current sponsors for his Club Latino show on KTEX.
Where is JC Now
JC partnered with his longtime friend Tony Ramirez to open Top Floor Cars in 2018. They continue to work together selling classic cars. JC worked as a salesman at Appel Ford for decades and continues to enjoy helping customers find their perfect classic car. He enjoys working alongside Tony and the crew at Top Floor Cars. They recently made the move to Downtown Brenham at 301 S. Market St. and are having a car show benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on April 8, 2023. You can visit Top Floor Cars at 301 S. Market St. Brenham, TX 77833. They are excited to participate in events in Downtown, such as the Summer Sip, and Uptown Swirl. Top Floor Cars is a welcoming environment for anyone looking to purchase a classic car, and car enthusiasts in general.
