Accordionist Garza blends Mexican and Tex-Mex styles to create music, including his hit single from 1998, “Te Quiero, Te Amo.”
Along with signature “Tejano” style, the band performs a variety of styles including polka and country-western.
A concert by David Lee Garza y Los Musicales is truly a unique and energizing experience. The performers walk into the audience among the spectators, encouraging everyone to sing along with the band and also pause for pictures with audience members during shows. Garza’s three brothers, Richard, Adam, and Oscar have been in the band since it formed more than 30 years ago. They are truly a family of entertainers from the small town of Poteet, Texas.
Garza taught himself to play the accordion by watching his father’s and grandfather’s bands. Garza started playing the drums at age nine before his father gave Garza an accordion and challenged him to learn to play the polka. Garza accompanied his father to rehearsals and imitated the musicians. Through observation and his father’s instruction, Garza learned to play both the accordion and the drums. Over the years, Garza built and added to his band with numerous vocalists who write songs as well, providing variety in sound and storytelling. Many of these vocalists have gone on to launch successful solo careers, including Ramiro “Ram” Herrera, Emilio Navaira, Oscar G, Jay Perez, Marcos Orozco, Mark Ledesma, and Ben Ozuna.
Garza’s record label, DLG Records, is cranking out hits, too. Thereleased, “Just Friends,” a collaboration with ten different vocalists, winning the 2013 Latin Grammy for the Best Tejano Album. Garza hopes to help new, upcoming artists to give them the same opportunities he felt he received when he began working in the industry.
Carolyn Sostrom is a long-time Arizona resident who loves desert sunsets, warm weather, Zumba, and the Western lifestyle. She attended Saguaro High School in Scottsdale and then Arizona State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Similarly to the protagonist in *The Devil Wears Prada*, Carolyn moved to New York City right after college. She started working for the fashion magazine company Conde Nast but never transitioned to the dark side. After a few years, she left New York in the rearview mirror and returned to her home state, taking a reporter job at the *Apache Junction Independent*. With over 30 years of freelance writing experience, Carolyn especially enjoys writing about community events and profiling individuals who are making a difference in their communities. She had the pleasure of interviewing a variety of cowboy personalities for an article she wrote for the *Scottsdale Independent* about the history of DC Ranch and its roots as a working ranch. Now, her Western adventures with CLN have her diving into the rugged automotive scene, exploring the trucks and rigs cowboys rely on for work, home, and play, a niche where grit meets horsepower. She works at Raising Special Kids, a nonprofit resource center for families of children with disabilities and special healthcare needs. Carolyn also volunteers with the Autism Society of Greater Phoenix. Carolyn believes that everyone has a story, and she loves connecting with others to hear their stories. She’s dedicated to ethical journalism and accurate reporting, which shines through in her storytelling.
