Tish Hinojosa’s music crosses borders – between cultures, languages and musical genres. Moving with equal grace through folk, country, pop and latino styles, her music reflects contemporary America’s multicultural richness. Combining a vision that embraces all of these musical styles, with her characteristic warmth and a pure, soulful voice, this enchanting Texan singer-songwriter has gained a loving and loyal audience throughout America, Europe and beyond.
As the youngest of thirteen children born to Mexican immigrant parents in San Antonio, TX, Tish grew up listening to the traditional Mexican songs on her parents’ radio as well as to the pop and folk stations of the 60’s. Inspired by these diverse influences, she began playing and singing, first for her family and then later in local clubs and coffee houses. In 1979, she left her hometown for the mountains of New Mexico, where she discovered her love for pure and heartfelt country music. She started performing with legendary country musicians Michael Martin Murphy and Bill and Bonnie Hearne, which inspired her to begin writing her own songs, both in English and Spanish.
After a stint in Nashville, Tish – by now married and mother of two children - moved back to New Mexico where she made her first independent release (Taos to Tennessee – 1987), before finally re-locating to Austin, TX, where she was eagerly welcomed by the city’s thriving music scene. In 1988, she was signed by A & M Records and finally achieved a national debut release. Homeland (1989), found her weaving all the threads of her artistic ethos into an intriguing tapestry that immediately put her on the international musical map.
Since then, a continuous stream of recordings and numerous American and European tours have brought Tish’s music to the attention of an ever-growing audience. To date, she has released 15 albums, all of which beautifully display her ability to distill her diverse musical influences and colourful life experiences into a sound which is distinctively her own. Her releases explore a wide variety of styles: from the perfect balance of country, folk and latino elements on the award-winning Culture Swing (1992) or the collection of Mexican love ballads and border songs on all-Spanish Frontejas (1995), to the delicate mysticism of Dreaming From The Labyrinth (1996) or the joyful optimism on her bilingual children’s record Cada Niño/Every Child (1996). Sign Of Truth, released in 2000, added yet another facet to Tish’s sound. Influenced by the divorce from her long-time partner and other transitions occurring in her life, the songs on this album show her revealing a more personal, intimate, yet independent side.
Tish has contributed her talent to numerous issues such as bilingual education, immigration and farm workers’ rights. She has also performed by invitation at the White House for Bill and Hillary Clinton. She has gained the respect and admiration of many well-established musicians, not only her contemporaries, but also some of those who were important early influences, including Linda Ronstadt, who later recorded her own version of Tish’s song “Donde voy”. Amongst other artists that Tish has recorded and worked with are Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson, Dwight Yoakam, Nanci Griffith, Pete Seeger, Flaco Jimenez and Los Lobos.
Tish’s latest CD, Our Little Planet, will be released on CRS Records in October 2008. Inspired by her rediscovered love for country music, the 12 self-penned songs on this collection feature a deeply Americana mix of traditional bluegrass and Tish’s trademark sound of contemporary folk and tex-mex. The album is produced by Tish and her long-time accompanist, Marvin Dykhuis, who also co-wrote the title song, as well as playing most of the instruments. It also features appearances by celebrated pedal-steel player, Greg Leisz, duets with Texas country legends Rosie Flores and Dale Watson, as well as with rising star, Carrie Rodriguez, all of which combine to add delightful new textures to Our Little Planet’s stripped-down country sound.
Presently, Tish is dividing her time between Austin, Texas and Hamburg, Germany, where she is remarried and happily residing. A biographical DVD, spanning the 30 years of her musical career, is in the making. She is also pursuing new forms of expression outside the realms of music, with the writing of a book about her family and her life.
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