Los Super Seven – Rio De Tenampa

The more I listen to this band, the more I like them. I have to give credit to halffastcyclingclub, who recommended them, and I’ve been meaning to post on them for 6 months now. A big thank you to him. This song took just one listen, and I was hooked.

The original idea came from the Texas Tornados’ management team, who envisioned a rotating cast of stars celebrating Mexican roots music. The first lineup in 1998 was crazy great: Freddy Fender, Flaco Jiménez, David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos, Rick Treviño, Joe Ely, and Ruben Ramos. Their self-titled debut was heavily into traditional rancheras, boleros, and Tex-Mex standards. This song was written by David Hidalgo and Louie Pérez. 

This was definitely a supergroup, and supergroups can be hit or miss. Sometimes they collapse because of too many egos, and sometimes they just fizzle out. But every once in a while, the chemistry works. That’s what happened in the late 1990s when this band made their self-titled debut album.

What makes Los Super Seven so unique is that they never pretended to be a touring band or a permanent outfit. Each record is like a snapshot, different players but the same spirit. If the name Los Super Seven sounds like a superhero crew, well… in a way, it was. Instead of capes and masks, this revolving crew came armed with guitars, voices, and deep roots in the music of Texas, Mexico, and beyond.

The album peaked at #1 on the US Billboard Regional Mexican Albums and #8 on the US Billboard Top Latin Albums in 1998. The album also won them the Grammy Award for Best Mexican-American Performance at the 41st Grammy Awards.

Los Super Seven – Rìo De Tenampa

I sat at a table and wrote a good song
About eyes as blue as the sea
Drank down the whiskey
And let out a sigh
And thought of how things used to be
Children played on the floor near the bar
With toys made of wood and string
Lovers kissed and others laughed
As the band would strum and sing

Speak to me Rio de Tenampa
Sing to me songs of valor
In this rincon of heaven
I leave my love and love

And I passed once a place we’d go
To escape the heat of the day
Tell all the stories of good times and bad
And hear the violins play

Speak to me Rio de Tenampa
Sing to me songs of valor
In this corner of heaven
I leave my affection and love

Remember the story about a lady on the hill
Gave roses to an Indian boy
Ran down to tell eveyone he knew
About his love and his hope and joy

…

David Hidalgo, Louie Pérez

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

22 thoughts on “Los Super Seven – Rio De Tenampa”

  1. Thanks for the shout-out. I’ll have to extend the favor and thank David Okuma, who introduced me to Los Lobos. He went to Garfield High School in East LA with the band and gave me a copy of their first EP.

    The song was introduced on the album “Kiko”. It was one of those end of album songs to tell you to turn the record over. The verses came later. The three versions (original album, live Los Lobos you posted, and Los Super Seven) are all different. Flaco’s accordion definitely influences the Super Seven version. Stick around for the last verse, with a cameo appearance by Doug Sahm.

    David Hidalgo says the germ of the song came when Los Lobos were on a Mexican tour with Bob Dylan. In Mexico City they came upon a bar in Plaza Garibaldi (where mariachis hang out) called “La Tenampa”.

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    1. No problem…thank you. Oh wow…I just plowed ahead on this version.
      Why I picked it I don’t know…but I listened to it (of course this version) and I just loved the storytelling of it. I’ll go check the other versions out….I want to hear the other versions.
      That is a great influence on the song.

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  2. While I am aware of and dig Los Lobos, I didn’t know about Los Super Seven. The first thing I did when I saw the title of your post was to pull up “Rio de Tenampa” and literally my first thought was, ‘cool, they remind me of Los Lobos!’😀 I will have to check them out!

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    1. LOL…yea they should remind you of them! Christian…I just loved this song the first time I heard it and the storytelling…just a really good song period.

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  5. Pingback: Los Super Seven – Rio De Tenampa – MobsterTiger

    1. CB…I just started to listen to this first album and it’s like…this is great. The music and lyrics…easy to get hooked on this. I think Flaco Jiménez played with everyone CB…he is popping up everywhere because I know him now…he was with Ry Cooder on his first album.

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      2. I regret not knowing about all of this earlier but CB…you know how cool it is to discover all of this music…I take advantage of it…I compare it to just discovering the Beatles or Who…I have all the music laid out for me…not having to wait for the next record. I’ll stop rambling now.

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      3. Doesnt matter when you discover it as long as you do. It’s hard to get off the dial with this stuff. I have a music smorg on my music box but this stuff fills a big part of the plate
        I have a very cool Ely thing for you.

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      4. Yes…it IS a tree CB…the Texas songwriters to this to that to something else. That was I think the key for me…the Texas Songwriters just lead to something else great.
        Very cool CB!

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