Roberto Pulido

Born and raised in Edinburg, Texas, Tejano artist Roberto Pulido established himself early as a driving influence on the growth of Tex-Mex music. After finishing high school he enrolled at Pan American University with a scholarship in music, then entered the teaching profession while still playing weekend club engagements. He assembled Los Clasicos as his backing ensemble in 1974 and shaped an original style that merged the brass-driven approach of traditional Tejano orquesta with the accordion foundation of Conjunto. The band quickly rose to prominence, landing a hit with the single “Copa Tres Copa.” Fans came to know Pulido fondly as “El Primo,” and he stayed at the leading edge of Tejano music across the ensuing decades, releasing dozens of LPs and accumulating numerous chart successes.