Grammy Award Winner and Tejano Music Recording Artist Legend Emilio Navaira passes away at age 53

By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc, Copyright 2016

Grammy Award Winner and Tejano Music Recording Artist Legend Emilio Navaira, age 53, passed away on Monday, May 16, 2016, in New Braunfels, Texas of an apparent massive heart attack.

Navaira raised the Tejano Music genre to national and international levels with his brother, Raul Navaira, and his band Rio.

From San Antonio, Texas to Brownsvile, Corpus Christi, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, El Paso, Eagle Pass, Austin, Nashville, Tennessee, Los Angeles, California, and Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, Navaira and the Rio Band transformed the previously regional music genre known as “Tejano Music” into an international powerhouse during the 1990’s.

Navaira was considered the best Tejano Music Male Entertainer during the 1990s, earning numerous Tejano Music Awards including Best Male Vocalist of the Year, Male Entertainer of the Year, Best Tejano Music Album, and many more.

Selena Quintanilla and Emilio Navaira are credited with bringing Tejano Music to international fans throughout the world in the 1980s-1990s.  Now, both legendary recording artists have passed away.

Navaira headlined the 18th Annual Tejano Music Awards Kick-Off Party during the 1990s in Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas, drawing over 15,000 people to the concert.  Navaira sang, danced, and partied the night away with Eagle Pass and Tejano music fans, even giving away the Cowboy boots he wore that evening to two lucky Eagle Passans.

Tejano Music and Country & Western music fans are deeply saddened and mourn the death of Emilio Navaira at the young age of 53.  Rest in peace, Carnal.