Jesusita en Chihuahua

Serenata Tapatia was a music show on Channel 7 (KOAT). I was on, once. The first time I was ever on TV. I watched later. It was awkward. I was playing guitar, Mr. Felix was playing something. Conga? Bongos? We were backup for a singer from our town. But she started in the wrong key and couldn't recover, and unfortunately, what the editor picked up and showed, instead of editing out, was me and Mr. Felix wincing and shrugging at each other about not being able to fix it. That would've been 1968, I think. Same year the Oñate Fiesta was started, or maybe the year before.

Mr. Felix drove us to Albuquerque, and I saw Dick Knipfing in person. He was TALL, and moved the way actors move when they're playing Abraham Lincoln. Or maybe the way giraffes move when they're trying to be cool and casual. He had nothing to do with that show, but he was a newscaster at the same station, and he was leaving as we were coming in.

For years I wondered what the name of the theme song was. I asked a few people, over the years. I would hum some and they would shrug, or I would ask if they remembered the show. Then once in frustration, after about 40 years of wondering, I called someone who had advertised to perform music for weddings and dances and such and I hummed it and asked my question and he said "It's just a polka."

"But what's it called?"

He didn't think it had a name, or he didn't know it, and didn't care.

Sheesh. Every tune has a name. Some have lots of names.

Time passed. I was at Papa Felipe's, a restaurant, and the same recording, even came on their sound system. I asked Siri and got "Jesusita en Chihuahua." Well then! I could look it up.

I don't know who the dancers are or when and where. But this is the song.



There was another show on KOB / Channel 4, called The Val de la O show, which also had music, but also interviews and messing around, and I didn't understand what they were saying so it was more boring, but Serenata Tapatia was music, music, music. Or maybe I just remember it that way. I was a kid, and watched a lot of TV.

Here's another version:



OTHER TV WITH MUSIC:
K Circle B with Dick Bills (local)
Friendly Giant (with recorder music, not local)
Captain Kangaroo (not local, I still know a couple of the songs)
Mickey Mouse ("Tuesday is guest star day---" and "Come to the talent rodeo!")