Freddy Fender
's earliest
Tejano
rock
recordings are compiled on
Canciones de Mi Barrio
, a fine collection of singles first issued between 1959 and 1964 on the tiny San Benito, Texas label
Ideal
. Sung mostly in Spanish, these "canciones" bear a large debt to
Elvis Presley
's hits -- there's even a cover of
"Devil in Disguise"
-- although
Fender
's clear, sweet voice and the music's strong
Latin
roots combine to give his formative efforts their own distinct identity. ~ Jason Ankeny