El gallo copeton flaco jimenez biography

Óscar “El Gallo Copeton” Martínez is a singer, musician, songwriter, painter and author whose love for music dates back to 1940 when wanted to play a musical instrument so bad that he would pretend to play drums by beating a galvanized bucket, “una tina,” as he says, with a stick.

As a songwriter, Martínez is best known for composing “El Tejano Enamorado,” a tune that has been recorded by Isidro López, Little Joe, Sunny Ozuna, Jimmy Edward, Joe Bravo, Rudy Tee González of the Reno Bops, Gilbert Rodríguez and the Blue Notes, Carlos Guzmán, Snowball, Ram Herrera, Ramón Ayala, Jay Pérez plus at least two dozen other bands and vocalists.

It is also the tune considered by many to be the “Tejano National Anthem.” And one fact does hold true, it was recorded during la onda Chicana’s music era and it is the first tune to contain the word “Tejano” in its lyrics.

That is what he is best known for and now, here’s his story: This li Flaco jimenez.