2023 was a notable year for the late Martin Solis, a longtime Melvindale resident whose contributions to Tejano music in Michigan have been recognized with the first historical marker to be installed in southwest Detroit and the first recognizing the contributions of a Hispanic community in Michigan.
2023 was a notable year for the late Martin Solis, a longtime Melvindale resident whose contributions to Tejano music in Michigan have been recognized with the first historical marker to be installed in southwest Detroit and the first recognizing the contributions of a Hispanic community in Michigan.
Ray Lozano, the executive director of Mexicantown, and Frank Solis, the son of a music pioneer, have been on a mission. Having grown up in Detroit's Mexicantown, they know all about the rich Hispanic music culture that started in Southwest Detroit.
A historical marker to be placed in southwest Detroit will be the first in the state to recognize the contributions of a Mexican community to Michigan history. Among those it will honor include the late Martin Solis, a longtime Melvindale resident known locally as a Tejano musician who played at small bars and dance halls.