| Birth Name: | Anselmo Martínez |
| Birth Date: | 21 April 1927 |
| Birth Place: | Dunlay, Texas |
| Death Place: | San Antonio, TX |
| Genre: | Tejano |
| Instrument: | Vocals |
| Years Active: | 1949-???, 2015-2017 |
Anselmo "El Chemiro" Martínez was a Tejano singer and songwriter. Martínez gained prominence in the mid-1960s recording orchestra music influenced by Glenn Miller and subsequently introducing the style coast to coast as he toured and recorded original compositions. He had released 13 albums and 248 original songs, performing into his 80s and writing 261 Gospel songs, and releasing 5 gospel CDs. He was the President of The Guadalupanos at St. Gabriel’s Church. Anselmo “El Chemiro” Martínez was an inductee to the TTMA Tejano Hall of Fame.
Born in Dunlay, Texas and raised in the Central part of Texas, Martinez followed in his father Jesus Martínez' footsteps, originally from Morelos, Coahuila, Mexico. In 1949, he began with a small Conjunto called Conjunto Gauna and debut their performance on KVOU radio in Uvalde, Texas. He slowly began climbing the charts with his original hit "Caminos Chuecos" on 45rpm record with the recording called "Nadie Nos Separara" on flip side.
In the late 1960s, Anselmo Martínez was at the pinnacle of his career with an orchestrated sound of trumpets and saxophones combined with his own original style. Inspired by the Glenn Miller Band during his younger years, Martínez incorporated his written arrangements to accompany more than 250 Spanish compositions of his own. Traveling the United States from Coast to Coast for more than 15 years, Anselmo Martínez has performed extensively in 40 states.
Martínez released "Admirando A mi padre" under AMI Music Group in San Antonio, Texas. This recording is a father-and-son release with producer and label CEO Jonny Martinez and hearkens back to Anselmo's career by re-recording Caminos Chuecos and some of his major hits along with the orchestra style of the 1950s that Martínez recorded.
At the age of 88, Martínez was included in the Tejano Legends Cruise to perform on Carnival Cruise Lines in January 2016.
Anselmo Martinez passed away on July 18th 2020 at the age of 93.[1]
Albums in order from newest to oldest