"Las Hermanas Gongora"

 The summer of 2024 the K Space Mural Arts Program embarked on a special project to honor Las Hermanas Góngora, a Tejano duo from Corpus Christi popular in the 1940’s and 50’s. The sisters are the mother and aunt of Belinda Edwards, Axis Tattoo co-owner and co-founder of the Corpus Christi Dia de los Muertos Festival.

Las Hermanas Góngora, Louisa and Lupe, were born in Corpus Christi. They began their musical careers in 1939 singing radio advertisements. As teenagers, they toured with Stout Jackson’s Teatros Carpas (tent shows). Soon, they were performing in theaters throughout the American Southwest, California, and northern Mexico with famous entertainers like Cantinflas, Pedro Infante, and Gene Autry.

The sisters, known for their harmonious and emotive singing, played a significant role in the regional Tejano music scene during this period. Their music was deeply rooted in traditional Mexican genres, including rancheras, boleros, and corridos, which resonated with many in the Mexican-American community.

During the late 1940s and early 1950s, Las Hermanas Góngora collaborated with several notable musicians at the time. One of the most famous singers they performed with was Pedro Infante, a legendary figure in Mexican cinema and music. Infante, renowned for his charismatic presence and versatile vocal abilities, was a leading star in the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. His collaboration with Las Hermanas Góngora helped elevate their profile and introduced their music to a broader audience.

When Louisa left the duet to get married, Lupe, known as “La Perla del Sur / The Pearl of the South”, continued as a solo act, hosted her own radio show, and remained active until 1959. The sisters went on to raise families and many of their children continue to live in the Corpus Christi area. Louisa passed away in August of 1996. Lupe will turn 100 years old this Fall.

In 2002, Las Hermanas Góngora were inducted into the Tejano ROOTS Hall of Fame in Alice, Texas. Las Hermanas Góngora are also recognized in the Texas Music Museum, the Texas Handbook of Music, Texas State Historical Association, and many other Tejano music archives and historical records, like the The Strachwitz Frontera Collection of Mexican and Mexican American Recordings at UCLA and The Wittliff Collections Repository at Texas State University. 

Established in 2017, the K Space Mural Arts Program for teens runs 6-8 weeks each summer. The Mural Program has completed 25 public murals in Corpus Christi since that time. The new mural entitled Hermanas Góngora was designed by experienced muralists Sandra Gonzalez and Malachy McKinney, who also taught the program two weeks this summer. K Space Instructors Emily Quintanilla and Amera Saenz took over instruction for the remaining 3 weeks of the program. Teachers, volunteers and students spent another two and a half weeks making the finishing touches after mural camp ended. The Mural Arts Program is organized by Education Coordinator Nichole Schiller.

The K Space Summer Mural Arts Program is made possible through grant funding provided by the Frazier Family Foundation. Other contributors include Rally Credit Union, H.E.B., Electra Art*Axis Tattoo, Belinda and Bruce Edwards, L & F Distributing, and donors to our art education fundraiser WigOut.