I grew up listening to mainly “chopped and screwed” as a Houstonian that grew up on the east-side of town with a mix of Dominican bachata as someone with Dominican/carribean roots. These songs remind me of going to slab sunday with my family as well as MLK day. As for the bachata, the songs allow me to reminisce about my ‘G-ma’ and parades that they have during the hot summer months along with the parties that were thrown at my house and aunts.
The song “Cant’ Leave Drank Alone” by Z-ro holds value to my, as well as other Houston natives, heart. I remember being with my pops in his Cadillac on the way to school with this song blaring and shaking the speakers as people in cars that were next to us were singing along. The song is a Houston classic; it's very close to being the theme song, but that's Mo- City don. Every event or place that's unique to Houston will have the song playing, no matter the circumstance. It takes everyone back, you will always hear someone talk about where they were when this song came out and how proud they are to be a Houstonian.
The song “Se te nota” by Joe Veras reminds me about the house party that used to be held at my house when all the adults have a couple of drinks and their hips get a little loose, this song would come on and all my uncles, aunts, and grandparents would be dancing bachata to this song. This song is played in every Dominican's house or car, at least once. I remember being woken up to this song on Sunday mornings. When it was time to straighten up the house this song was my alarm that let me know. This song brings back memories of times that I cherish.
The song “SPM vs Los” by SPM is a song that allows me to go back in my memories and pick out the cherished moments of my childhood. Similar to “I can’t leave that drank alone” as a Houstonian, this was a song that was also at every slab Sunday. I'm sure this played a role for a lot of native Houstonians, specifically the Mexicans that grew up in south/ south-east Houston. Coming from a neighborhood that was predominantly hispanic, at house parties or barbecues, this song was played a lot. It was one of those songs that when people heard that first note they immediately knew what song was playing and instantly locked in for the party to sing along to.
“Donde Estara” by Anthony Santos is a song that changed the dynamic of parties. When this song was turned on everyone of any group knew it was time to stand up and find their dance partner. When the song turned on, it would pause all beefs temporarily. This is the song that would be played when all of the invited attenders left and its only family left at the function. It truly showed how it was special to us and if you weren't family, then you didn't get to share this moment with us. This song has gone quadruple platinum in my car; it's mandatory that I listen to it everyday, it's the only way I function.
I wrote this memoir to explore how music connects to identity, family, and memory through my experiences growing up in Houston with Dominican roots. Music has always been an important part of my life because it represents both my culture and the environment I was raised in. By including chopped and screwed music alongside bachata, I was able to show the influence of both Houston culture and my Caribbean background. My goal was not only to share personal memories, but also to demonstrate how music can preserve emotions, traditions, and connections between generations.
One of the main themes in the memoir is the relationship between music and memory. Each song represents a different moment from my childhood, including family parties, Slab Sundays, car rides with my father, and time spent with relatives. I organized the memoir around specific songs because music often brings back memories in a non-chronological way. This structure reflects how people naturally remember experiences through sounds and emotions rather than in a strict timeline. I also repeated references to family and community throughout the memoir to emphasize the importance of togetherness within both Houston and Dominican culture.
While writing, I focused on creating an authentic voice by using cultural references and descriptive imagery. I wanted readers to clearly picture the environments I described, such as loud music in cars, family members dancing bachata, and neighborhood gatherings. One challenge I faced was making these personal experiences relatable to readers who may not share the same cultural background. To solve this, I included detailed descriptions and emotional reflection so the memories could feel universal. I also balanced conversational language with reflection to keep the memoir personal while still maintaining a thoughtful tone.
Overall, this memoir helped me better understand how strongly music shapes personal identity and emotional connection. I realized that many of my memories are tied to certain songs and the people connected to them. More importantly, writing this piece showed me how personal experiences can communicate larger themes about culture, family, nostalgia, and belonging.