In 2013, the U.S. Postal Service will kick off its new Music Icons series with this stamp honoring Lydia Mendoza (1916–2007), one of the first and greatest stars of Tejano music:
Known as La Alondra de la Frontera, the Lark of the Border, Mendoza performed the Spanish-language music of the Texas–Mexico borderlands and beyond. She is best known for her solo performances, her soulful voice accompanied only by the playing of her 12-string guitar.
Mendoza recorded more than a thousand songs in an enduring career that spanned seven decades. Through her music, she gave voice not only to the poor and working-class people of the border, but also to Latinos throughout the Western Hemisphere. Her enormous repertoire of canciones, boleros, corridos, danzas, and tangos included ballads about historic figures and songs about hard work, lost love, and the joys of everyday life.
Designed by Neal Ashby and Patrick Donohue, the stamp features an undated, black-and-white publicity photo of Lydia Mendoza taken for Ideal Records in the 1950s. The flag of Texas has been superimposed over the singer’s image. A release date has not yet been set.
USPS Stamp of Approval 