Last fall, Rodolfo “Fito” Valle, a longtime resident of Defiance, Ohio, was honored  with a proclamation  from the city in recognition  of  his induction into the Tejano R.O.O.T.S. Hall of Fame. The proclamation was issued by Mayor Mike McCann at Fiesta Defiance, an all-day celebration of Defiance’s

Latina/o community organized by the Latin Community Center, formerly the Latin American Club. Said McCann, “Rodolfo ‘Fito’ Valle has exemplified musical excellence and cultural leadership, leaving a profound mark on Tejano music throughout

the decades of patient performances and creative contributions with several Tejano bands.” He continued, “Be it resolved that we, with great pride and respect, claim today, September 13, 2025, as a day to celebrate [Valle’s] remarkable career, cultural legacy, and unwavering dedication.” Immediately after the proclamation, Valle took the stage with his band, Harmonia Tejana, which prominently features the vocal harmonies of three of his daughters. Other musical acts at Fiesta Defiance were La Traizion, Los Aztecas, Los Hermanos, and Grupo Dezeo.

Valle, a Class of 2024 inductee into the Tejano R.O.O.T.S. Hall of Fame, received the Greg Paredez Bajo Sexto Award, though he also plays the accordion and is a talented vocalist. A native of Robstown, Texas, Valle moved to Defiance in 1965 to take a job at the General Motors plant, from which he retired in 1991. Throughout the years, he also had a secondary career as a musician, playing in various groups in Defiance, often to packed crowds at the Latin American Club. His induction into the Hall of Fame is testament to his musical career, but also to the lasting presence of Texas-Mexican music in the Midwest, a legacy of Tejana/o labor migration to the region. Valle is likely the first musician from Ohio inducted into the Hall of Fame, but he was not the only artist with roots in the Midwest in the Class of 2024: Others include Rudy Peña (highlighted in NEXO XXVIII, Issue 2) and Miguel Hernandez, both with ties to Detroit, and Cruz Guerrero of La Sombra, founded in Chicago, as well as his sister, Christina Guerrero. Previous inductees from the Midwest include Martin H. Solis, Jr., (Class of 2017) and his cousin Willy Huron (Class of 2019).