Mando Saenz

Mando Saenz was born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, but grew up in Corpus Christi, TX. The son of music-loving parents who encouraged their son to play, the singer was reared on a myriad of styles ranging from singer/songwriters to the Everly Brothers to traditional Mexican. Taking guitar lessons when he was in his pre-teens, Saenz did not see music as a career but instead looked upon it as a hobby. When he entered Texas Tech University, the singer began to open up more and began thinking about a possible career singing and playing. After entering graduate school in San Antonio, Saenz began ardently pursuing this goal. A move to Houston resulted in the singer performing at open mic nights around Houston and recording demos with his brother Marcos. His debut album Watertown was released in 2002 on Houston-based label Plethorazine. The album, produced by John Egan, was enough for Saenz to hit the road and play where and when he could. But his biggest break came from Frank Liddell, co-founder of Carnival Music. After receiving a demo of the album from his daughter, Liddell re-released the album on the Carnival Music imprint in 2005. Saenz toured in support of the re-release but looked forward to releasing a new album later that year. He has often been compared to singer/songwriters such as Ron Sexsmith and Rufus Wainwright.