NPR – Conjunto Music in Austin
Posted: September 25, 2012 Filed under: Conjunto music Leave a commentConjunto music used to be a staple in Austin, Texas. Blending polka and mariachi influences, Conjunto reflects a broad diversity of foreign cultures represented among migrant farm workers. You can hear it in this City Life Snapshot – part of the NPR Cities Project.
Baldomero Frank Alvarez Cuellar, of Rancho Alegre Radio, is working to bring Conjunto music back at the Moose Lodge in Austin, TX
Thanks to Delaney Hall of Austin Music Map at KUT in Austin – a Localore project from the Association of Independents in Radio.
Listen on http://npr.tumblr.com/post/31412710062/conjunto-music-used-to-be-a-staple-in-austin .
Todd Cambio of Fraulini Guitars Builds A Bajo Sexto
Posted: June 19, 2012 Filed under: Conjunto music | Tags: bajo sexto, Conjunto music, macias, mexican american, tejano, tex-mex Leave a commentThe man who defined the modern bajo sexto was the great Mexican American luthier Martin Macias from San Antonio, Texas, whose instruments are much sought after by bajo players today. The Macias family is still going strong with George Macias now following in the footsteps of his grandfather Martin and his father Albert.
At the start of this project, I didn’t know much about the bajo sexto and I wanted to get my hands on an old Macias to see how they were made. My friend Steve James, one of the finest proponents and practitioners of American fingerstyle guitar, knew Don Martin Macias in San Antonio, used to hang out at the shop and has acquired a couple Macias instruments over the years. Steve graciously loaned me a late 1950’s bajo quinto to use as a reference. (A bajo quinto is bascially a 10-string version of a bajo sexto.)
Read more:The Fretboard Journal: Keepsake magazine for guitar collectors.
Latin Notes: Saluté anniversary a bittersweet event
Posted: June 16, 2012 Filed under: Conjunto music | Tags: accordion, bajo sexto, chicano, chicano art, conjunto, Conjunto music, flaco jimenez, los padrinos, max baca, santiago jimenez, squeezebox, steve jordan, tejano, tex-mex Leave a commentAzeneth Dominguez’s crowning achievement — Saluté’s 25th anniversary — is admittedly bittersweet.
As the bar owner and loyal patrons celebrate at the St. Mary’s Strip landmark this weekend with Flaco Jimenez, Max Baca, the West Side Horns, Joe Jama and Los Dudes, it’s with a sinking feeling that things didn’t play out quite the way they’d hoped.
Flaco Jimenez steps back in time with duos other half
Posted: June 14, 2012 Filed under: Conjunto is Life, Conjunto music | Tags: accordion, bajo sexto, conjunto, Conjunto music, flaco jimenez, fred ojeda, polka, san antonio, tejano, tex-mex Leave a comment
Flaco Jimenez is back in the studio consumed by a labor of love. Not to work on a new solo project (he’s vowed those off) but rather to dig deep into his past with the long-extinct Los Caporales, a duo with singer and bajo sexto player Fred Ojeda.
They are the embodiment of the spirit of their boyhood heroes, Los Alegres de Teran.
Polka on stolen instruments
Posted: June 6, 2012 Filed under: Conjunto music | Tags: accordion, conjunto, san antonio, tejano, texas Leave a commentIt’s always the same conversation.
“How can you be Hispanic?” someone asks. You’re way too white and your name is Nathaniel Miller. Nathaniel Andrew Miller.
It’s not the name I chose for myself, I try to explain. My mom’s mistake was marrying a white guy and taking his name.
“Yeah, but how are you Hispanic?” they always ask.
I then end up explaining my family history. My mother’s maiden name was Rocha. Her middle name is Guadalupe. My grandmother’s maiden name was Ramos. To drive it home, I usually go further on down the family tree.
But none of that matters. My mom married a white Oregon boy stationed in San Antonio while with the Marines. Now I have a light skin tone. Love does strange things to people.
Even after my birth, mom’s family members would ask her why she gave me the name she did.
“What ever happened to good Mexican names like Jose and Pepe?” They asked her upon hearing my new name. It didn’t matter what they thought, she said; she loved my name and said it was her gift to me.
I told her if she wanted to give me a gift, she should have gotten me a bicycle….
Read more:Polka on stolen instruments- Odessa American Online.
Blend of tradition, innovation is key
Posted: May 17, 2012 Filed under: accordion, Conjunto music | Tags: accordion, conjunto heritage taller, Conjunto music, juan tejeda, juanito Castillo, polka, steve jordan, tejano, tejano conjunto festival, tex-mex, texas Leave a commentFor 23-year-old accordionist Juanito Castillo, traditional conjunto is not even close to being the only type of music he wants to play.
“I like to keep a modern, hip vibe,” says the multi-instrumentalist widely regarded as Esteban “Steve” Jordan’s heir. Castillo will perform Saturday, May 19, at the 31st annual Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio.
Presented by the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, the festival showcases conjunto musicians from across the country. This year’s festival, which kicked off May 15, culminates with a three-day series of shows at Rosedale Park.
Reunion of accordion icons to honor their father
Posted: May 17, 2012 Filed under: Conjunto music | Tags: accordion, bajo sexto, Conjunto music, flaco jimenez, juan tejeda, san antonio, santiago jimenez, squeezebox, tejano, tejano conjunto festival Leave a commentJuan Tejeda is betting big that the stars have aligned this weekend.
If all goes as planned, the co-founder and producer of the 31st annual Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio will have pulled off a fantastic coup: the historic reunion of brothers Flaco Jimenez and Santiago Jimenez Jr.
That’s expected at the finale at Rosedale Park on Sunday. Both award-winning musicians are on the bill with separate shows and will (according to Tejeda, Flaco and Santiago) play together at some point to honor their dad.
“It’s going to be history,” said Santiago.
Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/article/Latin-Notes-May-17-2012-3562816.php#ixzz1v9HpDnrf
Flaco Jiménez: Will the ‘King of Conjunto’ finally play with his brother Santiago Jiménez Jr.?
Posted: May 17, 2012 Filed under: Conjunto music | Tags: accordion, bajo sexto, conjunto, flaco jimenez, juan tejeda, mexican american, polka, san antonio, santiago jimenez, tejano, tejano conjunto festival, tex-mex Leave a commentThe 31st annual TCF has attractions for all tastes: the young, the old, and the fusion-minded. But none of those attractions shine more than the potential for three, five, 10, 15 minutes, or whatever Flaco Jiménez and his brother Santiago Jiménez Jr. could give us.
The brothers, children of Santiago Jiménez Sr. and two of the greatest living legends of conjunto in their own right, haven’t recorded together since 1960, and haven’t played together since 1982, when they shared the stage with their father at the very first Tejano Conjunto Festival in 1982. While Santiago is ready for the gig, Flaco was surprised when I asked him about it.
“They have sort of a long duel, an estrangement of sorts,” said festival director Juan Tejeda. “Santiago is willing to do it, but I spoke mainly to Flaco’s son about doing a polkita or two in tribute to their father. That’s the plan, and we all hope it happens.
Read the whole article here: “Flaco Jiménez: Will the ‘King of Conjunto’ finally play with his brother Santiago Jiménez Jr.?
La Santa Cecilia returns to their home away from home
Posted: May 17, 2012 Filed under: accordion, Conjunto is Life | Tags: accordion, conjunto, juan tejeda, santa cecilia, tejano conjunto festival Leave a comment“The band LOVES San Antonio,” writes Grammy-winning producer Sebastian Krys about La Santa Cecilia, the first band he signed for his label Rebeleon Entertainment. “It was the first city outside Los Angeles that they felt they really connected with fans, so it has a special place for them.”
Read more here – Music – San Antonio Current.
Tejano Conjunto Fest gets under way
Posted: May 17, 2012 Filed under: Conjunto music | Tags: accordion, bajo sexto, conjunto, Conjunto music, juan tejeda, mexican american, squeezebox, tejano, tex-mex, texas Leave a commentThe Seniors Conjunto Dance, the kickoff event to the 31st annual Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio, is a free event for seniors featuring a different conjunto each year.
Juan Tejeda, founder and music coordinator of the festival that showcases new and old styles of conjunto music, said the dance pays tribute to seniors. Read the entire article here: ConexiónSA | a mySA.com blog.
2012 Conjunto Music Hall of Fame inductees
Posted: May 17, 2012 Filed under: Conjunto music Leave a commentCheck out the 2012 Conjunto Music Hall of Fame inductees in the San Antonio Current — Blogs.
Tejano Conjunto Festival mixes old, new
Posted: May 10, 2012 Filed under: Conjunto music | Tags: accordion, bajo sexto, conjunto, Conjunto music, flaco jimenez, los padrinos, mexican american, ruben naranjo, ruben vela, santiago jimenez, squeezebox, steve jordan, tejano conjunto festival, tex-mex Leave a commentAs the Guadalupe Cultural Art Center‘s Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio celebrates its 31st incarnation, it does so by balancing the ways of the old guard with those who are searching for new directions.
Festival co-founder and organizer Juan Tejeda wouldn’t have it any other way…
Salute’s days are numbered
Posted: May 9, 2012 Filed under: Conjunto is Life | Tags: accordion, chicano, chicano art, conjunto, flaco jimenez, polka, squeezebox, steve jordan, tejano, tex-mex 1 CommentThe sale of a small retail center on St. Mary’s Strip between East Craig Street and East Russell Place signals the beginning of the end for Salute International Bar, a landmark with a storied musical history.
It’s no secret that Salute owner Azeneth Dominguez has been looking to get out of the business for nearly two years, since the death of Esteban “Steve” Jordan in August 2010.
Jordan had a longtime residency there and Salute played home to performers like the late Randy Garibay, Joe Jama and Flaco Jimenez, as well as punk rockers and DJs.
San Antonio businessman Casey Lange bought the center in April. Lange, who is the landlord forLimelight and Feast, says he has no immediate plans for the space.
But he doesn’t plan to operate Salute or carry on the name. Lange envisions launching a new nightclub with a food component at the site in 2013.
Both parties said they hadn’t discussed details of Dominguez’s eventual exit. At this time, current tenants are operating on a month-to-month basis.
“If I can stay until June, I’ll be happy,” said Dominguez who has operated the bar for 24 years. Salute is located at 2801 N. St, Mary’s.
Salute’s days are numbered | The Music Beat | a mySA.com blog.
Master Accordionist to Perform in Concert at Trinity University
Posted: March 16, 2012 Filed under: Conjunto music | Tags: accordion, bajo sexto, chicano, conjunto, Conjunto music, Eva Ybarra, juan tejeda, polka, san antonio, squeezebox, tejano, tejano conjunto festival Leave a commentSAN ANTONIO – Master accordionist Eva Ybarra and music scholar Juan Tejeda will visit Trinity University as part of Trinity University’s Legends of Texas Border Music Series. Tejeda, an instructor at Palo Alto College, will present “Xicanismo and Tejano/Conjunto Music: Local Music, Global Identity, and Vision” at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 20, in the Ruth Taylor Recital Hall. That evening, Ybarra will be accompanied by her conjunto group in concert at 7:30 p.m. in Laurie Auditorium. Both events are free and open to the public; tickets or reservations are not required.
Before teaching at Palo Alto College, Tejeda taught bicultural studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He has written and lectured on the history and socio-cultural significance and importance of Tejano and conjunto music. He is also the founder of the Tejano Conjunto Festival.
Ybarra teaches her style of music at two colleges in San Antonio and performs locally with her mariachi and conjunto groups. She has toured in Washington, Canada, New York City, and performed at the San Antonio Conjunto Festival for the last 15 years. She has received numerous recognitions and awards throughout the years, most recently with her induction into the 2010 Conjunto Hall of Fame in San Benito, Texas. Her style and music complexity compares to Esteban Jordan, Paulino Bernal, and Oscar Hernandez.
For more information on the Legends of Texas Border Music Series, contact Mary Anthony at 210-999-8441.
Legendary conjunto performer George Orosco, 76, dies
Posted: March 8, 2012 Filed under: Conjunto music | Tags: conjunto, conjunto hall of fame, Conjunto music, puro conjunto, squeezebox, tejano, tex-mex, texas Leave a commentIn the world of conjunto music, George Orosco Jr. and his wife, Maggie, were unique — a husband and wife team, playing traditional gut-bucket conjunto, rancheras and boleros together for more than 50 years.
Known as George y Mague, the beloved duo was famous for a playful, comedic bickering in hits like “Vieja Escalera,” making them the conjunto equivalent of George Burns and Gracie Allen.
George Orosco Jr. died at home March 1 from complications of heart disease. He was 76.
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