Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Conjunto

Conjunto (Spanish for "group" or "ensemble") is a term used in Latin American music to describe various small musical groups. The Texas-Mexican conjunto, also known as música norteña or música tejana in some contexts, is a prominent genre of folk music that emerged in the late 19th century among working-class Mexican Americans (Tejanos) in South Texas and northern Mexico, characterized by its driving rhythms and the central role of the diatonic button accordion paired with the bajo sexto, a 12-string bass guitar.^[1]^[2] This style fuses Mexican ranchera traditions with European dance forms like polkas and waltzes introduced by German immigrants in the mid-1800s.^[3]^[2] (See Cuban conjunto for a distinct tradition originating in 20th-century Cuba.) The origins of the Texas-Mexican conjunto trace back to the 1860s or 1870s in the Texas-Mexico border region, where Tejanos adopted the affordable diatonic accordion from German settlers, blending it with local instruments such as the guitar, violin, and tambora de rancho (a ranch bass drum) to create music for rural social gatherings like fandangos.^[1]^[3] By the 1920s, the genre gained commercial traction through recordings, with Narciso Martínez, often called the "father of conjunto," pioneering the solo accordion lead in the 1930s, which solidified its sound and popularity among migrant farmworkers.^[1]^[4] Post-World War II innovations expanded conjunto's instrumentation and appeal, as musicians like Valerio Longoria introduced trap drums in 1949 for a fuller ensemble sound and incorporated vocals, while later figures such as Tony de la Rosa added electric bass and modern rhythms in the 1950s, influencing groups like El Conjunto Bernal, widely regarded as one of the greatest.^[1]^[4] The repertoire typically features danceable forms including polkas, redovas, huapangos, and cumbias, with lyrics in Spanish addressing themes of love, hardship, and cultural pride, performed at community events like weddings and bailes in the Rio Grande Valley.^[2]^[4] Culturally, Texas-Mexican conjunto symbolizes Tejano identity and resistance to assimilation, preserving Mexican working-class heritage amid Anglo-American influences, and has spread to urban centers in the U.S. Midwest and California since the mid-20th century.^[1]^[2] In the 21st century, its transmission continues through formal education in institutions like Palo Alto College and the University of Texas at Austin, alongside festivals such as the annual Tejano Conjunto Festival, with a resurgence led by younger musicians ensuring its vitality as música alegre ("happy music") for new generations as of 2025.^[2]^[5]^[6]

Mexican Conjunto

Origins and Early Development

The button accordion was introduced to South Texas in the late 19th century by German, Czech, and Polish immigrants, who brought the inexpensive diatonic instrument to rural areas as part of their cultural traditions.^[7] Mexican-American communities, particularly Tejanos in northern Mexico and South Texas, quickly adapted the accordion for their own musical expressions, incorporating it into local ensembles that previously relied on string instruments and percussion.^[3] This adaptation occurred amid the economic and social upheavals of the era, including the influx of European settlers and the growth of agricultural labor in the region.^[7] Early conjunto emerged from the fusion of European dance forms such as polkas, waltzes, and schottisches—brought by these immigrants—with indigenous Mexican folk traditions, resulting in a lively, accordion-driven style suited to rural social dances.^[3] Among working-class Mexican-Americans in the Rio Grande Valley, the music developed as an accessible form of entertainment for family gatherings, weddings, and community bailes, reflecting the hardships of migrant farmworkers and the cultural resilience of Tejano identity during the early 20th century.^[8] These informal performances, often held in homes or makeshift venues, emphasized rhythmic drive and danceability, fostering a sense of communal solidarity in labor-intensive environments.^[4] A pivotal milestone came in the 1930s with the recordings of Narciso Martínez, an accordionist from the Rio Grande Valley who pioneered the accordion-led conjunto ensemble and earned the title "father of conjunto" for his innovative style.^[9] Martínez's debut sessions for Bluebird Records in 1936, including the instrumental "La Chicharronera," captured the essence of this emerging genre and introduced it to wider audiences through commercial releases.^[9] This transition to recorded music in the 1930s and 1940s, supported by labels like Bluebird and later Ideal Records, marked conjunto's shift from local traditions to a commercially viable art form, amplifying its reach among Mexican-American communities.^[10]

Instruments and Musical Structure

The core of Mexican conjunto music revolves around a small ensemble featuring the diatonic button accordion as the primary melodic instrument, which provides fast ornamentation and lead lines through its distinctive three-row button layout tuned to a specific key, often in keys like E or A major.^[7] The bajo sexto, a 12-string guitar-like instrument, delivers rhythmic strumming and bass lines, with its tuning in fourths—lower three courses in unison and upper three in octave pairs—enabling a rich harmonic drive that complements the accordion's agility.^[11] In modern configurations, the electric bass adds low-end support, reinforcing the foundational pulse, while the drum set—typically featuring snare and bass drums—propels dance rhythms essential to polkas and rancheras.^[7] The ensemble's formation evolved from solo accordionists in the early 1900s, who performed at small gatherings with minimal accompaniment like a tambora drum, to duos incorporating the bajo sexto by the late 1890s for harmonic depth.^[7] By the 1940s, the addition of contrabass (tololoche) expanded it to a trio, and by the 1950s, the standard quartet emerged with drums and electric bass, emphasizing polka and ranchera rhythms at tempos ranging from 120 to 180 beats per minute to suit lively baile dances.^[7] Key techniques define the genre's energetic sound: the accordion employs rapid bellows shakes—quick in-and-out movements creating a tremolo effect on sustained notes—for expressive ornamentation, often paired with left-hand bass-chord patterns that alternate single bass notes and full chords to outline harmony and rhythm.^[12] The bajo sexto's strumming involves percussive "boom-chang" patterns, where the lower strings provide bass thumps and the upper strings chordal accents, driving the polka's two-step or ranchera's syncopated feel without overpowering the lead melody.^[11] Initially acoustic for intimate ranch settings, conjunto shifted to electric amplification in the 1940s to reach larger venues like dance halls, with musicians like Valerio Longoria adopting amplified accordions and basses to project over crowds, which altered the tonal balance by emphasizing brighter, sustained tones over the genre's raw, breathy acoustics.^[7] This change enhanced the music's drive for amplified polkas but preserved the intimate interplay between accordion and bajo sexto at its core.^[13]

Notable Musicians and Bands

Narciso Martínez, often hailed as the father of conjunto music, pioneered the use of recorded accordion solos in the 1930s, transforming the genre from informal gatherings to a commercially viable style through his collaborations with bajo sexto player Santiago Almeida.^[14] His instrumental recordings, such as the 1936 polka "La Chicharronera," emphasized the accordion's melodic lead and became foundational hits that popularized conjunto across South Texas and northern Mexico.^[9] Martínez's innovations in the 1930s and 1940s, including extended solos and rhythmic drive, influenced generations of accordionists and established the core duo of accordion and bajo sexto as conjunto's signature sound.^[15] Valerio Longoria emerged in the 1940s as a key innovator, elevating the bajo sexto to a co-lead role alongside the accordion in his ensemble, which also featured bass and drums for a fuller sound.^[16] He popularized vocal harmonies by introducing boleros and rancheras to the traditional polka and waltz repertoire, adding emotional depth through his singing and family backing vocals.^[17] Longoria's group was among the first conjunto ensembles to tour extensively beyond Texas, including in Mexico, broadening the genre's reach in the post-World War II era.^[18] Esteban "Steve" Jordan, known as "El Parquero" for his eye patch, mastered polkas in the 1950s and beyond, blending conjunto with jazz, blues, and rock elements to create a versatile, experimental style.^[7] His innovative drumming integration and multi-instrumental prowess, playing up to 35 instruments including accordion, influenced modern conjunto percussionists by expanding rhythmic possibilities in live performances. Jordan's recordings and shows from the 1950s until his death in 2010 showcased polka-driven sets that pushed the genre's boundaries while honoring its dance roots.^[7] Leonardo "Flaco" Jiménez, a Grammy-winning accordionist active since the 1950s, bridged conjunto to broader audiences through collaborations like his 1976 contributions to Ry Cooder's Chicken Skin Music album, which fused Tex-Mex with rock and blues.^[19] He earned multiple Grammys, including for his 1992 bilingual album Partners featuring artists such as Los Lobos and Linda Ronstadt, highlighting his role in globalizing conjunto. Jiménez's work in the 1980s and 1990s, including tours with the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, demonstrated how he adapted traditional techniques to contemporary genres while preserving the accordion's prominence. Jiménez died on July 31, 2025, at the age of 86.^[20] Among influential bands, Los Alegres de Terán, the vocal duo of Tomás Ortiz and Eugenio Ábrego formed in the 1940s, pioneered a harmonious duet style over accordion and bajo sexto accompaniment, shaping modern norteño-conjunto hybrids popular in the 1950s. Their emotive renditions of corridos and rancheras emphasized close vocal interplay, influencing subsequent groups to incorporate singing as a central element.^[21] Similarly, Conjunto Bernal, led by brothers Paulino and Eloy Bernal in the 1960s and 1970s, innovated with dual accordions and three-part vocal harmonies, creating polished arrangements that refined conjunto's sound for larger audiences.^[12] Their recordings during this period introduced sophisticated orchestration while maintaining danceable polkas and redovas.^[22] Women have also been pivotal in conjunto's history, with Lydia Mendoza standing out as an early trailblazer in the 1930s through her guitar-accompanied vocals in family ensembles.^[23] As a solo artist, she recorded haunting corridos like "Mal Hombre" in 1934, using the guitarra to deliver passionate performances that challenged gender norms in a male-dominated field.^[24] Mendoza's work laid groundwork for female participation, inspiring later generations with her blend of traditional songs and personal storytelling.^[9]

Festivals and Cultural Events

The Tejano Conjunto Festival, held annually in San Antonio since 1982, stands as the longest-running and most influential celebration of Mexican conjunto music in the United States. Organized by the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, the event spans five days and features live performances by legends, rising bands, and heritage award winners, drawing approximately 10,000 attendees from Texas, across the U.S., Mexico, Europe, and Asia to venues like Rosedale Park and the historic Guadalupe Theater.^[6]^[25] It emphasizes the accordion-driven traditions of South Texas conjunto while fostering community through dancing, student recitals, and cultural activities that highlight the genre's roots in working-class Mexican-American experiences.^[6] Another key event is the Narciso Martínez Conjunto Festival, presented by the Narciso Martínez Cultural Arts Center in Los Fresnos, Texas, since the early 1990s. This two-day gathering, now in its 32nd year as of 2025, honors the legacy of accordion pioneer Narciso Martínez, who innovated the bajo sexto-accompanied style in the 1930s, by showcasing accordion masters and traditional conjunto ensembles. The festival includes competitions such as accordion contests and attracts thousands from the Rio Grande Valley and beyond, promoting the preservation of a genre over a century old through performances that blend historical reverence with contemporary interpretations.^[26]^[27] In Austin, the Rancho Alegre Conjunto Music Festival, launched in 2012 by the nonprofit Rancho Alegre organization, focuses on revitalizing conjunto through education and innovation over a three-day weekend in late April. Held at sites like Central Machine Works and the Doris Miller Auditorium, it highlights emerging artists, youth ensembles such as high school groups from Los Fresnos and Santa Rosa ISD, and traditional forms including polkas, with free admission to encourage broad participation. The event has grown to feature a diverse lineup that bridges veteran performers and young talents, underscoring the festival's commitment to passing down accordion-based techniques and rhythms.^[28] These U.S.-based festivals serve as vital platforms for the intergenerational transmission of conjunto music, where student ensembles and workshops at events like the Tejano and Narciso Martínez festivals connect formal education programs—such as those at Palo Alto College and the University of Texas at Austin—with family-rooted traditions, ensuring the genre's survival amid modernization. They also provide an economic boost to South Texas communities by generating tourism, job opportunities for musicians and vendors, and local revenue through attendance and related activities. While primarily centered on core Texas-Mexican styles like polkas and redovas, the festivals occasionally incorporate regional variants to reflect broader Mexican-American musical heritage. The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges, leading to cancellations in 2020 for the Narciso Martínez and Rancho Alegre festivals, while the Tejano Conjunto Festival shifted to a fully virtual livestream format in 2021 from the Guadalupe Theater, allowing remote access to performances and maintaining cultural engagement despite health restrictions.^[29]^[30]^[31] Post-pandemic iterations have resumed in-person formats with enhanced safety measures, adapting to hybrid elements like online promotion to sustain attendance and community ties.^[2]

Cuban Conjunto

Historical Development

The Cuban conjunto emerged in the 1920s in Havana as an evolution of the son septetos, small ensembles that had popularized the son cubano genre after its migration from rural eastern Cuba to urban centers around 1910–1920.^[32] These septetos, typically featuring tres guitar, guitar, maracas, clave, botijuela (or later double bass), and one trumpet, performed in working-class neighborhoods and dance halls, blending rural son traditions with urban sensibilities to appeal to Havana's diverse populace.^[33] The form's roots lay in the rural son groups from Oriente province, where African-derived rhythms fused with Spanish guitar styles in the late 19th century, and their migration to the capital brought fresh vitality to the city's nightlife, fostering larger, more dynamic ensembles by the 1930s.^[34] A pivotal figure in conjunto's development was Arsenio Rodríguez, born in 1911 in rural Matanzas to a family of Congolese descent, who lost his sight at age five or six and drew on his compositional genius and deep immersion in Afro-Cuban traditions to innovate the genre.^[35] Moving to Havana in the 1930s, Rodríguez initially played tres in various son groups before forming his own ensemble around 1940, expanding the septeto format by adding a piano for harmonic depth, a tumbadora (conga drum) for enhanced percussion, and multiple trumpets—typically three—to amplify the brass section, creating the classic 10-piece conjunto sound that emphasized rhythmic complexity and montuno call-and-response structures.^[36] His blindness heightened his reliance on auditory innovation, shaping conjunto into a vehicle for storytelling and social commentary rooted in working-class experiences.^[37] In the post-1940s era, conjunto spread beyond Cuba through musician migrations to Mexico and the United States, where figures like Beny Moré joined ensembles such as Conjunto Matamoros in the mid-1940s, touring Mexico and recording hits that popularized the style internationally before Moré returned to Cuba in 1953 to form his own band.^[38] Key recordings from this period, including Rodríguez's 1947 track "Los Sitios Acere," captured the genre's vibrant energy and became benchmarks for its rhythmic drive.^[39] By the 1950s, ensembles transitioned from purely acoustic setups to amplified configurations to suit larger urban venues and dance halls, allowing conjunto to compete with emerging big bands while maintaining its core son foundations.^[36] Conjunto enjoyed immense popularity among Cuba's working-class communities in the mid-20th century, serving as anthems for social gatherings and everyday life in Havana's barrios, but faced challenges during the early revolutionary period after 1959, when state nationalization of the music industry led to restrictions on private performances and some musicians' emigration, though the form persisted underground through informal son groups and state-sponsored folk ensembles.^[40]

Instrumentation and Style

The Cuban conjunto ensemble typically features a core instrumentation of two to three trumpets for delivering punchy, swelling horn lines; a piano providing rhythmic montuno patterns; a tres guitar with its percussive, syncopated strums; a contrabass for foundational tumbao lines; and a percussion section including the tumbadora (conga drum), bongo, maracas, and güiro to drive the Afro-Cuban grooves.^[36]^[41]^[42] Some configurations incorporate additional elements like a cencerro (cowbell) or timbales for enhanced rhythmic texture, reflecting evolutions in the format pioneered by Arsenio Rodríguez in the 1940s.^[36] With an ensemble size of 8 to 10 members, the conjunto is larger than traditional son septets, allowing for layered brass dynamics and intricate percussion interplay that emphasize danceable energy over the smaller string-focused groups.^[36] Stylistically, it is anchored in clave rhythms—either the 2-3 or 3-2 patterns—that serve as the rhythmic backbone, guiding all elements from the tres guajeo (ostinato) to the piano's syncopated montunos.^[42]^[43] Call-and-response vocals, often led by a sonero, create interactive dialogues, while extended improvisational montuno sections build intensity through repetitive, hypnotic phrases over the piano and bass ostinatos.^[36]^[44] In contrast to the Mexican conjunto, which relies on the accordion and bajo sexto with polka-influenced melodies, the Cuban variant substitutes the piano for harmonic and rhythmic drive, prioritizing percussion-forward arrangements tailored to son and rumba dances rather than northern Mexican folk styles.^[36]^[45] This brass-percussion emphasis produces a vibrant, propulsive sound suited to urban dance halls, distinguishing it from other Cuban formats like the flute-led charangas.^[46]

Influence on Salsa and Modern Music

In the 1960s, Cuban conjunto significantly shaped the evolution of salsa in New York City, where Puerto Rican and Cuban musicians adapted its rhythmic and instrumental foundations to urban contexts. Eddie Palmieri's Conjunto La Perfecta, formed in 1961, pioneered the "trombanga" sound by replacing traditional trumpets with a frontline of two trombones and a flute, blending these conjunto elements with jazz harmonies and complex arrangements to create a raw, innovative edge that influenced the emerging salsa scene.^[47] Similarly, Tito Puente adapted conjunto's brass-driven energy and Afro-Cuban rhythms into his mambo and Latin jazz ensembles, covering Cuban hits and incorporating the genre's percussive drive to bridge traditional forms with American jazz improvisation, helping to popularize these fusions among broader audiences.^[36] These innovations laid the groundwork for salsa's distinctive sound, merging conjunto's son-based clave rhythms with New York's multicultural jazz influences.^[48] Key figures from Cuban conjunto further extended its vocal and compositional legacy into salsa. Beny Moré, known as the "Sonero Mayor de Cuba," influenced generations of salsa singers through his versatile vocal style, which combined emotive son delivery with improvisational flair in genres like mambo and bolero, setting a standard for rhythmic phrasing and audience engagement that echoed in performers like Celia Cruz and Héctor Lavoe.^[49] Arsenio Rodríguez, the architect of modern conjunto, saw his compositions revived by later ensembles; for instance, his seminal afro-son "Bruca Maniguá" (1937) was covered by the Buena Vista Social Club in live performances and recordings, preserving and reinterpreting his tres guitar riffs and brass arrangements for global audiences in the late 1990s.^[50] These adaptations highlighted conjunto's enduring compositional depth, providing salsa with authentic Cuban roots amid its New York commercialization.^[51] In the 1990s, Cuban conjunto experienced a revival through timba, a high-energy dance music that incorporated its brass sections and rhythmic complexity into modern arrangements. Los Van Van, a pioneering timba band formed in 1969 but peaking in influence during this decade, blended conjunto's son-derived percussion and horn lines with funk bass and synthesizers, as heard in albums like Llego... Van Van (1999), creating a hybrid that energized Cuba's post-Soviet music scene.^[52] This evolution extended globally, with conjunto elements fusing into reggaeton—evident in the genre's use of dembow rhythms rooted in Cuban son and conjunto's clave patterns, as adopted by artists like Daddy Yankee—and Latin jazz, where improvisational solos over conjunto-style brass continue to thrive in ensembles led by figures like Chucho Valdés.^[53] Entering the 2020s, streaming platforms have amplified conjunto's archival tracks, introducing younger listeners to classics by Arsenio Rodríguez and Beny Moré via algorithms on Spotify and YouTube, fueling a digital revival. Contemporary collaborations, such as those by Cimafunk, blend conjunto's Afro-Cuban rhythms with funk, hip-hop, and soul—as in his 2024 album Pa' Tu Cuerpa, which reimagines son montuno grooves for international stages—bridging traditional forms with global genres and earning Grammy nominations.^[54] This legacy underscores conjunto's role as the foundation for salsa's 1970s commercialization, when labels like Fania Records packaged its evolved sound for mass markets, transforming niche Afro-Cuban music into a worldwide phenomenon.^[55] In 2025, UNESCO recognized related son traditions—conjunto's core rhythmic ancestor—as part of Cuba's intangible cultural heritage.^[56]

Broader Cultural Impact

Preservation and Revival Efforts

Efforts to preserve and revive conjunto music have centered on educational initiatives that bridge traditional practices with contemporary learning. The Smithsonian Folklife Festival has featured conjunto and related Tejano traditions, including in its 1993 program^[57], providing hands-on demonstrations of instrumentation and performance to engage diverse audiences in the genre's cultural significance. Similarly, Texas State University's Wittliff Collections maintain extensive archives of conjunto materials, including recordings, photographs, and ephemera from key artists, supporting academic research and public access to the music's history.^[58] Community organizations play a vital role in sustaining conjunto through youth-focused programs. The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center in San Antonio operates music academies that offer classes in conjunto instruments such as accordion and bajo sexto, targeting young learners to foster the next generation of musicians.^[59] Complementing this, the Conjunto Heritage Taller, established in 2002 in San Antonio, provides free workshops on traditional conjunto instrumentation, including accordion techniques, to preserve performance skills amid urban modernization.^[60] Digital preservation has accelerated in the 2020s, making historical recordings accessible online. The Arhoolie Foundation's digital collections include digitized conjunto tracks and related vernacular music from its vast archive, enabling global study and appreciation of early 20th-century performances.^[61] NPR's 2023 radio feature highlighted a Texas resurgence, featuring interviews with veteran and emerging artists to document the genre's evolving vitality.^[62] These initiatives address key challenges, including generational gaps that emerged post-2000s due to declining interest among youth influenced by mainstream genres.^[63] Efforts also promote gender inclusion, countering the historical male dominance in conjunto by spotlighting female musicians like Eva Ybarra and supporting their contributions through academy programs and media features.^[64] Recognition through awards reinforces preservation work. In 2012, accordionist Flaco Jiménez (1939–2025) received the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship, honoring his role in elevating conjunto's profile and inspiring revival projects.^[65] Jiménez, who died on August 1, 2025, continued to influence the genre until his passing.^[66]

Global Influence and Crossovers

Conjunto music has significantly influenced the United States through crossovers that bridged Tex-Mex traditions with mainstream rock and Chicano activism. Accordionist Flaco Jiménez (1939–2025), a pivotal figure in tejano conjunto, collaborated with The Rolling Stones on their 1994 album Voodoo Lounge, adding an accordion solo that infused the track "Sweethearts Together" with norteño flair.^[19] He also worked with Los Lobos on his 1992 album Partners^[19], contributing to fusions of rock, blues, and Mexican folk elements, helping elevate conjunto's visibility in American music scenes. Additionally, tejano conjunto played a key role in the Chicano movement of the 1960s and 1970s, with corridos and ensemble styles used to narrate farmworkers' struggles and cultural resistance, as seen in songs addressing civil rights and Mexican-American identity.^[67] In Latin America, conjunto's accordion-driven sound has paralleled developments in regional genres, fostering shared instrumental traditions. Brazilian forró, originating in the Northeast, shares accordion similarities with conjunto, both rooted in European immigrant influences like polka rhythms adapted to local rural dances, though forró emphasizes zabumba drums and triangle percussion for its baião style.^[68] Similarly, Argentine chamamé from the northeastern provinces features the accordion as a core instrument, blending European schottische forms with Guaraní melodies, creating rhythmic parallels to conjunto's polka-infused huapango without direct lineage.^[68] The global diaspora of conjunto has extended its reach through performances and migrations. Mexican conjunto ensembles, such as El Conjunto Nueva Ola (ECNO), have showcased at European events like the WOMEX world music expo, blending cumbia and norteño with electronic elements to attract international audiences.^[69] Cuban conjunto, distinct in its son and rumba foundations, has influenced Miami's salsa scenes via exile communities, with groups like Conjunto Guantánamo performing authentic swing-infused sets that merge with local timba and casino rhythms.^[70] Hybrid genres in the 21st century demonstrate conjunto's adaptability. In Colombia, fusions like cumbia sonidera incorporate conjunto-style accordions and bass lines, as heard in ensembles such as Roberto de la Barrera y Su Conjunto, which remix traditional cumbia with urban electronic dedications for dance parties.^[71] Electronic remixes of tejano conjunto tracks appear in DJ sets on platforms like Spotify, where producers layer accordion riffs over house and techno beats, as exemplified by mixes from The 1000's collective that revitalize classics for global club scenes.^[72] Cultural exchanges underscore conjunto's broader impact. These efforts have spurred international festivals and collaborations, positioning conjunto within global narratives of cultural preservation and fusion.^[2]

References

[1]
Texas-Mexican Conjunto
The Texas-Mexican Conjunto . . . "conjunto" continues to represent an alternative musical ideology, and in this way it helps to preserve a Mexican, ...Missing: definition | Show results with:definition
[2]
Transmission of Texas-Mexican Conjunto Music in the 21st Century
The word Conjunto means 'group' in Spanish, but in Texas the name refers to a specific musical genre with a defined structure, repertoire, style, ...
[3]
The San Antonio Origins of Conjunto Music - Journal of San Antonio
When Texas-born Tejanos adopted German dance and musical styles, they created a musical genre that reflects the cultural heritage of both communities.Missing: definition | Show results with:definition
[4]
El Baile: A Story of Conjunto Music in the Rio Grande Valley
Conjunto, a Spanish word referring to both a musical style and the musicians who play it, originated in deep South Texas during the late 1920s. ... The Texas- ...Missing: definition origins<|control11|><|separator|>
[5]
The Evolution of Texas-Mexican Conjunto Music
The conjunto grew out of the cultural links between Texas and northern Mexico at the end of the nineteenth century, when inexpensive one-row accordions became ...
[6]
Conjunto Music: The Music of the Working Class - MOSTHistory
Dec 8, 2017 · With its strong connections to the working class, conjunto music has greatly influenced the culture of South Texas.Missing: socioeconomic social dances
[7]
[PDF] “La Chicharronera”--Narciso Martinez and Santiago Almeida (1936)
It was released on RCA Victor's budget label Bluebird Records, the home for early blues and jazz recordings by African American musicians and white rural ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[8]
Father of the Texas-Mexican Conjunto | Smithsonian Folkways ...
Narciso Martínez is considered by many to be the father of Texas-Mexican conjunto music. A skilled accordionist, Martínez made his first recording in 1936.
[9]
JTMH Volume 24 | The Acosta Music Company
Today the bajo sexto is used to accompany the accordion in conjunto music ... The arrangement is similar to that of a bajo sexto, which has both octave and unison ...
[10]
[PDF] taquachito nights - conjunto music from south texas
Working-class mexicanos of the Rio Grande Valley played it, wrote new compositions, and danced to its rhythms for a half century before, but the music was ...
[11]
Meaning and Authenticity in the Adoption of Texas-Mexican ... - jstor
relatively recent shift of the conjunto center beyond the genre's original ... of drums and electric amplification, among other musical innovations- in the.
[12]
Son Jarocho from Veracruz: Exploration of Music and Dance Forms
The son includes coplas or stanzas sung by a "caller" who is accompanied by the hard-driving rhythms of musicians playing unique regional guitars and harp.Missing: style | Show results with:style
[13]
Los Camperos de Valles - Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Marked by florid poetry, soaring high falsetto vocals, and ornate and elaborate violin improvisation, the son huasteco hails from the Huasteca, one of Mexico's ...
[14]
[PDF] ¡Tierra Caliente! - Smithsonian Institution
... music of the conjunto de arpa grande 'big harp ensemble'. Most scholars surmise that the musical style of Tierra Caliente emerged in the 1700s, when the.
[15]
La Bamba · The Sounds of México
"La bamba" is a son jarocho, a folk music style from the Veracruz region of Mexico. String instruments like the jarana jarocha, the requinto jarocho, the arpa ...
[16]
[PDF] ED201568.pdf - ERIC
In the Huasteca region, corlprising Hidalgo and parts of San Luis Potosi, Puebla,. Queretaro, and Veracruz, the son is accompanied by guitar, huapanguera, and ...
[17]
La Casa de la Música - Smithsonian Folklife Festival
... arpa grande or big harp ensemble music. Violinist and director Ricardo Gutiérrez first brought his Caporales to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 1978 ...
[18]
The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Volume 1 ...
ocarina, a clarinet, a trumpet made from wood and animal horn, a whirled ... (son calentano) from the neighboring hotlands of Michoacán; and the son ...
[19]
Music of Mexico - Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
... Son Calentano, Son Planeco, Canción Cardenche). Canción Ranchera. Mexican ... double bass · clarinet, saxophone · trumpet, trombone · timpani, cymbals, güiro.
[20]
MUSICA NORTENA & TEJANO MUSIC
A conjunto norteño is a Mexican folk ensemble that adds snare drum and a bass instrument to the DBA/bajo sexto pair. The instrument may be string bass, or ...Missing: son | Show results with:son
[21]
conjunto music | Strachwitz Frontera Collection
Mar 14, 2017 · The accordion is a showcase instrument in two closely related genres that are central to the Frontera Collection: norteño and conjunto. Over the ...
[22]
Martinez, Narciso | Strachwitz Frontera Collection - UCLA
He was the genre's first successful recording artist and the most popular accordion player of his day. No single accordionist was more influential or had a more ...
[23]
From Accordion Roots to Conjunto Music: An Unlikely Journey
It mentions that Narciso Martinez, a young pioneer accordionist from northern Mexico began a musical collaboration with bajo sexto player Santiago Almeida from ...
[24]
Texas Conjunto Pioneer - Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Valerio Longoria (1924-2000) is recognized as a pioneer of Tejano Conjunto music. An accomplished accordionist, Longoria was an innovator in introducing ...
[25]
[PDF] VALERIO LONGORIA
An excellent singer, he introduced the bolero to the San Antonio conjun- to repertoire of traditional polkas, waltzes, and redo vas. He was also one of the ...
[26]
Valerio Longoria - National Endowment for the Arts
There he formed his own conjunto (ensemble) comprising accordion, guitar, stand-up bass, and drum set. He made his first recording, "El Pokerito," in 1947 for ...Missing: internationally | Show results with:internationally
[27]
Flaco Jiménez | Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Aug 8, 2025 · These collaborations helped to establish Jiménez's national reputation as a master of conjunto, and in 1976, Ry Cooder invited him to contribute ...
[28]
Flaco Jiménez obituary | Americana - The Guardian
Aug 11, 2025 · Virtuoso accordion player who collaborated with Ry Cooder and worked with Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones.
[29]
[PDF] Los Alegres De Te:raD.
Los Alegres De Teran (Eugenio Abrego. & Tomas Ortiz) became the first super stars of the Mexican Regional music today known universally as Musica Nortena.
[30]
Conjunto Bernal | Strachwitz Frontera Collection - UCLA
Paulino soon taught himself accordion, inspired by conjunto pioneers Valerio Longoria, Narciso Martínez and Tony de la Rosa. Meanwhile, Eloy learned to play a ...
[31]
Lydia Mendoza | National Endowment for the Arts
Once Lydia had learned to play guitar, she began teaching her sister Maria. Lydia also took up mandolin and violin. The Mendozas formed a family band and by the ...
[32]
[PDF] r~1 - Smithsonian Institution
In the early 1930s she began her solo career, accompanying herself 011 guitar and performing passionate love songs (cafldones) throughout Texas, California, and ...Missing: guitarra | Show results with:guitarra
[33]
Tejano Conjunto Festival - Guadalupe Cultural Arts
The Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio is the first and longest-running Conjunto festival in the country and is internationally recognized as the most ...
[34]
Tejano Conjunto Festival - Texas State Historical Association
The Tejano Conjunto Festival, an annual music event, was organized by the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center under director Juan Tejeda in San Antonio in 1982.Missing: internationally | Show results with:internationally
[35]
Conjunto Festival - The Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center
The festival is a 2-day event that works to preserve a genre of music that was created by Don Narciso Martinez and is over 100 years old. The event is rich in ...
[36]
2025 NMCAC Festival Magazine-32st Annual Conjunto Festival
Sep 8, 2025 · City Mayor welcomes the 32nd Annual Narciso Martinez Conjunto Festival. ... accordion contest. Conjunto Halcón was recognized second place ...
[37]
Rancho Alegre Conjunto Festival History
How did the festival come about? During our first interview trip to the Rio Grande Valley in the fall of 2011, we became very close with two of the subjects ...
[38]
Conjunto festival cancelled due to COVID-19 – La Feria News
The highly anticipated Conjunto Festival held in Los Fresnos will not take place this month so fans of this musical genre will have to wait until 2021 – all ...
[39]
RANCHO ALEGRE RADIO - GuideStar Profile
Aug 18, 2024 · Rancho Alegre Conjunto Festival. Multi-day, family-friendly music ... In 2020 and 2021, we did not present the festival due to COVID.Missing: virtual | Show results with:virtual
[40]
The 2021 Tejano Conjunto Festival is all online this Saturday
May 21, 2021 · Virtual attendees of the 20201 Tejano Conjunto Festival can dance at home while watching the livestream from the Guadalupe Theater.
[41]
Guide to Son Cubano: A Brief History of the Son Cubano Genre - 2025
Nov 2, 2021 · Emergence: Bantu Cubans interacted with West African Cubans when they left the eastern highlands and moved to Havana, the nation's capital. In ...
[42]
Music History - Cuban Son - CPSalsa
Jul 23, 2018 · By the 1930s, trumpets were incorporated which led to septetos. By the 1940s, congas and pianos were added leading to what now became known as ...Missing: emergence | Show results with:emergence
[43]
Cuba: Son and Afro-Cuban Music - World Music Network
Apr 15, 2011 · Francophone immigrants brought new elements to Cuba's African and Spanish mix, forging son in the 1880s. Its success is attributed to the advent ...Missing: migration | Show results with:migration
[44]
Artist Profiles: Arsenio Rodriguez | World Music Central
Jan 7, 2017 · Arsenio formed his own band in 1939. It was an innovative line-up, featuring tumbadora (conga), a piano, and trumpets. This format was named ...
[45]
A Brief History of the Cuban Style Conjunto - Latin Jazz Network
Arsenio Rodríguez created the modern conjunto by expanding the one trumpet format of the septeto to three trumpets; adding a tumbadora to strengthen its ...
[46]
The 'conjunto' piano in 1940s Cuba : an analysis of the emergence ...
The conjunto piano style emerged in 1940s Cuba, transforming piano's role in son montuno. The thesis challenges binary views of African and European musical ...
[47]
Benny Moré is still 'The Master of Rhythm' in his Cuban hometown
Nov 17, 2016 · Although Moré sang at the 1957 Oscar ceremony, he never performed much in the United States, earning his fame instead mostly in Mexico, where he ...
[48]
LOS SITIOS ACERÉ | Arsenio Rodríguez | Tumbao Cuban Classics
34. LOS SITIOS ACERÉ. from Arsenio Rodríguez y Su Conjunto: El alma de Cuba, Grabaciones Completas RCA-Victor 1947-1950. by Arsenio Rodríguez. 00 ...
[49]
Cuban Music: Beyond Buena Vista Social Club [A Lecture]
Jan 26, 2019 · Following the Revolution of 1959, some orchestras and singers left Cuba. The government nationalized all private industry, and the music ...Missing: suppression | Show results with:suppression
[50]
What is Cuban Popular Music |
Coda– the end of the piece of music. Conjunto– a musical group consisting of 3 or 4 trumpets, piano, base, bongo, tumbadora, clave, maracas, guitar & tres.
[51]
A Guide To Cuban Music: Instrumentation and Clave
1. Timbales - perhaps the only Cuban percussion instrument that doesn't have a direct link to Africa. · 2. Guitar - 6 stringed instrument common in Spain. · 3.
[52]
The conjunto piano in 1940s Cuba: An analysis of the emergence of ...
This thesis documents the emergence of an idiomatic and highly influential piano style during the 1940s in the new context of the conjunto.
[53]
Has the piano ever wanted to replace the “tres” in Cuban music?
Sep 4, 2023 · It was probably Arsenio Rodríguez who first recorded a new format in the 1940s that included piano and congas, as well as multiple trumpets.
[54]
Conjunto Music: You Know It When You Hear It
Conjunto music, the accordion style so popular with Mexican Americans throughout the Southwest, comprises a cornerstone of the Frontera Collection.Missing: origins | Show results with:origins
[55]
What makes a band a Conjunto, Sonora, Orquesta, Combo
Jun 21, 2013 · The traditional conjunto is something in the lines of 3 trumpets, the double bass, the Tres (sometimes the PR Cuatro), guirro and maracas, as well as the conga ...
[56]
Eddie Palmieri: The Relentless Genius of Latin Jazz
In 1961, he broke ranks and formed La Perfecta, a band that introduced a game-changing innovation: trombanga—a frontline of two trombones and a flute, ditching ...
[57]
Eddie Palmieri, Latin Music's Dynamic Innovator, Dies at 88
Aug 7, 2025 · Eddie Palmieri, a pianist, composer and bandleader whose contributions to Afro-Caribbean music helped usher in the golden age of salsa in ...
[58]
[PDF] Letras Hispanas - Texas State University
Sep 19, 2013 · when he accompanied the Miguel Matamoros conjunto to Mexico. After returning to Cuba in 1953, he soon became the quintessential. Afro-Cuban ...
[59]
Bruca maniguá - Arsenio Rodríguez - SecondHandSongs
2013. Bruca maniguá · Buena Vista Social Club, March 23, 2015, Live Released more than 10 years after recording. Bruca maniguá written by Arsenio Rodríguez ...
[60]
PBS presents Buena Vista Social Club
But pre-revolutionary music -- the music of the great bandleaders like Arsenio Rodríguez and Beny Moré -- fell into disfavor under Castro's regime, associated ...Missing: vocal compositions
[61]
Los Van Van - Timba
Los Van Van, formed by Juan Formell, is a Cuban band that helped develop Timba, combining Cuban music with modern songwriting and producing key Timba albums.Missing: 1990s conjunto reggaeton
[62]
Cuba's Music Revolution: From Son to Reggaetón - The Culture-ist
Aug 24, 2016 · Cuba's music evolved from African and Spanish influences, with son having a dramatic impact. Reggaeton has recently spread, despite a ...
[63]
[PDF] Changes in Cuban Music in Havana and London (2010 – 2022) By ...
The salsa dance industry has encouraged new connections between the two capitals while impeding the creation of Cuban dance music in the UK, leading some ...<|separator|>
[64]
Cimafunk's 'El Alimento' blends Afro-Cuban rhythms with classic ...
Oct 8, 2021 · Rodríguez and his band just released a new album, El Alimento. It's a wildly danceable collection of songs that's steeped in both Afro-Cuban rhythms and ...
[65]
Story of Salsa: Turning Stockpile Into a Showplace
Mar 8, 2000 · ... artists like Machito, Mr. Puente, Tito Rodriguez, Beny Moré and Joe Cuba. But it took years for the sound to get its modern-day name. At ...
[66]
Conjunto Music from South Texas | Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Use songs and social dances from the Mexico/USA border to introduce students to South Texan people, language, location, and values.
[67]
Texas Music Collection - The Wittliff Collections
The Texas Music Collection includes country, Western Swing, blues, polka, rock and roll, conjunto, and Tejano music, and works with Texas State University.
[68]
Music Academy - Guadalupe Cultural Arts
The Guadalupe Music Academy offers Mariachi and Conjunto classes for all ages, including guitar, trumpet, violin, vocals, accordion, and piano. Classes are ...
[69]
Conjunto Heritage Taller | San Antonio TX - Facebook
Rating 4.9 (28) Conjunto Heritage Taller, San Antonio. 3463 likes · 549 were here. Teaching and Preserving Conjunto Music for Future Generations! Come join us for lessons!
[70]
Conjunto Archives - The Arhoolie Foundation
Latin Soul Unique Collaboration with Raza, Accordions, And Rock! This month's “Raza, Accordions, and Rock” is a collaboration with the Arhoolie Foundation's ...Missing: 2020s | Show results with:2020s
[71]
Conjunto music enjoys a resurgence in Texas - NPR
It's a danceable fusion of Mexican, European and American song styles that developed in South Texas and Northern Mexico over the last 150 years.
[72]
Conjunto Music Legacy | Texas Co-op Power
... Conjunto music was dying due to a lack of interest from the younger generations of Mexican Americans. He sensed a disconnect, which drove him to help form ...<|separator|>
[73]
Women in Conjunto are being heard - Spectrum News
Aug 20, 2021 · “Conjunto has been historically dominated by men, but that's not to say that there are not women that have already contributed to this genre,” ...Missing: inclusion | Show results with:inclusion
[74]
Leonardo "Flaco" Jimenez | National Endowment for the Arts
Dec 21, 2012 · Leonardo "Flaco" Jimenez. Tejano Accordion Player. 2012 NEA National Heritage Fellow San Antonio, Texas. A man playing the accordion.Missing: 2014 | Show results with:2014<|control11|><|separator|>
[75]
Mexican American Song | Ethnic | Musical Styles | Articles and Essays
Corridos were also sung to draw attention to social issues of Mexican American farm workers and the Chicano Civil Rights Movements of the 1960s and 1970s.
[76]
Accordions: From Eastern Europe to Latin America, with love! - NPR
Jun 4, 2025 · The influence of Eastern Europe immigration in Latin America can be heard in the way the accordion was adapted and adopted in countries like ...
[77]
ECNO (El Conjunto Nueva Ola) - WOMEX
ECNO is a band from Mexico playing Cumbia and Entertainment, combining new wave, rock, disco, and Latin cumbia with energetic performances.
[78]
About - CONJUNTO GUANTANAMO
Conjunto Guantánamo's soulful sound is layered with authentic Cuban swing and sophisticated influences like "El Barbaro" Benny More, Arsenio Rodriguez, Roberto ...
[79]
Most popular cumbia sonidera artists on Spotify - Music Metrics Vault
Most popular artists in Cumbia sonidera ; 389. Barrabox. 64,448 ; 390. Aniceto Molina Y Sus Sabaneros. 63,492 ; 391. Roberto de la Barrera y Su Conjunto. 62,813.
[80]
The 1000s! Tejano & Conjunto DJs - YouTube
The 1000s! Tejano & Conjunto DJs · The 181 Boys Mix by The 1000's. · The Best of The Garcia Brothers Mix by The 1000's. · The 1000's Hot Tejano Breakfast Club Mix ...
[81]
Son Huasteco Fiddle with Jorge Andres Herrera - FolkWorks
Apr 16, 2022 · Son Huasteco and Son Jarocho are two regional folk ... culture that it was added in 2011 to UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage .