Pharr From Heaven

RGV Conjuntofest 2013

2013-05-17T11:10:00.001-05:00

This Sunday in Weslaco could be the start of a new conjunto tradition in the Valley.

Earlier this year, Lonnie Gonzales went to the Manny and Rick Tamez — the new owners of The Horseman's Bar & Grill — to share an idea he had.

"There is a big conjunto fanbase here in the Valley but they don't have a conjunto festival here (in this area)," said Lonnie Gonzales, vocalist and bajo-sexto player of Los Badd Boyz Del Valle. "So these people get to hear about the (Tejano) Conjunto Festival in San Antonio. They see the fliers on Facebook and they don't get to go cause it's expensive and it's far."

Lonnie thought it would be neat to create a local version of that festival down here in the Valley. Both Manny and Rick agreed with Lonnie, and decided to move forward with the project. RGV Conjuntofest 2013 was born.

"It started off small but now it's looking to be really, really good man," Lonnie explained.

The acts that are currently scheduled to be performing at this new festival include the Tejano Boys (Brownsville), Conjunto Prestigio (Dallas), Crystal N' Crew (Houston), Mando y La Venganza (Corpus Christi), Ruben Vela Jr. (Santa Rosa), Los Badd Boyz Del Valle (Edcouch-Elsa), and Boni Mauricio (Corpus Christi). The last four acts listed are also part of this weekend's Tejano Conjunto Festival in San Antonio. The way Galax Z Fair brought a piece of SXSW to McAllen, Lonnie has succeeded in bringing in a bit of the TCF to Weslaco.

To those unfamiliar with the headliner, Boni Mauricio was an inductee into the "Tejano Roots" Hall of Fame in 2011. He's one of the most popular and respected musicians on the conjunto circuit. Los Badd Boyz Del Valle have also earned their reputation as being one of the finest conjuntos around. In 2012, they were awarded the "Conjunto of the Year" prize from the South Texas Conjunto Association.

"(I'm going) to support all conjuntos and keep the music alive," said Maria Ortiz Almaraz, a conjunto fan who's planning on attending RGV Conjuntofest. "The memories I have of my aunts and uncles, listening and dancing to this wonderful music and introducing it to me. (Now I'm) making those same happy memories with my family."

Conjunto music has been kept alive by people like Maria. It's a part of their tradition, something that they will be pass on from generation to generation.

"Some of (these conjunto) bands don't have enough airplay," Lonnie said. "Our music is not mainstream, (but) it's our culture. We play for the people at quinceañeras, weddings and festivals. That's how we keep it alive."

There is something to be said about the resiliency of conjunto music. While other styles have suffered through lack of radio support, conjunto has remained strong after 80 plus years. Like Cajun music in Louisiana, conjunto has become a significant part of our cultural identity in South Texas. So if you want to experience what conjunto music feels like first hand, this festival on Sunday is your opportunity to do so.

RGV Conjuntofest will take place on Sunday, from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM. The bands will perform in indoor and outdoor stages. The cover charge will be $10.00 at the door, but kids under ten years of age get in free. For more information, please call 956-463-7223 or visit https://www.facebook.com/TheNewHorsemansGrillSaloon.

Chicano Love Is Forever

2013-05-15T00:54:00.003-05:00

Chicano Love Is Forever / Amor Chicano Es Para Siempre (Directed by Efrain Gutierrez)

Texas Folklife's Kickstarter Campaign

2013-05-15T00:52:00.000-05:00

The great people over at Texas Folklife started a Kickstarter campaign for their “Accordion Kings & Queens 2012” CD project. Any donation is welcomed. If you dig the squeezebox, please consider looking into this project. Thank you.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1304325964/accordion-kings-and-queens-live-cd-project

Check out this ticket.

2013-05-10T17:00:00.003-05:00

I was looking up old boxing results and I came across this image. At one McAllen show on October 6th, 1979, you got a world title fight, Roberto Pulido y Los Clasicos and Ramon Ayala y Los Bravos Del Norte! A boxing, Tejano and norteño trio! I read the newspaper report of the fight and it sounds like it was a good one. Jorge Lujan defeated Reynosa's Roberto Rubaldino via KO at 2:47 of the 15th round. The two would eventually meet again on August 15th, 1981 in Houston, TX. With no title on the line, Rubaldino would defeat Lujan via majority decision.

Cande Aguilar Jr. Returns To The Recording Studio

2013-05-10T12:45:00.002-05:00

It’s been a sweet dream for Brownsville’s Cande Aguilar Jr.

You can trace back the start of his journey to when he was 12 years old. The incredibly shy kid asked his padrino (godfather) — conjunto icon Gilberto Perez — if he could play the accordion at one of his shows.

“When I asked my padrino, he said, ‘Go ahead’,” remembers Cande, 40 years old, in the dining room of his home in Brownsville. “I’m so grateful that he was open for me (to play), without any hesitation at all.”

At the age of ten, Cande started mimicking what he heard on the record player and at the dance halls. He honed his craft at home with his dad, Cande Sr. (Perez’s longtime bass player). Cande said that he was inspired by the sounds of his padrino, Ruben Vela and Tony De La Rosa.

Gilberto Perez stepped aside, allowing his 12-year-old godson on stage to rattle off a few polkitas.

“I wouldn’t even finish [the polkas] right,” said Cande with a smile on his face. “I had never really squared off a piece to where I would finish appropriately. So after a couple of tries, I finally got the endings right.”

The following year, Cande recorded his first album. Titled Mis Primeras Polkas, the young accordionist joined his father on the bass, Gilberto Perez Jr. on the bajo-sexto and Javier Perez on the drums to record at his padrino’s studio.

“At that time I recorded, I included four original pieces,” Cande said. “At that age, I was already composing my own tunes.”

The young prodigy was living a unique life in the 1980′s. During the weekdays, he would be attending Porter High School like an ordinary teenager living in Brownsville. Outside of school he was living the life of a conjunto musician, accompanying Gilberto Perez y su conjunto at live shows.

Thanks to the exposure he gained though those gigs, Cande was invited to perform with La Mafia for a tour in the Summer of 1988. He credits this early, teenage success to his two main inspirations — his father and padrino.

“My padrino threw me in the front, gave me the opportunity to invade his time and spotlight,” Cande said. “Nombre I just can’t be more grateful, I keep going back to it. He (gave) me the opportunity to come out in the shows when he was there. That counts for a lot.”

After he graduated from high school, Cande turned his attention to starting his own band.

“I have to give (Javier Perez) credit for Elida y Avante,” Cande said. “Because I think he is the one that got us all together.”

Cande, Javier and Noel Hernandez got together to start their own group. Eventually it was Noel that found the person that would become the lead-singer of the ensemble.

“Noel met Elida (Reyna) at the mariachi (program at UTPA),” Cande said.”So Noel came to me and Javier (saying), ‘There is this young lady that has a great voice.’”

Once they heard her singing at his padrino’s studio, Cande said that they immediately started rehearing. Elida y Avante really established themselves with the release of Atrevete in 1994.

“('Luna Llena') was really the song that broke through,” Cande said. “It got us our own spot.”

Rock N Roll James — local DJ and former host of Puro Tejano — remembers that era very well.

“(Cande) is awesome, he really added a very unique sound to the early Elida songs,” said Rock N Roll James. “It was signature-esque as to where you knew it was Elida y Avante as soon as you heard the accordion.”

Another song that played a major role in their success was “Duele”.

“(When their) mariachi song 'Duele' was released, that song made her a household name and a staple of Tejano and Regional Mexican Radio airplay,” said James.

After eight years together, the band split up in 2001. Eight months before the break-up, Cande was already sketching and drawing.

“It was sort of a smooth transition for me,” said Cande, as he moved on to the next phase of his life. “I felt like we went out on a good note, we won four awards at the Tejano Awards (2000).”

Cande tells me that at that point in his life, he wasn’t interested in pursuing music. With art, he had found a new way to express himself.

“As I did with the music, (I had) the same commitment, the same energy towards it,” Cande said. “By the time you knew it, I was stretching my own canvases and participating in art shows.”

Cande — happily married with three children — works out of his home in his garage studio. As you enter the studio, you will see his first paint palette to your right; on your left, you might catch a glimpse of a Chewbacca action figure. Several three-row button diatonic accordions are on display. Cande's latest work is hanging off a wall; multimedia art with image transfers on horizontal panels.

“Cande’s work is outstanding,” said Manuel Miranda, a local artist in the Valley. “He incorporates elements from various sources yet he’s been able to produce a body of work that represents the Rio Grande Valley. He has greatly contributed to raising the level of painting right here in the Rio Grande Valley.”

Although he’s identified as an artist now, the urge to record music has come back for him in recent years. One of his main goals is to establish a catalog of original material.

Some familiar names joined Cande for his new Dulce Sueños album — Javier Perez, Noel Hernandez, Epifanio Martinez, Gilberto Perez Jr., Felix Aleman, Jaime Gonzalez and Cande Sr.

Along with his parents being a big motivating factor, it was also Lupe Saenz that influenced Cande to return to the recording studio.

“I really appreciate his effort in trying to keep conjunto music alive,” Cande said of the president of the South Texas Conjunto Association. “I told him I was going to start recording (and that he was) one of the reasons why.”

Cande said that he had to get these musical compositions out of his system. With art and music, it’s a constant stream of creative energy for him. He feels that by releasing this album, he could move on to the next stage of his life.

While at his home, Cande sampled some of the songs for me off his laptop. It’s a pure conjunto sound, straight from the roots of the genre. Polkas, redovas, schottisches, waltzes and huapangos. If you’re a fan of classic conjunto music, this is an album worth getting excited about. He’s breathing new life into these traditional forms of music.

“I feel like I’ve challenged myself to play more refined,” Cande said. “I feel like I’ve gotten better interpreting and achieving what I want to play.”

The album is set to have ten original compositions and three tribute tracks – Ruben Vela’s “El Pajuelazo”; Narciso Martinez’s “La Cuquita” and “Dulce Sueños”.

“I am very interested in making up my own music and trying to get as close to being original as possible,” Cande said. “I feel more comfortable playing my own stuff.”

What does the name of the title track mean to Cande? What has conjunto meant to him?

“'Dulce Sueños' being that it’s been a great dream and that I’m happy to be able to participate again in contributing to the conjunto genre,” Cande said. “Through conjunto music, I’ve managed to been able to release my creative energy in a way where it’s not stagnant.”

You can find Dulce Sueños at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cande-Music/222940861094284?id=222940861094284&sk=app_470868196288052, http://www.candemusic.com, Amazon.com and iTunes.

First steps towards understanding mariachi music

2013-05-03T16:45:00.000-05:00

Despite being exposed to mariachi music for all my life, I would say I have a very limited understanding of the subject. Since Cinco De Mayo and Mother's Day are coming up, I figured it would be a good time to get a brief understanding of this often misunderstood genre.

I contacted my friend Corine Garcia to ask her about the subject. She's been playing with professional mariachi groups since she was a junior in high school. Along with being a singer/songwriter in a three-piece band, she is the mariachi director at Roma Middle School.

This was my first time asking her about her passion for mariachi music.

"My earliest memories of mariachi are watching Linda Ronstadt's Canciones de Mi Padre," remembers Corine Garcia. "When the high school mariachi came to visit our elementary school and play a recruiting concert, I was hooked. I knew that's what I wanted to do."

I asked Corine, "How would you describe mariachi music to someone who has never really explored it or isn't familiar with (the genre)?"

"When asked to describe mariachi to someone unfamiliar with the term, the easiest way is to say, 'those musicians with the guitars and the big hats'," Garcia said. "A more technical definition would be the traditional Mexican folk ensemble made up of violins, trumpets, and several variations on the guitar."

"But mariachi is much more than that. The first mariachis included any number of instruments and were the ensembles that led community celebrations in rural Mexico. The ensembles from the states of Jalisco and Michoacán most resembled the mariachi we know today and included a harp, a small guitar, and one or two violins."

Through the decades, mariachi music drew from a variety of influences.

"Gradually, as radio and movies came on the scene and people started moving to the cities for work, the ensemble absorbed many influences and became the standard group we are used to seeing today: four to six violins, one or two trumpets, the large guitarrón as a bass instrument, guitar, and a smaller guitar called a vihuela, and sometimes a harp."

So what songs are you going to be exposed to while you're out celebrating Cinco De Mayo and Mother's Day in the Rio Grande Valley?

"Often any of the traditional mariachi repertoire is welcomed and appropriate, especially patriotic songs like 'Viva Mexico' or 'México Lindo y Querido'," Garcia said. "A typical Mother's Day serenata would include 'Las Mañanitas', 'O Madre Querida' and often a romantic trio like 'Gema'. Or any other favorite song of the mother being honored."

I decided to contact Jonathan Clark — a noted mariachi historian and professional guitarrón player of 38 years — about the differences on how the upcoming holidays are celebrated on both sides of the border. While he confirms that Mother's Day is equally big in Mexico, the same is not true of Cinco De Mayo.

"Cinco De Mayo is basically a Chicano holiday," said Jonathan Clark. "Basically a meaningless date for Mexican mariachis, they don't normally get any extra work on this day. Whereas virtually every U.S. mariachi is booked up months in advance for this date."

Clark also points out to me one of the most common misconceptions about mariachi music.

"(Some people say) that some connection exists between the French culture or language and mariachi music," Clark said. "This is an old myth that has been debunked many times, but which dies hard."

Curious about listening to early mariachi recordings, I turned to where I often go to for regional and roots music — Arhoolie Records. Thanks to the easy access of Spotify, I was able to quickly listen to Mariachi Coculense de Cirilo Marmolejo - Mexico's Pioneer Mariachis - Vol. 1 (1926 - 1936) and Mariachi Tapatio de Jose Marmolejo - Mexico's Pioneer Mariachis - Vol. 2.

I was really quite surprised at how raw the mariachi sound was in those early days. It was powerful yet very different from the polished and smooth sound that you hear from contemporary musicians. I still have a long road ahead of me when it comes to exploring mariachi music.

Thinking about how these records made me feel, I went back to ask Corine something that had slipped my mind. My first set of questions for her were for information, background and facts. I had forgotten to ask her what she feels — que siente — when experiencing mariachi music.

"Excitement. Passion. Pride. And the feeling of connecting with your audience (in a way) that I have never experienced in any other genre of music."

Aquí y Allá

2013-04-26T16:44:00.000-05:00

It's a large world out there when it comes to regional music. From time to time, I will visit certain news items within this format to bring attention to stories that would otherwise slip through the cracks.

--Texas Folklife's 7th Annual Big Squeeze Semi-Finals took place this past Saturday afternoon, April 20, at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin. Of the four Valley natives that competed, only one walked away as a finalist. 18-year-old Juan Antonio "Tony" Garcia from Mission performed "Picame Tarantula" (Huapango) and "Ciudad Victoria" (Polka) to advance to the finals. The young talented accordionist tells me that he's the first member of his family to pick up a musical instrument. The other three finalists that advanced were Luis Gonzalez (Grand Prairie), Yesenia Garcia (Houston), and Michael Ramos (Dallas). The next big step for these four finalists will be the Accordion Kings & Queens 2013 finale in Houston on June 1. The grand prize winner will be crowned on that evening.

"It means the world to me, because it was a dream before and now it is reality," said Tony Garcia. "It is not so much the grand prize, it means that I am going to show off my talent to the people that really appreciate this type of music. It means that I am going to express myself to hundreds if not thousands of people."

--On April 1, The Horseman's Bar & Grill in Weslaco announced that they will be promoting the 1st annual RGV Conjuntofest. The festival is scheduled to take place on May 19, from 3:30 PM to 10:00 PM. Some of the bands performing on that event include Tejano Boys, Ruben Vela Jr, and Los Badd Boyz del Valle. On April 9, they announced that Los Dos Gilbertos - Valley legends in conjunto - would be the headliners. A week later, The Horseman's Bar & Grill retracted that statement, clarifying that Los Dos Gilbertos were no longer going to be there due to a scheduling conflict. On April 16, they announced that Boni Mauricio was the new headliner for the event. The promoters are hoping that this will be the first of many future conjunto festivals at The Horseman's Bar & Grill.

--Speaking about Los Dos Gilbertos, they are set to be one of the three headliners of San Antonio's Tejano Conjunto Festival on May 18. This legendary conjunto has been getting a lot more attention as of late. In February, the original Los Dos Gilbertos (Gilberto Garcia and Gilberto Lopez) were featured on KMBH's "Acordeones de Tejas" and were interviewed by Dr. Margaret Dorsey at the Border Studies Archive at the UTPA. To find out more about their interview and view their recent television appearance, please visit www.facebook.com/BorderStudies.

--South Texas Conjunto Association (STCA) is looking for nominations for their 15th Annual Conjunto of the Year awards ceremony. The ceremony honors the past year in conjunto music with awards such as best album, best accordionist, best vocalist and more. Last year, Los Badd Boyz Del Valle took the top award — Conjunto of the Year. Deadline for nomination ballots are on June 1. To make your nominations, please visit www.conjunto.org or email polotrejo@yahoo.com.

--Last but not least, I wanted to talk about the passing of documentary filmmaker Les Blank on April 7. While Blank is most known for his pair of films with the enigmatic Werner Herzog, the bulk of his best work was about the beauty and wonder found in regional music. A cinematic poet, Blank would capture American life that you would never see anywhere else. "A Les Blank Film" was it's own genre. Documenting gap toothed women, the chicken farming industry and garlic in all its forms proved to us that Blank was as eccentric as he was affectionate. Watching his films, you could feel the fondness he had for salt of the Earth people. Whether in Eunice, LA or McAllen, TX, Blank was at home everywhere he went. Never pretentious, he blended in to whatever community and culture he found himself in. Chulas Fronteras - which features plenty of footage of the Rio Grande Valley - is a treasure in documentary filmmaking. If you're a fan of conjunto, norteño, blues, Tejano, jazz, polka, Cajun, zydeco and various other regional flavors, you owe it to yourself to visit Blank's work. To say his work was an influence on me would be an understatement. He will be missed.

Lazaro Perez y Su Conjunto

2013-04-19T16:38:00.000-05:00

One of the topics most often discussed in conjunto music is the future of the genre. That topic is almost an obsession with us, similar to how MMA or boxing fans constantly ask themselves if something is "good or bad" for the sport.

When it comes to local exposure, people like Pepe Maldonado (La Lomita Park), Roy Rodriguez (Hub City Conjunto & Tejano Museum), and Lupe Saenz (South Texas Conjunto Association) have done their part in keeping the spotlight on conjunto music. Older musicians are still the big draws but the genre is going to need new blood to fill those dancing halls.

One young group that has developed a strong following is Lazaro Perez y su conjunto (also referred to as LPYSC). Led by accordionist Lazaro Perez III, the conjunto includes Ramiro Adame (bass), Jerry Flores (bajo-sexto), Rey Longoria (drums) and Josh Avila. Perez informs me that while LPYSC have been around since his senior year at Bishop High School (2007), this current incarnation has only been around for a year-in-a-half.

At this point, the 23-year-old Perez has already performed at the major annual festivals like the Tejano Conjunto Festival and the Narciso Martinez Conjunto Festival. He's also proven to be quite prolific when it comes to recording albums, having released five albums and a sixth one on the way in May.

Perez's big breakthrough came from a single on his "Capitulo III" (2010) album. The song composed was Mayo Davila, a close friend of his family.

"'Mi Obsesion', that was actually our first hit that opened the door for us in Monterrey," said Lazaro Perez. "That song opened up a lot of doors for us. We got to go play in Monterrey for the first time back in 2010, It's just amazing that that one song did it all."

I ask Lazaro, "How would you describe your style and what makes you different?"

"I would describe it probably as progressive conjunto," Perez said. "We still play some of our old roots but I think our music has evolved into a more romantic swing of conjunto."

Perez would go on to be very complimentary of his peers. He says that he's not the only one bringing something new and fresh to conjunto bailes.

"(Salomon Ramos) from Retoño is an awesome accordion player," Perez said. "Juanito Castillo is another one that is a young guy that is a tremendous accordionist."

Perez will be returning to the Valley's mecca of conjunto bailes this Sunday night— La Lomita Park.

"La Lomita is an awesome place to be at," proclaimed Perez about the intimate venue in McAllen. "Just the atmosphere of the crowd , the fans that are always dancing and singing away. It feels great."

That venue has become one of the few places where you can still find pure conjunto music at. A significant percentage of that audience is older but Perez has had success at attracting a younger demographic

"We've modernized our music and made it hit the ears of the younger fans," Perez said.

I'm a bit optimistic about the future of conjunto music. I feel that Lazaro Perez, Juanito Castillo, Susan Torres, AJ Castillo, Piñata Protest and Dwayne Verheyden are just a few of the many acts out there that can be headlining future editions of major conjunto festivals. A brief way to describe those aforementioned acts— Bishop's progressive/romantic accordionist, the "Psycho Trip" protege of Esteban Jordan, a charming Latina that can play the bass-side of an accordion, a slick marketable star, a conjunto/punk hybrid and the Dutch re-incarnation of Flaco Jimenez! We also have Juan Longoria Jr. teaching conjunto at Los Fresnos High School, following what the great, late Benny Layton did at Edcouch-Elsa. Even if it remains a niche genre and it goes through various experimental forms, I don't ever see the tradition dying out.

LPYSC and Los Leones De Laredo are scheduled to perform at La Lomita Park in McAllen on Sunday night. Event starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m. Entrance fee is $10.00. For more information, please call Pepe Maldonado at 956-867-8783.

Valley native leading the way in modernizing the accordion business.‏

2013-04-12T16:33:00.000-05:00

Juan Villarreal, Gilberto Reyes Jr. and Paulino Bernal.

There are many influential people in the world of Tejano, conjunto and norteño music. But one of the most interesting individuals to point to is Weslaco's Gilberto Reyes Jr. Born in Harlingen, Reyes quickly fell in love with conjunto and norteño music. Some of his fondest childhood memories include him attending Vera's Palladium in Weslaco to experience the live performances of Esteban Jordan and Los Alegres de Terán. When asked what initially drew Reyes to this music, he's quick to inform you how much of a role his grandfather, Pablo Reyes, has played in his love of music.

What makes Reyes an influential figure is his role at Hohner, one of the leading and oldest musical instrument manufacturers in the world — established in 1857 in Trossingen, Germany. As the product manager of Hohner USA, Reyes deals with marketing, market research, product development, and identifying new distribution channels in North American and Latin American countries. He has made his mark by changing their business structure over the past five years and introducing popular new products. Reyes took this role of product manager (Hohner had no such role before Reyes was hired) and made the most of it.

"I started with not just accordions but with the whole parts department," said Gilberto Reyes Jr. in a phone interview from his Hohner office at Glen Allen, VA. "First thing that I did was restructure the whole parts department."

Reyes would go on to hire new employees to handle the parts department to make it run smoothly. By doing this, Reyes says it created much-needed structure for Hohner's production. His next mission was to bring more variety and flavor to Hohner accordions.

"I thought instead of just having the regular black, red, white accordions we needed something a little bit more exciting."

He embarked on several projects to do just that. One of them was creating the "Signature Series", his way of honoring legendary accordionists and giving back to the community.

"We started with Steve Jordan. We had already done a signature series (for Jordan) back in '88 but we wanted to do a relaunch on that. So I recreated a new one, a different color. Of course Flaco Jimenez (was the next one in the series) and we also wanted to include somebody else from a different genre. Which (ended up being) Jorge Hernandez of Los Tigres Del Norte."

By working closely with Los Tigres Del Norte on that project, Reyes noticed that band-member Eduardo Hernandez (Jorge's brother) preferred Italian-made boxes. Reyes says a "light went off" in his head at that moment. A significant percentage of norteño and conjunto accordionists prefer the aesthetics of an Italian-made box. This realization led Reyes to doing a full presentation for Hohner to get behind the idea of marketing Italian-made boxes. He hoped that this would lead to capitalizing on a distinct demographic and increasing Hohner's bottom line.

"I took a trip to Frankfurt and I met Mr. Anacleto Gabbanelli there. We decided to see if we could work something up. We went to visit his factory in Italy and before you know it, we started making these premium Anacleto accordions."

The Anacleto's stand out in Hohner's product line as having a flashier appearance and hand-made reeds (as opposed to factory-made reeds from the German-made and Chinese-made Hohner boxes). There has been a lot of positive feedback online about the high-level of craftsmanship found on these models.

Those are just a few of the projects and improvements that Reyes has brought to Hohner in his brief time there. When asked about what the future holds for him, Reyes said that he's always looking for bright new ideas to incorporate into production. He also plans on continuing the "Hohner Lifetime Achievement Award" that he started in 2012. The first recipients of that honor were Flaco Jimenez, Paulino Bernal, Juan Villarreal and Anacleto Gabbanelli. If Reyes' first five years are any indication, accordion aficionados have a lot to look forward to in the near future.

Recognizing Narciso Delgado

2013-03-22T10:22:00.002-05:00

In the world of regional music, even the most accomplished musicians fade away through time. One such example is Narciso Delgado. A McAllen resident from 1935 until his death in 1977, Delgado was a musical prodigy. Born in 1903 in Camargo, Mexico, it didn't take long for people around him to see his full potential. When he was a teenager, the multi-instrumentalist was already performing with bands in the Corpus Christi area. He would eventually go on to play all over the Valley and form his own orchestra. But his lasting legacy among those that knew him were his compositions. Some of his pieces were performed by legends like Lydia Mendoza and Rafael Mendez.

Unfortunately, not too many people know of Narciso Delgado's work. One person that is trying to change that is Carlos R. Cantu, a native of McAllen, TX. Now 74 years old and retired from 31 years in education, Cantu remembers when he was first exposed to Delgado's music.

"When I was a little boy we used to go the amateur shows at (Cine El) Rey," said Carlos R. Cantu. "The person that accompanied (the performers on the piano) was Narciso. When there was a break, he would start playing some of his songs. I asked my mother, 'What is that beautiful melody he is playing?' She said, 'This is Nochecita, la cancion que le robarron (the song they stole from him).' As a kid, 8 or 9 years old, I couldn't understand what that meant. How could they steal your song?"

Cantu explains that "Nochecita", a song that Delgado and Fred Fernandez (a frequent collaborator) created, was stolen by someone in Mexico. At the Strachwitz Frontera Archive, they have several different releases and versions of that piece. The two composers most often credited with that song in that archive are Narciso Delgado and Victor Huesca. Cantu has in his possession an old copy of a book that contains sheet music for "Nochecita" that credits Delgado with the song. He feels that book gives credence to the idea that it is Delgado's composition.

"Later on, I developed a friendship with Narciso back in the late 50's, before I went into the Armed Forces. We started talking and by that time, the song had bounced back again in popularity. I would question him about what he was doing and he said, 'I am still trying to get credit'. At that time, he was still hoping to get some kind of compensation or royalties."

Cantu would go on with his life but he would never forget about Delgado. In his mind, he always wondered what he could do to bring attention to someone he deeply admires. A few years ago, he would meet the perfect person to help bring recognition to Delgado's oeuvre.

"It just so happened that I went to a concert that Imelda (Delgado's daughter) had here in McAllen," Cantu said. "She had two other people with her, it was a trio of classical music."

Imelda Delgado first performed in McAllen as a young girl but now resides in Corpus Christi. After the concert, Cantu went up to Imelda and introduced himself. He mentioned how he's done research on her father and how he would like to get the local community to recognize him. They have stayed in contact since then, working together to preserve the memory of Narciso Delgado. Imelda is currently searching for musicians to perform her father's compositions. While Cantu is set on producing a mural in Delgado's honor in McAllen.

"I think by the end of the year, we should have something done," Cantu said.

The most important aspect of this for Cantu is to bring recognition to the composers, musicians, and promoters that shaped this unique era of music. If possible, he would like to get other musicians of the period involved in this project like Delia Gutierrez Pineda, Juanita Garcia, and Rene Sandoval. It's been a labor of love for Cantu and he hopes that future generations will have an understanding of these legendary local figures.

Local conjunto accordionists looking for their big break.

2013-03-11T08:52:00.000-05:00

Alan Cavazos and Juan Longoria Jr. Photo Courtesy: Iliana Vasquez.

This past Saturday afternoon, Texas Folklife hosted an audition for their Big Squeeze accordion contest at the University of Texas-Pan American. Sarah Rucker, program and events manager at Texas Folkife, was in attendance to record the performances. She thanked UTPA and Iliana Vasquez for making this event possible.

"I was looking for a way to bring conjunto to the university," said Iliana Vasquez, an undergrad at UTPA's Mexican-American studies program. "So Lupe [Saenz] got me in contact with Don Chilo (Cecilio Garza) and Chilo got me in contact with Texas Folklife."

That led to a phone call between Vasquez and Cristina Balli, the executive director of Texas Folklife. It didn't take long before Vasquez was given the opportunity to host these auditions at UTPA.

Two button diatonic accordionists auditioned for their opportunity at advancing to the semi-finals in Austin. The first contestant was Alan Cavazos, a 17-year-old accordionist from McAllen, TX. He's been accepted to UTPA and has made plans to attend the university this fall. Alan might be best known for being the grandson of Don Ramiro Cavazos, the legendary bajo-sexto player of "Los Donneños". Alan had the honor of performing with his 86-year-old grandfather at the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center last month. Alan hasn't been playing the accordion long but he's proving to be a natural at it with his clean, classy style.

"I started [playing the accordion] about three years ago, when I was barely a [high school] freshman," said Alan Cavazos. "[Los Donneños] are my biggest influence, I love the old songs and the polkas."

The second contestant was Jacob Vela, a 21-year-old accordionist from Lyford, TX. Vela works at the oil rigs, but on his free time he works at improving his musical skills and securing gigs. Before arriving at the auditions he performed at a Brownsville parade with Pete Anzaldua, last year’s Big Squeeze grand champion. Vela has been influenced by country, which he showcased with confidence during his audition by performing Folsom Prison Blues. For Vela, the accordion has been a lifelong commitment.

"My dad bought me my first accordion when I was four, it was a piano accordion," said Jacob Vela. "I learned on the piano accordion, then at the age of eight I got a button accordion."

Along with the auditions, Juan Longoria Jr. and Conteño brought their own hybrid brand of conjunto, Tejano, and norteño music to the event. Longoria, the first ever Big Squeeze grand champion performed boleros, polkas, redovas, schottisches and even a mazurka for the live audience. Along with his musical performance, Longoria discussed the history of border music and his role in bringing a conjunto music program to Los Fresnos High School. He also shared his memories of winning the 2007 Big Squeeze championship.

"It was nerve wrecking, especially in Houston when you know what the prize is and the bragging rights," Juan Longoria Jr. remembers. "It's a competition and it brings out the best in a person. I played cause I love playing but at the same time I wanted to do it to represent my family."

The semi-finalists are scheduled to be announced on April 5, and are set to compete at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin on April 20. If any Valley accordionists under the age of 21 missed out, they can still audition on March 30 at Los Fresnos High School. If you can't make it there, Texas Folklife encourages you to visit them online at www.texasfolklife.org and inquiry about emailing a video audition before April 1.

Tom Landry Mural

2013-03-01T01:40:00.001-06:00

Photo Credit: Texentric. From the post where he shared this photo:

Tribute to the man by a local artist. This is I believe version 2, as the first one did not fare too well with the weather and had to be repainted/repaired. The revision was quite extensive as the size just about doubled. It's located on the corner of (what else, right?) Tom Landry Blvd. and Conway Ave.

Texas Folklife's Big Squeeze Auditions (UTPA Edinburg)

2013-02-28T23:51:00.001-06:00

If you're free on Saturday afternoon and dig conjunto music, make sure to check out the Valley's young accordionists audition for Texas Folklife's Big Squeeze contest. We are fortunate enough to live in an area that has so many talented accordionists. For those that are not aware, last year's Big Squeeze grand prize winner was Brownsville's Pete Anzaldua. I had the privilege of seeing the young accordion wiz perform in San Benito shortly after his big win in Austin. Anzaldua brought the people to their feet with his rendition of Atotonilco (Tony De La Rosa) and Viva Seguin (Santiago Jimenez Sr.). To those that weren't there that warm, autumn Saturday, here's the video of Anzaldua performing at the Narciso Martinez Conjunto Festival:

Details: Saturday afternoon at 3:00 PM. Event will be held at the UTPA Student Union Theater. For more information, please take a look at their Facebook events page.

The Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan Postcards

2013-02-27T03:43:00.005-06:00

I want to share these post cards con mi gente (to steal a phrase from Rick Diaz). To those that don’t know, Frank B. Alexander crashed a plane into The Shrine of the Virgin of San Juan on October 23, 1970. Alexander was a former school teacher here in the Valley, a position he resigned in the spring of 1970. I wrote about this before and quoted a newspaper article here.

Los Rinches De Tejas

2013-02-26T15:33:00.001-06:00

Aqui esta un corrido written by Willie Lopez, performed by Dueto Reynosa on the Oro record label. This is from Chulas Fronteras, which shares the name of Lopez’s old Valley AM radio show. This corrido recounts a story in Starr County of Texas Rangers brutally assaulting farm workers during a melon strike on June 1, 1967. The corrido is critical of Texas governor John Connally, accusing him of being responsible for what transpired.

This video includes footage of a bodega in McAllen and Willie Lopez talking about a time when he was kicked out of a restaurant for being Mexican.

Here are the lyrics of the corrido, courtesy of this site:

Voy a cantarles, señores,

De los pobres infortunios

De algo que sucedió

El día primero de junio.

En el condado de estrella

En el merito Rio Grande

Junio de '67

Sucedió un hecho de sangre.

Es una triste verdad

De unos pobres campesinos

Que brutalmente golpearon

Esos rinches asesinos.

Decía Magdaleno Dimas,

"Yo no opusé resistencia

Rendido y bien asustado

Me golpearon sin conciencia."

Decía Benjamín Rodríguez

Sin hacer ningún extremo,

"Ya no me peguen' cobardes,

En el nombre del Ser Supremo."

Esos rinches maldecidos

Los mandó el gobernador

A proteger los melones

De un rico conservador.

Mr. Connally, señores,

Es el mal gobernador

Que aborrece al mexicano

Y se burla del dolor.

Me despido, mis hermanos

Con dolor de corazón

Como buenos mexicanos

Pertenezcan a la unión

Esteban Jordan on Johnny Canales

2013-02-25T17:57:00.000-06:00

Me encanta este video. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if I found out Jordan was high here. I love how he starts off by saying Elsa, TX is "el ombligo del Valluco". One great moment after another, from Canales joking about seeing Jordan in Born in East L.A. to Jordan saying a song of his is a "rancherota". The best thing in the video by far is Johnny Canales' reaction to Jordan's record label "El Bro". It leads to a really great accordion joke that is just perfect. Canales has some of the best shtick I've ever seen, he's so smooth and knows how to tease with the best of them. His mind is always working and he's great with word play. Genuinely funny and charming. Jordan is Jordan, which is always great to see.

"La reina de la acordeón" to perform at UTPA

2013-02-22T10:34:00.000-06:00

The National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies Tejas 2013 conference is taking place at the University of Texas-Pan American. The event is a three day event that lasts from February 21st and ends on February 23rd. To conjunto fans, the biggest news of the conference is that legendary accordionist Eva Ybarra will be performing live at the "Noche De Cultura". That scheduled event is taking place at the UTPA Ballroom on February 22nd (5:30-9:30 PM). Then the following day on February 23rd (10:30 AM), Ybarra will have a conjunto workshop at the ITT Ballroom. The conjunto workshop will be facilitated by Dr. Catherine Ragland, who previously taught at UTPA but now teaches at the University of North Texas.

In the world of conjunto music, Eva Ybarra is considered one of the genres most iconic figures. While the conjunto world is dominated by male accordionists, Eva Ybarra has broken ground as the leading female Tex-Mex accordionist. In Louisiana they have Queen Ida. In Texas we have Eva Ybarra.

"[Eva Ybarra] is one of those unusual women that just dedicated her life to making music, to playing the accordion and to leading her own group," said Dr. Catherine Ragland. "That meant that she sacrificed other things in her personal life."

When asked why there wasn’t more female accordionists from Eva Ybarra's generation, Dr. Catherine Ragland felt it had to do with the conservative nature of San Antonio and South Texas. That typically, a young boy will be encouraged by his parents, family and peers if he decides to pick up the accordion. On the other hand, women of past years faced a lot of criticism and were actively discouraged from going down that same path. In that era, society set different expectations for men and woman. Ybarra faced a lot of obstacles and she overcame them to become someone that current, young female accordionists look up to.

"When I see Eva play, and the brief conversation that I've had with Eva, in her 'being' she encourages me to reach into my soul and express whatever is going on in there," said Susan Torres, a great accordionist from Austin. "Whether joy, sorrow, melancholy or just having a good time. In her 'being' she also encourages me to be tough."

Along with breaking gender barriers and being a strong role model for young women, she's also created her own squeezebox style. Many conjunto musicians play a lot of the same standards but Ybarra prefers playing her own original material. Ybarra has a certain jazzy flair that sets her apart from her contemporaries.

"One of the arguments I make is that part of the reason that I think she is so unique is that she really stays within the tradition of conjunto," said Dr. Catherine Ragland. "She can play the traditional polkas, huapangos, and even the schottisches, mazurkas, and the older style. But she does it in a sort of very interesting, very creative way. She brings elements of jazz, rock, and other Latin popular music into it that make her really stand out."

If you want to get a taste of what you're going to be in store for at the "Noche De Cultura", look up “Eva Ybarra” on YouTube. Check out how energetic her music is and just how intricate her accordion passages are. Seeing the way she handles her squeezebox, you'll come to the obvious conclusion that Ybarra is filled with passion.

"When Eva plays, she's got fire in her eyes," said Susan. "She's not playing around when she's playing."

The conference registration fees are free to any UTPA faculty, staff and/or student. Fee for non-UTPA faculty is $40.00, while the fee for non-UTPA students & others is $30.00. The Saturday morning workshop will feature Ybarra discussing her life, music and answering questions. For more information and details on all the NACCS Tejas 2013 events, please visit naccs-tejas-2013.blogspot.com.

Susan Torres on Eva Ybarra

2013-02-20T05:08:00.000-06:00

I recently had the chance to ask Austin-based accordionist Susan Torres some questions about Eva Ybarra for an upcoming article in this Friday's edition of the Festiva. Due to formatting and the amount of space, I wasn't able to include all of Torres' insight into Eva Ybarra in my piece. The purpose of that article and for these questions is to highlight Eva Ybarra's appearance at UTPA on Friday night and Saturday morning. To learn more about this appearance and NACCS Tejas 2013, be sure to check out http://naccs-tejas-2013.blogspot.com/. Also, make sure to follow Susan Torres on her twitter at https://twitter.com/suzanbanan.I want to thank Susan Torres personally for her time and for helping spread conjunto music with her great accordion skills.

Eduardo: How significant of a role has Eva Ybarra been for female accordionists, such as yourself?

Susan: I'm not the most disciplined when it comes to challenging myself to learn new music, and from an accordion players view, it's probably sacrilege that music is not at the top of my list. But when I see Eva play, and the brief conversation that I've had with Eva, in her "being" she encourages me to reach into my soul and express whatever is going on in there...whether, joy, sorrow, melancholy or just having a good time. In her "being" she also encourages me to be tough. When Eva plays, she's got fire in her eyes; she's not playing around when she's playing. She told me once that I would be the next one to carry the "baton" after her. I was honored that she thought of me that way. But I told her, "Eva, I could never do that". She said, "Why not?", I said something to the effect like, "Because you live, breathe, and eat music. And I don't. So I could never carry that baton. It's you, Eva. It's you that has that baton!". I also asked her if she made tamales. And she said, "No, I don't make tamales. I play Accordion!" As for me...I like playing accordion, but I also make tamales.

Eduardo: To those that haven't experienced Eva Ybarra performing her music live, what can they expect from the experience?

Susan: To be blown away! Also, they would experience her child-like and humble being. She's so cute! And she knows that she's talented! I can see that she knows because she prides her self in her playing..."Pride" in a good way..Not that vain way. But even with that knowledge, she's not standoffish around other musicos or around the audience. In fact, I love the way that whenever there's a mistake...vary rare...at the end of the song, she tells the audience that it was her fault, and not the bands. How awesome is that?!

REGIONAL RAMBLINGS: Strachwitz Frontera Collection

2013-02-08T15:37:00.000-06:00

Strachwitz Frontera Collection of Mexican and Mexican American Recording by the Arhoolie Foundation feels like reading several volumes of books on the history of Mexican and Mexican-American music. Not only does it touch on border music, it goes on to educate you about music from deep within Mexico and other Latin American regions like Cuba and Puerto Rico. This is a magnificent piece of work that was written by former Los Angeles Times writer Agustín Gurza. But Gurza wasn’t alone here, other areas in the book also had some great pieces by other writers (more on that later).

To those that don’t know about the Strachwitz Frontera Collection, I’ll let the book cover this:

“The Strachwitz Frontera Collection is the largest repository of commercially produced Mexican and Mexican-American vernacular recordings in existence. It contains more than 130,000 individual recordings.”

This book goes on to give a wonderful, analytical overview of the music in this epic collection. There are certain people who look down their noses at any Spanish music. Some of those people have a bizarre idea that it all sounds the same. It’s a weird myth that even really educated music fans will utter when dismissing countless genres of music. This book shatters that ridiculous myth, obliterating it with detailed breakdowns on what makes a corrido, the differences of various regional groups, the panoply of themes covered in songs, “intercultural conflict” and more. So much more. For example, even a corrido that covers the same subject can be a radically different experience depending on the region it comes from due to local dialects, regional aesthetics, etc. The serious academic way this book deals with corridos, treating it as a subject worth investigating, is reason enough to get this book. While that might sound like serious business, it’s also a joyous celebration.

As mentioned earlier, this book also features other writers. The writing from Jonathan Clark discusses the origins of mariachis and the path they took. Along with that, Clark also covers the most significant individuals that played a role in mariachi music. Another writer that is highlighted in the book is the great, late Guillermo Hernández. His work on corrido music is a treasure to anyone interested in the subject. Also Mr. Arhoolie himself, Chris Strachwitz wrote a neat chapter that details not only his own, invaluable history of recording regional music, but he even goes on to briefly describe the very history of the record business itself.

One of the most fun aspects of the book is the lists it features. The three key lists I’m talking about are by Antonio Cuéllar (archivist who has listened to every 78 in the Frontera Collection), Strachwitz and Clark. The most valuable types of lists are those that come from individuals with unique stylistic preferences. When it comes from that mindset, you’re going to be introduced to something that you normally wouldn’t know of. Thanks to Cuéllar, I learned about many curious gems, some of which blew my mind. One such example is titled “El Tirili,” a crazy jazzy 1940’s Chicano number using caló slang about “el zacatito” (weed). The list by Strachwitz is a great love letter to the music he cherishes (a list that includes plenty of South Texas acts like Los Donneños, Narciso Martinez, Freddy Fender and more). Finally, Clark’s list is the list to look at for anyone that seriously wants to know about mariachi music. These are three legitimately valuable lists for exploring music.

It’s almost overwhelming to review a book such as this. There is genuinely so much information that simply could not be covered in one simple review. Everyone that took part in putting together this book and preserving this music deserves a standing ovation.

You can purchase the Strachwitz Frontera Collection of Mexican and Mexican American Recordings at Arhoolie.com or Amazon.com.

Festiva # 3

2013-02-01T13:16:00.001-06:00

Chris Strachwitz produced this fascinating documentary feature on South Texas music in the 1970's and we all should thank him for it. Strachwitz, a German-born American citizen is a fountain of information regarding regional music. Strachwitz had been collecting Spanish music since the 1960's and wanted to do a film as a love letter to "Tex-Mex music". To complete his cinematic vision he acquired the services of filmmakers Les Blank and Maureen Gosling. They would go on to shoot it in Texas, in a variety of places that include Austin, San Antonio, Eagle Pass, and our neck of the woods here in the Rio Grande Valley. A few years after this film, Blank and Gosling would go on to film the highly acclaimed "Burden of Dreams", with Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski.

This film turned out to be a revelation, exposing documentary film goers to legendary talent on both sides of the border. The film features iconic figures like Lydia Mendoza, Narciso Martinez, Los Alegres de Terán, Rumel Fuentes, Don Santiago Jimenez, Ramiro Cavazos, and Flaco Jimenez. This soundtrack is really a time capsule that showcases many different styles and eras of border music. The film does a graceful job of highlighting the unique features of each individual musician as the film flows effortlessly from one great talent to the next. At several points in the film, we see small glimpses of the Valley like the Del Valle Record pressing plant, local cantinas (bars), and a bodega de cebolla (onion factory) in McAllen. One of the highlights was seeing conjunto pioneer Narciso Martinez working at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, feeding the animals as his fast pace accordion music is playing on the soundtrack.

But this film isn't just about the music, it's about the border lifestyle. It intimately sets out to explore and capture the social life, the dancing halls, the family, the migrant farm workers, the weddings, the delicious food, the stories of racism and so much more. This is a genuine emotional piece that attempts and succeeds at celebrating Mexican-American culture. J. Hoberman, one of the most recognizable film critics in the world, would later proclaim this film as “Blank’s most emotionally complex film."

The DVD comes with the companion film "Del Mero Corazon", which has beautiful, haunting voice over work by Maria Antonia Contreras. Special features include extended deleted scenes from both films and additional musical performances. It also contains informative essays and commentary tracks by Strachwitz, Blank, and Gosling for both "Chulas Fronteras" and "Del Mero Corazon". The commentary discussion is lead by Strachwitz, as they discuss how they shot the footage and the backgrounds of the musicians.

If you're a fan of documentaries, this is one of the greatest of all time. This film and DVD also serve as a gateway to all the wonderful regional music documentaries that Les Blank and Maureen Gosling have created in their journeys.

Hurricane Beulah

2013-01-30T17:18:00.003-06:00

Never knew this song existed until today. Lightin' Hopkins doing a song about the infamous and disastrous Hurricane Beulah. I know Gilbert Perez also did a song but I haven't been able to locate it yet. Here is former Port Isabel mayor Leo Sanders discussing Hurricane Beulah.

No quiero ser mentiroso

2013-01-21T11:47:00.001-06:00

I recently went to a boxing event with my friend Leo, who co-manages The Gotch Special with me. As I entered El Gallito Ballroom in Edinburg, in what seemed like the middle of nowhere, I immediately regretted not bringing a sweater. Sitting on a hard, steel folding chair for 4 hours in a ridiculously cold venue was going to be tough.

My friend Leo went on to work the time keeping for the event, so I was sitting there in the front row alone. Then a 70 year old man sat next to me. As soon as he sits down, he hands me over a Dr. Pepper, then starts showing me photos and videos of his deer hunting adventures and of gator gar he's caught. This was a man of greatness, his hands were as rugged as any mans I've seen. I must point out, that everything he said was in Spanish, I'm just changing it over to English for this blog. One of the ushers came towards me and said I couldn't have that soda can, because I might throw it at one of the boxers and seriously injure him. So the usher handed me over a plastic cup to use instead. This old, 70-year old man talked back saying these boxers are pretty much killing themselves with never ending punches, some damn aluminum can wouldn't do shit to a guy who's had his face smashed by fists.

Then when a ring girl passes by, the man tells me she smells like a "carnival" (he says this as a compliment!?!?). When he sees Charlie Clark is there, he mentions that he heard Clark had his finger cut off by the Zetas (I've heard this rumor before), but then the old guy says that Clark must have gotten a surgery to get his finger back. At one point, in between fights, he starts playing an air guitar. Why? I have no idea.

He also had some awesome ostrich boots, I complimented them and he convinced me he killed the ostrich himself. Then afterwards, he laughs at me since I believed him, says "no quiero ser mentiroso" ("I don't want to be a liar") and admitted he bought them.

What an enjoyable evening in Edinburg.

Classic Sounds Essential For Any Conjunto Collection

2013-01-21T08:47:00.001-06:00

This album was first released by Ramiro Cavazos' Discos RyN in McAllen. At the time it was titled "Las Coronelas" (the name of a polka on the album). Later on, the rights to the album were bought by Chris Strachwitz and re-released on vinyl as "El Corrido De Jhonny El Pachuco" on the Arhoolie label in 1987. Eventually this exact same album, plus an additional ten tracks were released on a Arhoolie CD titled "The Many Sounds of Steve Jordan". These extra tracks were recorded in the early 1960's and are more traditional sounding than what Jordan would be known for later. Many of the songs were rancheras with Jordan and his then wife, Virginia Martinez. Those extra tracks also include a pair of neat polkas. Good early work from Jordan, and at times we hear some early glimpses of what was to come later.

The CD comes with the 1960's version of "Las Coronelas" and it's fun to contrast that with 1980's version of that same title. Both are great versions, but the first one is closer to a pure conjunto arrangement. On the other hand, the second version is so experimental and radically different from the usual conjunto polkas you will hear. Jordan throws some lyrics on this newer version and some extra licks to add more flavor to it. Adding the sizzle to the steak.

The track "El Corrido de Jhonny El Pachuco" is an awesome remake of Victor Cordero's "Juan Charrasqueado". The original Mexican lyrics are transformed into Jordan's language and surroundings. It's a more raw and grittier world for Jordan. For example, some phrases he adds to his version include "al alba" (alert, but it's used in the context of the song being "a cautionary tale"), "slicka" (meaning slick), "chismear" (gossip), cholas, "muy alto" (very high;stoned), etc. The classic Mexican tune is now arranged with Jordan's squeezebox as the lead instrument. The "Jhonny" in the title is a promiscuous, drug-trafficking pachuco and the song informs us in colorful terms that he would pick up women in McAllen. At the end of the story, Jhonny meets his demise and the song concludes that he was sent to the cemetery because of the company ("las pachucas mas greñudas") he kept.

We have a few instrumentals on here like "El Rancho Grande Potpourri" (an arrangement of several pieces) and the spirited polka "La Pepita". But the song that hit me the most on the entire album was "Midnight Blues". This jazzy, otherworldly piece could only be crafted by an unorthodox musician like Jordan. His educated fingers and his desire to create unique sound effects produce an addicting piece that is Jordan at his most original. After hearing "Midnight Blues", it makes me imagine that Jordan could have probably created a great score for a sci-fi film.

The other tunes in the album are "Estrellita Del Norte" (ranchera), "Jamas Volvere" (ranchera), "Vuela La Paloma" (cumbia), and country standards "Together Again" and "More Pretty Girls Than One". The latter two are examples of Jordan showing how versatile he can be. The idiosyncratic elements of Jordan's style are on display for each of these songs.

This album is an essential album for any conjunto collection and the best way to introduce a new fan to Jordan. After hearing this album new fans will realize why this eye patch-wearing, Elsa native is so revered by accordion aficionados around the world.

New Holiday: "Juan Manuel Marquez Day".

2012-12-21T23:30:00.000-06:00

The end of the year is filled with holidays that bring people together. It starts with Thanksgiving, then we get several like Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa before we head to New Years Day.

Juan Manuel Marquez defeating Manny Pacquiao is definitely something that brought people together. It caused great sadness to the people of the Philippines. But it was a cause of celebration for many people, especially people in Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley.

Now, on December 20th, 2012, a new holiday was born in Hidalgo, TX. The mayor of Hidalgo, Martin Cepeda got on the microphone, presented the counter punching maestro Juan Manuel Marquez with the key to the city. Cepeda then said in Spanish that every December 20th will now be known as “Juan Manuel Marquez Day”.

It’s not every day that a new holiday is born. With this grand proclamation by an elected official, it is now an official holiday in the Valley. In the hearts and minds of boxing fans, Marquez earned it with a lifelong dedication to his craft.

“The first time I was here was in 2006 when I fought with the Filipino Jaca,” reminisced Juan Manuel Marquez in Spanish.

The bout that Marquez was referring to was a bout in which he defeated Jimrex Jaca in the ninth frame via KO at what was known then as the Dodge Arena.

“This triumph isn’t just mine, it’s also my families. It’s all the hard work I did with Nacho Beristain, and it’s also for all of you,” said Marquez in Spanish.

At this point, the crowd erupted into a loud Marquez chant.

Later on, a loud fan yelled for a fifth fight with the Filipino superstar.

“You want five? Yes or no,” said Marquez.

While the crowd roared in enthusiasm, Marquez noted in a lighthearted way how it was up to his wife if he were to fight again. He expressed his warm regards to being honored with this celebration rally.

This new holiday will now be celebrated every year from now on. Maybe not publicly, most definitely not by getting a day off from work. But it’ll bring people all together to treasure the craft of Marquez’s work. Hands are usually used to create great works of art. Some use their hands to write. Some to paint. Marquez uses his hands to counterpunch and create crafty combinations. He’s an artist inside the ring, creating beauty out of brutality. He’s a humble, proud man outside the ring. So remember to bust out your collection of Marquez fights and Mexican food on December 20th of every year to pay your respects with your close friends or family members.

Mel Villarreal

2012-12-06T13:37:00.000-06:00

When discovering the very roots of the local Tejano music scene, you will find many aficionados of the genre that treasure the craft of Mel Villarreal. Whether it was in his Carlos Guzman y Los Fabulosos Cuatro period or in Los Unicos, Mel Villarreal has led the way in establishing Tejano music in the Rio Grande Valley. From playing various instruments like the button diatonic accordion, bass, and bajo sexto to starting his own record label, Mel's worked in many capacities in his storied music career.

Mel Villarreal was born to Gamaliel Sr. and Cruzita Villarreal on October 18, 1940 in McAllen, Texas. Mel's actual birth name is Gamaliel Jr., and he was the first child for Gamaliel Sr. and Cruzita. His parents were migrants and had a musical pedigree. From his mom's side, his grandfather and his uncle Alfredo were accordion players. Mel's mother and his uncle Santos were bajo sexto players. On his father's side, his father played the accordion and uncle Lupe was a bajo sexto player.

"So my mother says when she was pregnant with me, she used to play, either accompanied by my grandpa or her brother," said Mel Villarreal. "She had a big tummy and the bajo sexto would be next to the tummy. She would play the bajo sexto, so that's probably what got me to learning music."

Mel still remembers the faithful day when he first got his hands on his dad's button diatonic accordion. Mel was seven years old, he was with his family in Arkansas picking cotton during a very cold time of the year. Gamaliel Sr. deemed it was too cold and decided that it would be best for Mel if he stayed home.

"So I was allowed to stay home that day, so I asked my mom, 'Mom you supposed maybe I can borrow dad's accordion and play around with it?'," remembers Mel. "She said, 'Well I guess so, but you better be very careful with it, don't damage it cause you and I might get in trouble.' I started fiddling around with it, and by the end of the day, I came up with a tune. It's a song that I used to sing as a little boy, actually the song, not too long ago was recorded by Little Joe. It's called 'Ya No Lloras Margarita'."

When Gamaliel Sr. came home that evening, Cruzita informed him about Mel playing with the accordion and about the tune he had worked on. After Gamaliel Sr. listened to his son playing with the accordion, he told Mel that he could borrow the accordion anytime he wanted to on the condition that he would be careful with it.
Eventually, Mel also got interested in learning how to play the bajo sexto.

"I remember my uncle used to hang the bajo sexto from a string and nail by the wall," Mel said. "I wouldn't dare get it down but I would get a chair, get close to it, climb the chair and start playing the bajo sexto right there where it was hanging."

When he was twelve years old, he was playing in family gatherings with a guitar his father gave him. Mel had modified the guitar with four strings, his attempt to make it sound like a bajo sexto. He joined his first group at the age of fourteen years old.

"There was this boy who was about seven, he also learned to play the accordion, his name is Armando Hinojosa Jr.," Mel said. "He wanted a young bajo sexto player, because he also liked to be accompanied by a bajo sexto. They couldn't find anybody as young as him to play bajo sexto, the youngest they could find was me. So we got together and became a duet."

They used to play amateur hour competitions and talent shows, and Mel remembers the duet being awarded first prize most of the time thanks to how young Armando was. Shortly thereafter, Mel and Armando added some new members to their group.

"The next couple of years or so, he started playing drums and I was playing the accordion," Mel said. "We got somebody to play bajo sexto, and we made a conjunto called Conjunto Del Valle. We played around for a while."

After that, he had a brief stint with Edinburg's Gilberto Lopez y su conjunto. He would then join the legendary group Conjunto Bernal, playing bass and bajo sexto for the group while Paulino's brother, Eloy, was in the army. Mel left his newly wed wife Lupita to go on a three month tour with Conjunto Bernal. Sadly, Mel missed out on the birth of his first child due to the tour and missed being there for his wife while he was away. He decided to leave Conjunto Bernal, and spent a period with Conjunto Acapulco.

In 1964, he was invited to join Carlos Guzman y su conjunto. At the time, Mel recalls most local groups either being conjunto or orchestra, but the original name of the group was changed soon after to something more dynamic.

"Later we decided that we wanted to change the name, and make a name for the four guys. Carlos Guzman already had his name. But us, we didn't have a name to identify the four guys. So we called them Los Fabulosus Cuatro."

Carlos Guzman y Los Fabulosos Cuatro enjoyed great success, recording for many local labels like Discos Falcón and Bego. Mel originally played the accordion for them, but they eventually replaced the accordion with a keyboard. That led to Mel playing bass for the group. He played for the group on and off for several years until he got involved to lead, what would eventually become a legendary Tejano group.

"After Los Fabolusos, then I joined Los Unicos in 1971," Mel said. "It was Balde Munoz again on the drums, Snowball, Oscar Soliz [on] keyboard, myself in bass, and Tacho Rivera singing."

The group was incredibly influential to many young musicians of the era. The arrangements and Mexican-American style music were totally unique to Los Unicos. After gaining a passionate following, the group decided it would be a great idea to start their own record label in the Valley.

"We started saving money to start a record label, when the contract was over with the last company that Los Unicos were recording for, which was Zarape in Dallas," Mel said. "We started [Uniko Records], it was a partnership that we had, nobody earned any more money than the other guy."

Not only did they release their own work on Uniko Records, they also released albums by Los Kasinos, Eddie Olivares y Los Playboys, Los Dos Gilbertos, and many other South Texas groups.

The original version of Los Unicos split up in 1976, so Mel bought out the previous members to carry on label of the group.

"I started doing vocals. We always had a vocalist, but when the first time that the original Unicos split, somebody said, 'Why don't you sing'," said Mel. "So that's what I did after the original Los Unicos became Los Unicos de Mel Villarreal."

Mel Villarreal continued with his group into the 1980's and early 1990's in various incarnations. All together, Mel composed around 30 to 40 original songs, while also creating unique arrangements for standards like "Veinte Años".

"The last time I recorded was sometime in 91 or 92, after a year or so I decided to retire," said Mel.

Mel now enjoys being at his home in Pharr with his wife Lupita and close family. He still keeps up with his musical friends, they join him once a month at his home to jam out and have fun. He has had his music converted over to CD's and has worked at selling and distributing his music from out of his home office. Also he has created his own salsa (which reads on the label "Not For Wimps"), which he sells locally.

He just celebrated his 72nd birthday last month in October at the Pharr Events Center. He was joined by his wife, his family, friends, the local Tejano and conjunto community that evening as they paid tribute to his musical journey. Mel even got on stage to sing that night to the delight of everyone that was there in attendance.

"I miss the fun of it, it's a lot of fun getting up on stage, and having people singing with you," Mel said. "But, by the same token, it's a lot of fun being at home, after so many years that I spent away from home."