Tejano-Conjunto Music Festival

Festival Location: San Antonio, TX, USA

Festival State: Texan Festivals

Festival Type(s): Traditional Music Festivals, Rock Festivals

Tejano-Conjunto Music Festival Media:

Tejano-Conjunto Music Festival

By: © Bob Brooke 2009

They come-old and young-from as far away as California and Washington State. They dance the tacuachito--the little possum--so called because of its mellow, shuffling gait that follows the relaxed rhythm of a slowed-down polka to the umpa beat of conjunto music. They eat the tastiest gorditas this side of the Rio Grande. But mostly they come to listen and stomp their feet to the music of conjunto and the modern rock-influenced Tejano bands. This is essence of the San Antonio's version of a rollicking good-time - The Tejano-Conjunto Music Festival.

At the annual Tejano-Conjunto Festival beginning May 8 and running to May 13, the music and the accordion are the voice of cultural expression and Tejano pride. Husband and wife teams, their matching shirts announcing the names of their local conjunto fan club like the Polka Dawgs, dance cheek to cheek, rivaling the drama of the tango. Families camp out in a sea of lawn chairs, their feet tapping to the infectious rhythms of Tejano bands. Corona and Budweiser, gorditas and hamburgers, aquas frescas and Coca Cola-as Mexican as mariachis and as American as apple pie, side by side in tune to the music.

By blending German polkas with Northern Mexico's rancheros, conjunto was born. The distinctive sound began as a duo with the accordion and the 12-string Mexican guitar or bajo sexto. Radio popularized the music, and the duo added bass and drums. Soon, the cancion ranchera replaced the polka, schottishe and waltz as the conjunto's signature piece. Presented by the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center at San Antonio's Rosedale Park, the Tejano/Conjunto Festival features over 42 hours of live music.

The Guadalupe's efforts began in the early 1980s, when San Antonian Juan Tejeda became head of the fledgling organization's Xicano Music Program. Tejeda, himself a conjunto accordionist, disturbed by community hostility toward the conjunto organized the first event in 1982, with free admission and 17 traditional conjunto bands playing over three days. The Festival has since grown to six days, with a cover charge, 32 Tejano-conjunto groups, and a total audience of about 40,000 diehard fans.

Conjunto, meaning literally "group" or "ensemble," may be as old and as folk-rooted as early blues or country music, but it resonates today because of its timeless and earthy sound. And while there may be fewer dance halls across the Southwest that still play it regularly, a strong contingent of loyal fans keep its vibrant rhythms alive.

The word "Tejano" in the festival's name originally meant "Texan." Conjunto, Tejeda paints out, was popular among farm laborers and other rural and small-town blue-collar workers. But after World War II, an increasingly urban and expanding Chicano middle class emerged; who often frowned on conjunto.

"Although their roots are Mexican and the lyrics are sung in Spanish, Tejano and conjunto are legitmate forms of American music, ranking right alongside Cajun/zydeco, the blues and bluegrass," added Rudy Trevino, producer/host of the weekly "Tejano Gold" national readio show.

While the festival performances are the element that draw the attention, the festival includes much more. A Poster Contest, which is the means by which the official festival poster is selected, attracts larger numbers of entries each year. The contest offers prizes in junior high, high school, college, and open categories, with the overall winner receiving a cash award of $2000 and the winning entry being printed in a top quality limited edition.

Another important element of the Festival is the Conjunto Music Hall of Fame, which annually inducts notables in the field and honors their contributions. Thus far, 35 music luminaries have been inducted, among them Narciso Martinez, Valerio Longoria, Tony De La Rosa, Lydia Mendoza, Manuel Guerrero, Toby Torres, Esteban Jordan and Flaco Jimenez.

Other noteworthy festival activities include a recital by the students of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Centers' accordion classes; symposiums and other special educational programs on conjunto music; food and beverage booths, games for the children, and plenty of dancing.

Now in its 20th year, the festival has grown in popularity and attracts nearly 40,000 fans, including organized dancing groups from California, Illinois, Oregon, Washington, Michigan, Ohio, Kansas and New York, who annually make the trek to San Antonio.

For more information on the Tejano/Conjunto Festival, contact the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, San Antonio, Texas at (210)351-7787. Individual tickets are $7 per night, and an "All Events Pass" is available for $30.

Check out Bob Brooke's wonderful sites featuring more of his writing and phootography at http://www.bobbrooke.com, http://www.therealmexico.com and http://www.allscandinavia.com. All three are updated regularly.

by Bob Brooke

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