A "Crash Course" in Conjunto Music...
As with all types of music, conjunto regional was developed and still evolves through culture. Please use this resource to help us help you understand the nature of this unique genre of music.
These pages are under development, your contributions are greatly appreciated. If you find any flaws or inconsistencies with our information, please don't hesitate to contact us and let us know. Thank you!
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The Quick Chronology
Here you have it, a chronological list of what was then and what is now. We will be trying to include links to all the people, places, and terms listed on this time scale in the near future.
1925-1935 Narciso Martinez, Carmen Y Laura, Lydia Mendoza, Arnulfo Olivo, Pedro Ayala, El Ruco Martinez, "El Flaco" Santiago Jimenez...
1945-1955 Tony de la Rosa, Ruben Vela, Los Doneños,(1st "norteño" conjunto along with Los Alegres de Teran)
1955-1965 Gilberto Perez, Conjunto Bernal (the first progressive conjunto band) Los Relampagos (norteño conjunto)
1965-1975 Orchestal Tejana (Freddie Martinez, Agustin Ramirez, Sunny Ozuna, Little Joe, Mexican Generation, etc)
Conjunto Regional is still going strong
1975-1985 Orchestal changes to "Tejano" Conjunto Regional is dissappearing on the air waves but not on the dance hall scene.
1985-1995 Tejano music dominates the air waves... Joe Lopez Y Mazz, Selena, La Mafia, etc... Conjunto regional is no longer on the air waves but it's still alive... only "Tejano" stations are on the air with Norteno and Mexican groups dominating.
1995 (and into 2000) "Norteño" becomes "Tejano," vice-versa...
March 1998 The South Texas Conjunto Association is Born in Mercedes, Texas at the KC Hall
1999 (and into 2002) Acordeones de Texas on KIRT
November 7th, 1998 (and into 2001) Conjunto regional is making a comeback on the air waves in the Rio Grande Valley with "Acordeones de Texas" on KMBH. Acordeones de Texas on "La M" in RGV and Laredo.
December 1999 "Estamos en Texas" (translates to "We are in Texas") on the air KIRT
March 1999 Pepe Maldonado leave KIRT; "Acordeones Tejanas con Lucas Reyna" takes over KVJY came on the air.
April 1999 1st Conjunto of the Year Mercedes, Texas.. Gilberto Perez Y Sus Compadres
March 2000 KVJY 840 AM sells out to Radio Unica...Gone!
June 2000 2nd Annual Conjunto of the Year Awards, UTPan American. Edinburg, Texas... Los Dos Gilbertos...COY
June 2001 3rd Annual Conjunto of the Year Awards, UT-Brownsville, Texas... Ruben Vela Y Su Conjunto... COY
June 2002 4th Annual Conjunto of the Year Awards, City of Edinburg, Texas ... Los Fantasmas
del Valle... COY
June 2003 5th Annual Conjunto of the Year Awards, Brownsville Texas ... Los Trememdos 5... COY
July 2004 6th Annual Conjunto of the Year Awards, Harlingen, Texas ... Boni Mauricio Y Los Maximos... COY
July 2005 7th Annual Conjunto of the Year Awards, Harlingen, Texas ... Edgar Vasquez Y Sus Muchachos... COY
March 2006 Birth of Acordeones de Texas TV Show on KMBH Public TV in the RGV.
March 2006 KVJY 840 La Tejana comes back under Paulino Bernal. March 2007 It goes away again. NO CONJUNTO STATION IN THE VALLEY LEFT
July 2006 8th Annual Conjunto of the Year Awards, Mercedes, Texas ..Mando Y La Venganza de Corpus Christi. ... COY
March 2007The Nuevo Tejano Conjunto Radio Show - KMBH Radio Sat. 10 12 noon.
2007 9th Annual Conjunto of the Year Awards, Pharr, Texas - Roberto Riojas Y
Nosotros
2008 10th Annual Conjunto of the Year Awards, Pharr, Texas - Ricardo Guzman Y Los Nuevo 3 Aces
May 2008 Birth of "THE NEW TEXAS CONJUNTO SHOW" on KMBH Radio, Saturdays, 10am to 12 noon.
P> Mario Guerra, Rio Grande City, opens up 849 am on Saturdays. Still struggline to stay on
"We need all conjuntos to unite against the destruction of our culture...unidos no nos venceran!" The Names of Conjunto Regional
"STCA continues to struggle to keep conjunto regional on the air... most radio stations are playing Norteño music... Tejano music is dead, too."
"Make it Conjunto, Carnal" -the late Jimmy Garcia.
Acordeones de Texas Continue to grow on internet Audience up to over 150 daily.
Many names are featured and mentioned frequently when refering to conjunto regional. This section will help you understand in brief who each of these indivuals are/were. If you'd like to contribute information about people we have little or no information on, please contact us!
Write to Lupe Saenz, STCA President at lupesnz@yahoo.com or polotrejo@yahoo.com.
For infomation about any conjunto contact us.
Narciso Martinez - (1911-1992), the TSHA (The Texas State Historical Association) describes Narciso Martinez as "the 'father' of the Texas-Mexican conjunto". For in depth information on Narciso Martinez, please visit the TSHA website here.
Carmen y Laura - Carmen y Laura Hernandez, two sisters who made an important impact to the early conjunto regional scene. UTPA has this to say about Carmen y Laura: "Carmen and Laura made hundreds of records for Ideal with all types of supporting musicians ranging from the accordion conjuntos of neighbor Isaac Figueroa, Narciso Martínez, and Paulino Bernal to Beto Villa and his Tejano orquesta." For more information on Carmen y Laura, please visit the University of Texas at Austin website here.
Lydia Mendoza - part of the Texas Women's Hall of Fame women listed at the Texas Women's University; the Worship Guitars website describes Lydia Mendoza as "a national treasure, the living legend, the queen of Tejano, la londra de la frontera".
Conjunto Legends include Juan Lopez
Pedro Ayala
El Ruco Martinez
Santiago Jimenez
Tony de la Rosa
Gilberto Perez Y Sus Compadres Ruben Vela Y Su conjunto
Los Doneños Mingo Saldivar Y Sus 4 Espadas Flaco Jimenez
Alfredo de La Rosa Los Fantasmas Steve
Jordan Agapito Zuniga Valerio Longoria
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Our Beginner's Recommendations
If you've never experienced the sound of conjunto regional, you may enjoy sampling from these various writers and musicians!
Accordian Dreams, a PBS special presentation.
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The Terminology of Conjunto
For those of you non-Spanish (or "Tex-Mex") speaking folks, we've tried to put together what each of the most common words you'll come across when reading or listening to conjunto regional mean and samples of some when used in context.
Tejano music genre. Some of the groups under this category include Mazz, the
late Selena, Jimmy Gonzalez, La Mafia, Ruben Ramos, Freddie Martinez, and others
non-conjunto groups. Tejano music is making a slow comeback as 99.5 FM tries this genre.
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