NEWS Staff Report
Music and history will come alive Saturday, Aug. 20 as the Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame & Museum will host its 11th Annual Texas Conjunto Music Induction Awards at the San Benito Knights of Columbus Hall.
This year’s inductees include Ramón Ayala, Rogelio Botello Rios, Daniel Garzés, Rubén Garza and Angel Flores. Awards will be distributed from 7-8:15 p.m. and a dance, featuring music from Los Fantasmas Del Valle, will be scheduled from 8:30 p.m.-midnight.
Founded in 2000, the Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame & Museum is part of the Museums of San Benito, considered by many as the birthplace of conjunto music.
“The museum works to promote, preserve, archive, document, and display the history of regional conjunto music by honoring those who create it. Detailed information on the instruments used in conjunto music, their cultural origins, and stories of San Benito’s legendary music institutions such as ‘La Villita’ dance hall and the Rio Grande Music Company, home of Ideal Records, are among the featured exhibits,” read a press release issued by Rey Avila, president of the Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame & Museum.
“Within our exhibit space are the accordions of conjunto pioneers: Narciso Martínez, Pedro Ayala, Ricardo Guzmán, Enrique Vela, Mario Montes and Gilberto Pérez. Also on display is an old bajo sexto donated by Ramiro Cavazos, a leather jacket on loan from the family of Mario Montes, a suit and pair of shoes donated by the family of Ruben Vela, a set of drums donated by Higinio Guzman, and an electric Fender bass on loan from Hector Barron of Los Fantasmas Del Valle,” the release further read.
One highlight at the museums is an exhibit featuring a pair long considered the “Fathers” of regional conjunto music, accordionist Narciso Martínez and bajo sexto player Santiago Almeida.
Ethnomusicologists credit them with fusing European accordion rhythms with Mexican roots musica ranchera (ranch music).
As representatives of what has been called “working man’s music”, the premier conjunto personalities, and their spirits, live on in the Rio Grande Valley of deep South Texas at the Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame & Museum.
To see this story in print, pick up a copy of the Aug. 17 edition of the San Benito News. Or view our E-Edition by clicking here.
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