By HEATHER CATHLEEN COX
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com
This weekend marks the 21st Annual Conjunto Festival at the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center (NMCAC), an event which is beheld worldwide as a celebration of the style of music popularized by the late conjunto musician, Narciso Martinez, originally of San Benito.
San Benito is considered the birthplace of conjunto music, a genre widely known as the music of the “working class” which is popular in some Latin cultures. Conjunto depicts a style of popular dance music celebrated worldwide which originated along the Texas and Mexico borders. The genre is enriched with sounds from the accordion, a 12-string bass guitar and drums. Some consider conjunto a stripped down version of polka, which by origin is Bohemian.
This three-day event is a one of a kind event for the country attracting over 3,500 people for a celebration of live Texas Mexican conjunto music. This year will feature at least 14 conjuntos from the Rio Grande Valley, Corpus Christi, San Antonio and Houston.
The festival will also present the 2010 Grammy Award winning band, Los Texmaniacs. Representing the youth of conjunto will be the San Benito High School Conjunto Estrella, a small group of 6-7 students that will be performing at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Additional youth conjuntos include Marcos Pescina and Pete Anzaldua. Anzaldua is the Texas Folklife Resources “Big Squeeze” winner.
Representatives of NMCAC said, “We dedicate this festival to our fallen Conjunto pioneers Amadeo Flores, Lionel Pulido, and Cali Carranza.” Additionally, they invite everyone to “come and enjoy three days of live music by 14 of the best Texas Mexican conjuntos. There will be dancing, food, fun, beverages and authentic South Texas-driven hospitality. This is a show of a lifetime and not [an event you want] to miss. ¡Nos Vemos!”
Festivities begin at 6 p.m. on Friday and go through 10 p.m. on Sunday. General Admission is $4.00 each day. Seating is limited, so feel free to bring your own chairs. No ice chests are allowed. For additional information, call (956) 571-3325 or (956) 367-0335.
For a rundown of artists and their scheduled performances, see the 21st Annual Conjunto Fest magazine inserted in the October 17 edition of the San Benito News, or click here.
Read this story in the Oct. 17 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.
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