It’s Time for the Tejano Conjunto Festival

News and Commentary

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor –

If it’s May, it’s time for the Tejano-Conjunto Festival which this year will take place May 15-19 at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center and in Rosedale Park.

Poster created by Ciara Casarez

 The 38th fest starts Wednesday at 10 a.m. with a free dance for seniors at the center, followed by an evening screening of “Chulas Fronteras,” a 2018 reissue of the 1976 documentary film depicting the life and music of Mexican-Americans along the Mexico-Texas border. Made by Chris Strachwitz and Les Blank, the movie features famous conjunto and norteño musicians such as Flaco Jimenez, Lydia Mendoza, Narciso Martinez, Santiago Jimenez and others. The documentary was selected by the Library of Congress to be included in the National Film Registry List of motion pictures to be preserved for posterity.

The main event on Thursday, May 16, is the Conjunto Hall of Fame Ceremony, combined with a dinner and social dancing. This year’s honorees are vocalist Norfy Layton, accordionist Lorenzo Martinez, vocalist and instrumentalist Pepe Maldonado who has been entertaining audiences since 1956, and vocalist and guitarist Edgar Vasquez. The evening includes performances by Martinez and Maldonado, while dance music will be played by Norfy Layton’s group, Los Layton, and by Vasquez and his Muchachos. (Tickets: $30 or 2 for $60; dinner at 6:30, induction ceremony at 7:30 p.m., dancing 8:30 p.m.)

The action moves to Rosedale Park May 17-19, 303 Dartmouth St., for three days of music, fun and dancing, “rain or shine.” To see the full lineup of performers, go to www.guadalupeculturalarts.org. A partial list includes Flavio Longoria Conjunto Kings, Los D Boyz, Ricky Naranjo y Los Gamblers, Rio Jordan, Eva Ybarra y Su Conjunto, Texmaniacs, Flaco Jimenez, Linda Escobar, Los Morales Boys, and others. There’s also a student showcase on Saturday. (A three-day pass is $45; daily pass is $16.)

When the Tejano Conjunto Festival was founded by musician Juan Tejeda in 1981 – who, at the time, worked at the Guadalupe Center – it was the first such fest in the country – and the world. He ran it for many years, and later created a conjunto music program at Palo Alto College. Conjunto is a genre born from the intermingling of European – mostly German, Czech and Polish – accordion-driven folk music and Spanish-Mexican musical traditions and instruments. 

If you love to dance, this is your chance!