There's A Party Down In Texas: Thousands Flock To San Antonio For The 20th annual Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio.

There's A Party Down In Texas.
Thousands Flock To San Antonio For The 20th annual Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio.

Top Conjunto and Tejano artists and tens of thousands of music fans gear up for some high energy San Antonio-style fun during one of the biggest Alamo City events of the year - the 20th Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio, May 9-13, at the Guadalupe Theater and Rosedale Park. This music event is the world's largest festival of its kind to showcase Tejano and Conjunto music.

More than 40,000 fans attend the festival flock to hear 25 of the best and hottest musical groups from the traditional Conjunto to the urban, horn-fueled Tejano. Audience members, representing every state, come as far away as Japan and Australia.

Showing that conjunto talent bridges oceans, this year's festival will feature Los Gallos de Paris, a four-member group from France. Favorites Los Hermanos Garcia, five-time Grammy Award winning Flaco Jimenez, Michael Salgado, Ruben Ramos, Ruben Vela and accordion wizard Esteban Jordan are also scheduled to take the stage at Rosedale Park

Thierry Carpentier of Los Gallos de Paris comes all the way from Paris, France to perform at the 2001 festival.

Tejano and conjunto music have been around for many generations and have transcended all cultural barriers, but never before has a band of Frenchmen taken on the unusual task of playing authentic conjunto music. Los Gallos of Paris will take the stage during the 20th Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio, May 9-13. The French-speaking, but Spanish-singing group will be among several headliners at this five-day music event, which is the largest festival of its kind in the world, showcasing 25 of the best and hottest musical groups from the traditional conjunto to the urban, horn-fueled tejano.

It is uncommon to find a conjunto group in France, despite the accordion being a major part of the French culture. Los Gallos, comprised of four musicians all of French or Spanish descent, first formed their popular group after seeing conjunto legend Flaco Jimenez in concert in Paris. They have melded their European roots with those of the Texas-born conjunto style and have gone on to triumph after triumph in Europe. They will debut their first CD at the annual San Antonio festival.

Accordian-based conjunto music has been popular for over 100 years. In the late 1800's, the Mexican population of South Texas and northern Mexico adopted the lively button accordion from the German settlers and combined it with the Spanish guitar, or bajo sexto. By synthesizing European rhythms, such as polkas and waltzes, with indigenous Mexican musical forms, a highly stylized and unique expression of American music was born. Tejano music is a more modern or progressive style, and shows a stronger rock or jazz influence and more theatrical performance.

The festival kicks off May 9 with an opening night mixer at the Guadalupe Theater. This very special evening will begin with a photo exhibit commemorating the 20th Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival. The highlight of the evening is inductions into the Conjunto Music Hall of Fame and the national poster contest awards presentation, and the book release of "Puro Conjunto: An Album in Words and Pictures," a dynamic collection of writings and images drawn from the first 17 years of the festival.

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center's mission is to preserve, promote, present and develop the arts and culture of the Chicano/Latino/Native American peoples for all ages and backgrounds through public and educational programming in six disciplines: Xicano music, media arts, visual arts, literature, dance and theatre arts.

Tejano singer Michael Salgado performs for fans at last years festival. Michael performs at this years festival as well.

For more information, call the GCAC at (210) 271-3151.
An "all events pass" can be purchased by calling (210) 351-7787.

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