Full Schedule: Guadalupe Center Presents 40th Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio
May 11, 2022 - West Side
Dancing cheek to cheek. “We are so excited to celebrate 40 years of inviting the top performance groups, both major and rising stars, from all over Texas, and have something for generations of families to enjoy,” said Cristina Ballí, executive director of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center. Photo: Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center.
By Jade Esteban Estrada, Co-Editor | San Antonio Sentinel
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center will present the 40th Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio May 16-22
- The festival draws upon a regional audience and enjoys an international following on San Antonio’s historic West Side
The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center will present the 40th Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio May 16-22. The festival, which is the first and longest-running Conjunto music festival in the country, draws upon a strong regional audience and enjoys a national and international following on San Antonio’s historic West Side featuring the best in Conjunto music and dancing.
The Guadalupe is one of the largest community-based organizations in the United States with a mission to cultivate, promote, and preserve traditional and contemporary Chicano, Latino, and Native American arts and culture through multidisciplinary programming.
“We are so excited to celebrate 40 years of inviting the top performance groups, both major and rising stars, from all over Texas, and have something for generations of families to enjoy,” said Cristina Ballí, executive director of the Guadalupe. “From our seniors dance to Norteño night, to our live weekend performances at Rosedale Park, 40 years is an incredible testament to the community’s love for Conjunto music.”
Conjunto music is from the Rio Grande borderlands and one of the primary influences of the Tejano music sound, Both Conjunto groups in Texas and northern Mexico often perform with a mix of traditional Mexican an Eastern European instruments, like the button accordion, the 12-string guitar called the bajo sexto, bass, and drums. Conjunto and Norteño groups create setlists that are structured around traditional forms of Mexican music, including corridos, which typically are storytelling ballads, and dance music like cumbias, polkas, and waltzes.
The festival boasts a lineup of events from the historic Guadalupe Theater and Rosedale Park, including a symposium about the history, development, and future of Conjunto music, with a special book signing with Tejano performer Little Joe, and a film festival highlighting four decades of classic filmmaking about the genre’s music, musicians, and culture. There will also be a Seniors Conjunto Dance at Rosedale Park, a gathering of living Conjunto Music Hall of Fame musicians, as well as new inductions into the Conjunto Music Hall of Fame reception. The symposium and film festival at the historic Guadalupe Theater and the Seniors Conjunto Dance are free events.
In addition, the weekend culminates with live musical performances at Rosedale Park including special performances by Las Fenix and Los Cachorros de Juan Villarreal and others at the special Noche de Conjunto Norteño on May 19.
Over the weekend, more than 30 bands will perform, including student Conjunto groups from San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley, emerging and established artists from Texas, as well as living legends.
Highlights for this year include hometown favorite and six-time Grammy award-winner Flaco Jiménez performing with Los Texmaniacs, Lázaro Pérez y Su Conjunto, the South Texas Homies, Ricky Naranjo y Los Gamblers, Rubén De La Cruz y su Conjunto with Rubén Garza, Jay Pérez, Jaime De Anda y Los Furiosos, Boni Mauricio y Los Máximos, a special Hermanos Farias reunion, and many other groups.
Below is the complete schedule of the festival’s activities and events.
Monday, May 16
Guadalupe Theater
6 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Free admission
Symposium: State and Future of Tejano Conjunto Music. A panel of experts, including musicians, academics, radio and media people, and recording and industry professionals discuss the state of the Tejano Conjunto music and what the future holds for this traditional genre. A book signing with Little Joe will follow the event.
Tuesday, May 17
Guadalupe Theater
12 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Free admission
Conjunto Music in Film and Video. From Noon to 7 p.m., there will be screenings of classic films, videos, and shorts on Tejano Conjunto music. From 7-9 p.m., there will be a discussion the state and future of Tejano Conjunto music in film and video with filmmakers and DIY documentarians.
Wednesday, May 18
Rosedale Park
10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Free for seniors
Free Seniors Conjunto Dance
The morning lineup will include Los Pinkys with Ysidro Samilpa, and Susan Torres. The event will be followed by a special presentation by Conjunto Music Hall of Fame accordionist Felipe Perez.
Wednesday, May 18
Rosedale Park
6 p.m. - 10 p.m.
$70 per couple, $40 individual, or $20 for show only
Conjunto Music Hall of Fame Reunion, Induction Ceremony, and Baile. Following a reception from 6-7 p.m., the 40th Conjunto Music Hall of Fame Reunion, Induction Ceremony and Baile will commence with special music presentations by The Jiménez Family Tradition, Bene Medina y su Conjunto Águila with guests Oscar Hernández, Eddie Lalo Torres, Rabbit Sanchez, and Edgar Vásquez.
Thursday, May 19
Rosedale Park
6 p.m. - 11 p.m.
$15 per person
Noche de Conjunto Norteño presented by Hohner
6 p.m. - Inevitable
7 p.m. - Los Halcones del Valle
8 p.m. - Conteño
9 p.m. - Las Fenix
10 p.m. - Los Cachorros de Juan Villarreal
Friday, May 20
Rosedale Park
4:45 p.m. to midnight
$15 per person
Los Mejor de Tejas: Puro Conjunto Pesado
4:45 p.m. - Opening ceremony
5 p.m. - Javier Solis y Los Unikoz
6 p.m. - Conjunto Kingz de Flavio Longoria (San Antonio)
7 p.m. - Los D Boys (Corpus Christi)
8 p.m. - Los Fantasmas del Valle (Mercedes)
9 p.m. - Rubén Vela Jr. y sus Conjunto (Santa Rosa)
10 p.m. - South Texas Homies
11 p.m. - Ricky Naranjo y Los Gamblers (Alice)
Saturday, May 21
Rosedale Park
12 p.m. - 12 a.m.
$15 per person
Conjunto Student Showcase and Lo Mejor Tejas: Puro Conjunto Pesado
12 p.m. - Los Fresnos High School Conjunto Halcón and Roma ISD Student Conjunto
1:30 p.m. Brenda Martínez
2:15 p.m. Cindy Ramos y su Conjunto
3:10 p.m. Conjunto Romo
4 p.m. - Alberto Soliz y Conjunto Los Leones (Laredo)
5 p.m. - Los Tremendos Alacranes (Corpus Christi)
6 p.m. - Los Morales (Dallas)
7 p.m. - Los Cucuys de Rodney Rodriguez (El Valle)
8 p.m. - Los Monarcas de Pete y Mario Diaz (Houston)
9 p.m. - Lázaro Pérez y su Conjunto (Bishop)
10 p.m. - Rubén De La Cruz y su Conjunto with Rubén Garza (Mercedes)
11 p.m. - Boni Mauricio y Los Máximos (Corpus Christi)
Sunday, May 22
Rosedale Park
1 p.m. - 10 p.m.
$10 per person
Conjunto Student Showcase and Lo Mejor de San Antonio y Tejas
11 a.m. - Conjunto Heritage Taller and Southside High School Conjunto Cardenales
12:30 p.m. Los Callejeros de San Anto (San Antonio)
1:20 p.m. - Mark Weber y Los Cuernos (San Antonio)
2:10 p.m. Epi & Friends (El Valle)
3:15 p.m. J.R. Ramos Y Grupo Maldad
4:15 p.m. Río Jordán (Austin)
5:30 p.m. - Linda Escobar y Su Conjunto (Corpus Christi)
6:30 p.m. Los Texmaniacs with special guest Flaco Jiménez
7:50 p.m. - Hermanos Farias
9 p.m. - Jaime Deanda y Los Furiosos
10 p.m. Jay Pérez
Organizers are offering a four-day (Thursday-Sunday) all-events pass for $40.
The Guadalupe Theater is located at 1301 Guadalupe St. and Rosedale Park is at 340 Dartmouth.
For a complete lineup and information about tickets, visit their website or call 210.271.3151.
Jade Esteban Estrada is a co-editor for the San Antonio Sentinel where he covers public health and other citywide issues. jade@sasentinel.com | IG: @satxwriter