This footage from the Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame and Museum captures scenes of the 2005 induction ceremony honoring Santiago Jimenez Jr., Ricardo Guzman, Santiago Almeida, Enrique Vela, and Paco Betancourt. In this segment, David Champion, former Program Director at the Narciso Martínez Cultural Center in San Benito, introduces the first inductee of the evening, Santiago Almeida, whose grandson then accepts the award. This excerpt is from a complete taping of the 2005 Induction Ceremony.
The Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame and Museum, founded in 2001, is part of the Museums of San Benito, 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. One exhibit is dedicated to accordionist Narciso Martínez and bajo sexto player Santiago Almeida, considered the “Fathers” of regional conjunto music. 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”, our 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. (from the museum website)
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