Conjunto Festival to feature 16 bands who want to turn Los Fresnos into a dancefloor

LOS FRESNOS — For three decades, Max Baca has been taking conjunto music to new levels, his driving sound rousing the genre while preserving the roots of the tradition born along the Texas border nearly 100 years ago.

Next weekend, from Friday to Sunday, Baca and his band Los Texmaniacs headline the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center’s 29th annual Conjunto Festival, a three-day event featuring 16 bands gearing up to turn Los Fresnos Memorial Park into one of the area’s hottest dance floors.

“I feel very honored to be performing at the festival because this is one of the last legitimate conjunto festivals and it’s very important because it’s in the Valley, where the music started,” Baca said. “Conjunto music is very important to our heritage and culture because in a sense we’re losing touch with where we came from.”

29TH ANNUAL CONJUNTO FESTIVAL

In 1992, Rogelio Nunez co-founded the Conjunto Festival, showcasing the genre’s leading bands while making its mark at the Smithsonian Institution.

“The most important part of the festival is that we still remain true to the roots of the original music put forth by Narciso Martinez,” he said, referring to the master accordionist from La Paloma who pioneered the music in San Benito’s cantinas. “The music gets passed down from generation to generation. It reinforces the importance of an American genre that’s not going away.”

MAX BACA AND THE TEXMANIACS

One of conjunto music’s biggest bands, the San Antonio-based Texmaniacs’ eclectic style has been electrifying the genre in concerts across the country.

Growing up in Albuquerque, N.M., Baca’s father instilled his love for the music form, his talents molding him into one of conjunto’s master bajo sexto players.

“My dad introduced me to it, and that introduced me to Flaco Jimenez — and that opened up a different can of worms,” Baca said, referring to the music’s legendary accordionist. “That’s the style I got _ the alegre, the happy sound.”

In 1997, Baca founded the Texmaniacs, the Grammy award-winning band now featuring his nephew Josh Baca on accordion.

“He’s one of the top accordion players in this type of music,” he said.

VALLEY ROOTS

During the weekend, Baca is planning to celebrate the 10th anniversary of bassist Noel Hernandez’s introduction to the band.

For 30 years, Hernandez has stood at the forefront of the music, playing with conjunto legends like Ruben Vela and Gilberto Perez while working with bands like Elida y Avante and Los Frijoles Romanticos.

In his hometown of La Villa, Hernandez honed the skills that help root the band in the genre’s tradition.

“Being from La Villa, he brings a certain style to our band — he’s got that edge, that South Texas feel,” Baca said. “I call him the backbone of the band. He lays out the heartbeat. He’s a natural. With Noel, we sound different than any conjunto.”

While playing drums, Chris Rivera has become a top vocalist.

“He’s one of the few drummers with a great voice,” Baca said. “We have very, very seasoned musicians adding to the caliber of the band.”

‘BIG DANCE FLOOR’

The festival opens Friday, with a full day of music Saturday before Baca and his band take the stage Sunday.

“It’s the basics,” Nunez said. “We still have three days of conjunto music. It’s conjunto after conjunto after conjunto. We’re bringing in all these bands who’ve played the music for 20, 30, 40 years — people who showcase the music throughout Texas.”

Every year, the festival turns Los Fresnos Memorial Park into a roaring dance floor.

“It’s a lot of dancing — people come to the festival as a dance,” Nunez said. “People are looking for this kind of festival. It’s a big dance floor. Dancing is a very important part of conjunto music and connecting with the music. It’s a driving sound — polkas, huapangos, schotis. The accordion gets under your skin and in your soul.”

BACKGROUND

In 1991, Nunez co-founded the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center, dedicated during the celebration of Martinez’s 80th birthday — shortly before his death.

From its opening in San Benito to Los Fresnos’ Memorial Park, the center has become a showcase of Mexican-American arts.

“The Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center preserves, promotes and develops the rich cultural heritage of the Mexicano community through programs in the visual arts, music, theater, dance and literature,” organizers stated in a press release.

In 1999, the Smithsonian Institution lauded the center’s Conjunto Festival with a CD titled “Taquachito Nights,” featuring recordings of several conjunto pioneers who played the previous year’s shows.

Tickers are $10 for a one-day pass and $25 for three days.

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Festival lineup