Flaco Jimenez, the renowned conjunto musician and a beloved figure in San Antonio, is hospitalized after facing a medical hurdle. Despite the challenge, Jimenez remains in good spirits and on the road to recovery.
Flaco Jiménez, akin to Louie Armstrong's significance to jazz and New Orleans, is a revered ambassador of conjunto music in San Antonio . This role seems destined for him, as he learned to play the accordion—his instrument is a Hohner three-button diatonic—observing his father, Santiago Jiménez Sr., a pioneering figure in conjunto music . Conjunto, like jazz, is a unique American genre with roots in diverse cultures.
It draws inspiration from rancheras and ballads traditionally played along the Texas-Mexico border and the accordion-driven dance music brought to Texas by European immigrants. At the heart of this music lie the accordion and bajo sexto, a 12-string guitar. When Jiménez began recording in the 1950s, the airwaves buzzed with early rock 'n' roll, country, and zydeco music. He readily embraced these influences, infusing his music with a vibrant blend of styles. 'I like to make my accordion yell and scream and make it happy,' he expressed in a 2000 interview with RootsWorld magazine.This infectious happiness propelled Jiménez to stardom in San Antonio. According to liner notes for the Arhoolie Records compilation 'Flaco's First,' he recorded for several small labels, starting with Hymie Wolf's RIO label on West Commerce Street, and had a weekly gig on KCOR-TV, the pioneering Spanish-language TV station. Fans might have caught him performing in local bars or at Lerma's nightclub. Arhoolie, a roots label run by the renowned song collector Chris Strachwitz, introduced Jiménez to a broader audience in the 1970s. He also gained recognition through collaborations with fellow San Antonio music legend Doug Sahm and roots musician Ry Cooder, both of whom recorded with him. Jiménez's mainstream breakthrough came in the 1990s as a member of the Tex-Mex supergroup Texas Tornados. His masterful accordion playing graced recordings by the Rolling Stones and Dwight Yoakam. Even as his fame soared, Jiménez remained a constant presence in San Antonio. He performed at venues like Floore's Country Store, Ruben's nightclub in Seguin, and the annual Tejano Conjunto Festival at Rosedale Park, where adoring fans cheered his every note and raised plastic cups of beer in celebration. Over the years, he became San Antonio's most celebrated musician, receiving a multitude of accolades, including Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award, induction into the Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame and the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, inclusion of his album 'Partners' in the National Recording Registry, and both the National Heritage Fellowship, the nation's highest honor in folk and traditional arts, and the National Medal of Arts, the highest honor bestowed upon artists by the United States government.This explains the outpouring of concern and well wishes when news broke earlier this week that Jiménez had been hospitalized. According to a post on his Facebook page on Monday, he 'is currently in the hospital facing a medical hurdle — in good spirits but trying to get better. Rest assured, he’s in good hands and on the road to recovery.' Family members expressed gratitude for the 'love, support, and understanding during this time.' And undoubtedly, fervent hopes that when the Tejano Conjunto Festival returns in May, Jiménez will once again grace the stage at Rosedale Park, filling the air with his musica alegre
Flaco Jimenez Conjunto Music San Antonio Tejano Music Texas Music Hospitalized Musician Grammy Award National Medal Of Arts
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