Taquachito Nights Conjunto Music From South Texas (review)

Taquachito Nights Conjunto Music From South Texas Smithsonian Folkways, 1999 cd 40477, $14.00 Conjunto has enjoyed renewed vitaUty as more and more people, both tejano and otherwise, discover this infectious accordion-driven dance music. Taquachito Nights samples nineteen different groups performing Uve at the 1998 Conjunto Festival in San Benito, Texas. Though much of the conjunto style has remained the same since the days of the legendary Conjunto Bernal in the 1950s and 1960s, tradition does not preclude creativity and individual expression. Each of the groups highUghted on tiiis cd puts their own spin on new and old favorites. The Uner notes include photographs , a bibUography, essays on the history, current state, and future ofconjunto, as weU as EngUsh transcriptions of the Spanish lyrics and brief descriptions of each performer. Taquachito Nights provides an engaging overview of the talent now working in conjunto. Music Recordings 9 5 ...