One of the major figures in Tex-Mex border music, Santiago Jimenez Jr. is a singer and accordion virtuoso of the first rank. His father virtually invented the conjunto instrumental style and Santiago’s playing follows in that tradition while at the same time incorporating much of the more modern approach made popular by his brother Flaco.
Born in 1944, Santiago is the younger son of Don Santiago Jimenez Sr., one of the great pioneers of conjunto accordion style. Where his elder brother Leonardo “Flaco” Jimenez has helped modernize conjunto by bringing in jazz, rock and rhythm & blues concepts, Santiago has purposely fashioned his own playing after his father’s. He has dedicated himself to upholding the tradition his father helped develop via Spanish-language radio spots and recordings that date back to the late 1930s.
Some of Santiago Jr.’s first recordings were on local labels – Lira, Magda, Discos Grande, Corona — and were sold on 45 rpms. In 1960, at age 17 he recorded a full-length album with Flaco. Recordings including Corazon de Piedra and Canciones de Mi Padre have appeared on Watermelon Records based in Austin.
The songs in Spanish are lively and direct and deal with real-life situations — work love and dance. More than a revivalist, Santiago Jimenez Jr. is a living memory of a time when the Mexican-American people of South Texas were making their presence known amid social oppression forced assimilation and economic difficulty. The music represents the experience of a people and is celebrated for having helped shape a society that remains strong in its identity and cultural presence.
Discography:
Familia y Tradicion (1989)
El Mero Mero de San Antonio (Arhoolie 1990)
El Gato Negro (1990)
Corazon De Piedra (1992)
Canciones de mi padre (Watermelon 1994)
Musica De Tiempos Pasados Del Presente y Futuro (1995)
Viva Seguin (1996)
El chief de San Antonio (Chief Records 1996)
Cama de Piedra (Les Nuits Atypiques 1997)
Tex-Mex Party (1997)
Purely Instrumental (Arhoolie 1998)
Corrido de Esequiel Hernandez: Tragedia de Redford (Arhoolie 1999)
Corridos De La Frontera (2005)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.