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Pachanga Fest will bring top Latino acts from around the world to Austin from May 11-12, 2012. Leading the lineup is Calle 13 who will perform Friday at the 5th Annual Pachanga Festival at Fiesta Gardens. This is the first Austin show for the 19-time Latin and 2-time American Grammy award-winning band after the huge success of their album Entren Los Que Quieran.

Saturday will feature International, national and local favorites Los Lonely Boys, Chico Trujillo, Ana Tijoux, Alejandro Escovedo, Forro in the Dark, Ruben Ramos and the Mexican Revolution, La Santa Cecilia and San Antonio’s own Girl in a Coma as well as Niños Rock Pachanga, a hands-on kids festival.

Tickets are selling fast and include two-day packages and VIP passes that include unlimited complimentary non-alcoholic drinks, private bar and three (3) complimentary alcoholic beverage tickets, and tastings from Austin’s favorite restaurants including Takoba and Papi Tino’s.

About Pachanga Fest:
Pachanga is a Latin-themed music, cultural arts and food festival dedicated to showcasing the vibrant blend of Latino-created music and art and the impact it has on American culture today. The festival will be held May 11 and 12 at Fiesta Gardens in Austin, TX. For more information visit www.pachangafest.com, and for up-to-the-minute news follow us on Facebook at Pachanga Latino Music Festival and on Twitter @pachangafest.

The 31st Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio is set for May 15-20, 2012, with special events and of course, lots of live conjunto music.

The festival begins with special events at the historic Guadalupe Theater (1301 Guadalupe St. @ S. Brazos) May 15 – 17, 2012, that include:

• a free dance for seniors,
• a screening of “The Making of Juanito’s Lab,” a documentary-in-the-making about Juanito Castillo, a 22-year-old blind button accordionist,
• “New Directions in Conjunto Music,” featuring SA’s own Piñata Protest;
•  and the Conjunto Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

The festival moves to Rosedale Park (303 Dartmouth) May 18 – 20, 2012, for live conjunto music, featuring: Rio Jordán featuring Juanito Castillo, Eva Ybarra y su Conjunto, Max Baca y Los Texmaniacs with special presentation by Dwayne Verheyden, Santiago Jiménez Jr. y su Conjunto, Mingo Saldívar y sus Tremendos Cuatro Espadas, and Flaco Jiménez y su Conjunto, plus many more.

MAIN WEBSITE: http://guadalupeculturalarts.org/festivals/tejano-conjunto
FULL PERFORMERS SCHEDULE: http://guadalupeculturalarts.org/festivals/tejano-conjunto/festival-schedule 
TICKET INFO ONLINE: http://guadalupeculturalarts.org/festivals/tejano-conjunto/tickets

Max Baca, founder of Grammy-winning Los Texmaniacs, has crafted a fresh conjunto sound that respects the traditional form yet skillfully incorporates modern popular influences. The Texmaniacs’ craft will be on display tonight at Graham Central Station.

“The concept I came up with is doing the really hardcore traditional conjunto music…,” Baca said. “Then, just the fact that you’re playing blues licks on the bajo sexto or jazz riffs on the accordion, it’s kind of spicing it up a little bit and not so in-the-box traditional.”

This is a feat in itself, but Baca, who toured with the Texas Tornadoes in his twenties, and whose longtime mentor is legendary accordionist Flaco Jimenez, has more ambitious goals.

Through his music, both with his own group and other collaborations, he is determined for conjunto music to live on and go beyond its traditional musical and geographical borders.

“My goal is to spread out and get (conjunto music) known,” Baca said. “That music is addicting. You listen to it and it catches your attention.”

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