Tex-Mex
Also known as conjunto, Texas-Mexican music, Tejano
A borderlands style with a deep dancehall history, Tex-Mex sits where Mexican regional traditions meet Texas country, polka, and the bright push of the accordion.
Origins and context
Documented histories of conjunto/Tex-Mex place the music in the borderlands, where Mexican American communities blended regional Mexican traditions with German polka, country, and other local popular forms; San Antonio is especially important in the recorded history and later popularization of the style. (home.nps.gov)
The sound
Instrument palette
The voices and tools most associated with this sound.
- Accordion
- Bajo sexto
History
Tex-Mex grew out of the musical exchange along the Texas-Mexico border, where Mexican American musicians adapted local traditions to new instruments, performance spaces, and audiences. Documented accounts tie its development to conjunto and related border styles, with the button accordion and bajo sexto becoming especially important as the music took shape in South Texas and nearby northern Mexico. (home.nps.gov) By the mid-20th century, artists such as Narciso MartĂnez, Santiago JimĂ©nez Sr., and later Flaco JimĂ©nez helped carry the sound from regional dancehalls into wider recognition. Flaco JimĂ©nez was described by AllMusic as a powerful exponent of Tex-Mex music, and Texas Tornados later brought the style to a broader rock and country audience.
Notable artists
- FJFlaco Jiménez
- TTTexas Tornados
- NMNarciso MartĂnez
- SJSantiago Jiménez Sr.
Essential listening
- 1
Flaco Jimenez
- 2
Texas Tornados
- 3
Texas Tornados
Explore connected genres
Sources and further reading
- Tex-Mex and conjunto history in Texas music
- AllMusic overview of Norteño and its relation to conjunto
- allmusic.com
Flaco Jiménez was a major exponent of Tex-Mex music and helped carry it to a wider audience.
- allmusic.com
Texas Tornados were a Tex-Mex supergroup featuring Flaco Jiménez.
- Apple Music
Apple Music’s Texas Tornados page places the group’s self-titled album in 1990 and notes the long collaboration among its members.
- Smithsonian Magazine essay on Texas music traditions