WOMAD

Flaco Jimenez

From United States

The king of conjunto made his first WOMAD festival appearance 12 years ago. His rippling accordeon style, jazzy runs and seamless blend of rock with the traditional polka-based tunes of south Texas have made him, in the succeeding years, both a massively popular live act and an in-demand player with musicians including Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt and, frequently, Ry Cooder, whose ‘Chicken Skin Music’ album provided a platform for Flaco’s career.Conjunto music, often referred to as Tex-Mex, is a good-time sound that, like country, deals lyrically with the core subjects of soured relationships, drinking and dancing. Its polka rhythms come from German and East European immigrants, with a dash of Mexican mariachi. Flaco (he was christened Leonardo – the nickname means “skinny”) comes from a family of conjunto musicians. His father, Don Santiago Jimenez, came from San Antonio and played in the 1930s – he’s often credited with introducing the double bass into conjunto. Flaco’s brother, Santiago Jnr, is a traditional conjunto player. It’s Flaco himself who has opened up the music to more modern styles, heralding the way for acts such as Los Lobos to break onto the world stage. In the sixties, Flaco played with Doug Sahm (of the Sir Douglas Quintet – you may know ‘Wooly Bully’ and ‘She’s About A Mover’), who introduced him to Dylan. Later, Flaco played with Sam and Freddy Fender, who has also had hits in Nashville, in the Texas Tornadoes, a melting pot of all the state’s musical traditions. With the Tornadoes and his own band, Flaco has toured the world, turning large venues into intimate barrooms with his infectious tunes and breathtaking accordeon playing. This is the undiluted sound of Texas – good-time music from the Lone Star state.