Spring is just around the corner, and one seasonal tradition in San Antonio is the Tejano Conjunto Festival. On Tuesday, the winning design for the festival's official poster was unveiled on the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s grounds. A few dozen people and members of the media met at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center for the big announcement.
Accordionist Mika Rivas came up from Corpus Christi to get the crowd in the mood for the announcement, playing a short song beforehand. Juan Tejeda has seen more than a few of these festivals.
“I started this little Tejano conjunto festival, actually, 44 years ago and we're celebrating this year, the 42nd Tejano Conjunto Festival, because one year it was postponed because of Covid,” Tejeda said.
The festival runs from May 15 to 19, with thousands attending outdoors, primarily at Rosedale Park.
Tejeda said that the Guadalupe has been at the forefront of keeping Conjunto music prominent in the community.
“When I started here at the Guadalupe back in 1980, they were people already saying conjunto music is dying,” he said. “If we don't do something about it, it's going to completely die. And it's a shame because it's an American original style of music that's a fusion of all world cultures, really.”
One of the ways they have expanded Conjunto music to new, younger audiences is through outreach projects like their yearly poster competition, enlisting young people to create a poster to market the event. The competition is multi-tiered — middle school, high school, college — with first place and honorable mention in each division. Grand champion winner this year is college student Anna Arce, and Tejeda said her poster was a nod to Loteria.
“If you’re familiar with this Mexican bingo game Loteria — in the middle, very bold and prominent is like a Tejano female with an accordion strapped on, performing, looking straight at the camera,” he said.
That bold painting will end up on posters and t-shirts and ads for the festival, earning Arce a $2000 prize in the process.
The festival’s mid-spring event alternates between toasty and rainy.
“We expect a little bit of rain every year, but it's covered,” Tejeda said. “We have two large pavilions there where the bands are and the dancing takes place, and it's a great cultural celebration and festival of food and dancing and family friendly out in the park. So come on out and bring the whole family.”
The Tejano Conjunto Festival is produced by the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, which also created the Conjunto Music Hall of Fame, and offers student recitals, and classes in the communities.
