Mass Media Overview
Los Texmaniacs in the Northwest Russia: tex-mex music success
05.08.2013 17:04
http://stpetersburg.usconsulate.gov/
On July 17-20, the Los Texmaniacs, a conjunto tejano group from San Antonio, Texas, held three fantastic performances in the cities of Kaliningrad, Vologda, and Cherepovets in the Northwest of Russia, sponsored by the U.S. Consulate General in St. Petersburg.
In the first city, the group gave a two-hour concert at the Kaliningrad Philharmonic Hall: the foot-tapping tex-mex melodies under the Gothic vaults of a former Protestant church had the sophisticated Kaliningrad public applauding vigorously to Max Baca and his band. The success of the tour continued in the two cities of the Vologda region where American musicians performed in the IV International Festival of American Folk Music in Northwest Russia. Their festival partner was a group of Russian folk singers “Semenkovo”. The audience’s enthusiasm sky-rocketed when the jam session of the Russian and American group began: the musicians played and sang two songs together, one American and one Russian accompanied by storming applause. Even though the concert took place in an open air venue inside the ancient Vologda Kremlin walls, no one left when the rain started. The tour culminated in Cherepovets where the Russian singers sang Los Texmaniacs’ song which they’d translated into Russian. This was a true dialogue of two countries and two cultures.
The conjunto tejano or tex-mex music is a unique mix of American, Mexican and European music styles. It originated from the late 19th century when German and East European settlers in Texas introduced the accordion which later was supplemented by a specially designed guitar called bajo sexto. Initially this kind of music was widespread in Texas and California, but now has become popular not only throughout the U.S., but also throughout the world. The U.S. Consulate General in St. Petersburg was proud to present Los Texmaniacs, one of the brightest examples of modern conjunto groups and winners of 2010 Grammy award to the Northwest Russian public.