Recorded in July 2012 at Johnny Degollado's home in Montopolis.

In July 2012, Rancho Alegre met up with the legendary Johnny Degollado. We had just produced our first Rancho Alegre Conjunto Festival in February of that year and finally got a chance to sit down with the guy who had been producing Austin's only Conjunto music festival for several decades before we came on the scene.

We got to know about the life and musical career of a bonafide Austin music legend and prolific songwriter. From first learning from Camilo Cantu in the 1940s and beginning his professional musical career in the early 1950s to his Austin Conjunto Festival, “El Montopolis Kid” has been a tireless advocate for Conjunto music in his hometown.

He was inducted into the Conjunto Music Hall of Fame in San Antonio in 2014 and has recorded nearly 500 songs over his career, including many of his own compositions. One of his most famous songs, “El Pintor,” became a massive hit for The Hometown Boys and remains one of the most frequently played songs on Tejano music radio. The original is included here.

In 2022, we released Musica Al Estilo de Camilo, which may be Johnny's final studio album (never say never!) honoring his mentor, Camilo Cantu who famously never recorded any music. It is available on all streaming services and on CD through our online store. We have included a few tracks here.

Every year, we dedicate the Sunday of the Rancho Alegre Conjunto Music Festival to Johnny and the legacy of his annual festival, which always took place on the Sunday of Cinco de Mayo weekend. We are honored to pick up the torch and continue preserving and promoting conjunto for many years to come. Johnny is always invited as a guest of honor and the attendees are always happy to see him.

Here's what we played: 

In this interview, recorded in August 2017, Baldomero Cuellar talks with Vicente "Chente" Alonzo, an Austin conjunto music legend with nearly 60 years in the business.

While he played bajo sexto with several different bands, he was most recognizable as the longtime second voice and bajista for El Montopolis Kid Johnny Degollado, with whom he began playing in 1957. Some of his final performances were with Chencho Flores y Su Conjunto.

During this conversation, we talked about his career, balancing family and music life, and much more. We always said that he was one of the most underrecognized musicians out there -- he could hang with the best of the best and was as steady as a rock.

He was inducted into the Tejano ROOTS Hall of Fame in January 2020, along with his bandmates and friends Chencho Flores (who passed in January 2021), Frank Flores (who passed in 2024), Augie Arreola (who passed away in November 2019), and John Majalca, the last surviving member of Chencho Flores y Su Conjunto.

Chente Alonzo passed away Sunday March 29, 2020 at age 81 and leaves behind a rich legacy of traditional conjunto music.

We hope you enjoy getting to know this very humble and kind man who was also an exceptional musician.

Included in this playlist are clips from his live performance with Chencho Flores y Su Conjunto, recorded at One-2-One Bar in Austin, Texas on September 24, 2017.

Here's what we played: 

Originally published in 2013.

In October 1998, Ruben Naranjo, the beloved legendary Conjunto accordionist and bandleader from Alice, Texas, passed away at age 53. For over 30 years, he traveled all over Texas and beyond with a simple but elegant brand of Conjunto that filled dancehalls and resonated with fans everywhere. 

For Rancho Alegre, this is a very special show. Not only is this the first of our Homenaje series, but it is special to us because we are also huge fans of Ruben Naranjo. Listening to the stories people told us about him offered a more intimate look at El Si Señor himself. 

The playlist below features the voices of 75 different Conjunto and Tejano artists, collected through our interviews all over the state since 2011.

You'll hear intimate stories from Conjunto pioneers like Gilberto Perez, Agapito Zuñiga and Chano Cadena; Tejano legends like Ruben Ramos, Little Joe, and Roberto Pulido; veterans like David Lee Garza, Linda Escobar, and Pio Treviño; and then up-and-coming performers like Mickey Mendoza, Crystal and Jose Garcia of Crystal N Crew, and many, many more. 

Complementing their stories are some of his greatest hits, as well as rare selections from deep within our catalog, many of which we have converted from vinyl, 8-track, and cassette. 

We hope you enjoy it, and many thanks to everyone who participated in this project. 

Here's what to expect: 

Recorded in 2013 in Dimmitt, Texas. Things have changed considerably since this interview (read to the end for the update).

In 2013, Rancho Alegre headed out to the Texas panhandle on business. While we were out there, we thought we would touch base with one of the region's most popular groups: Los Arcos Hermanos Peña. We had already been all over the Valley, Houston, and Central Texas, and we wanted to know more about the scene out in that area of the state, which is not traditionally known for Conjunto. We were not disappointed...

We spent a Saturday afternoon with brothers Jerry (accordion) Larry (saxophone), Gilbert (bass) and Fidencio Peña(drums) in their clubhouse in their hometown of Dimmitt. "Clubhouse" is kind of an understatement. It's more like a super-nice private club, complete with a pool table, televisions, a bar, and all manner of Arcos memorabilia on the walls.

Getting to know the guys, we learned all about their career as a very closely-knit family band that has been able to slide between Relampagos Del Norte-style Norteño and hardcore, foot-stomping Conjunto. Their first recording was in 1979 as Los Arcos Del Norte on Joey Records. At the time of this interview, they had recorded over 25 different albums, plus joint ventures with Toño Zamora, Crystal Tarango, and the late, great, legendary Cornelio Reyna.

After scoring major hits during the 1980s, including the classic slow jam, "El Borracho Del Año," tragedy struck the band in the early 1990s when drummer Juan Ramon Peña passed away after a very short bout with cancer. This shook the brothers to the core, and they took a hiatus for several years. They came roaring back in 1998 with the album, Sin Mi, and have continued to crank out studio albums and tour all over the United States. The band also includes big brother Luis Peña Jr. on bajo sexto, and vocalists Luis III and Oscar Peña. 

A LOT has happened since this interview was recorded. We have brought the band to Austin multiple times for the Rancho Alegre Conjunto Music Festival, including a live album at One-2-One Bar in Austin in 2018. 

But the biggest news is that the brothers parted ways in 2024, with Jerry continuing what he calls "La Tercera Epoca" of Los Arcos Hermanos Peña with his sons JJ and Fabian and nephews Adrian and OJ. The guys have been playing all over the country and beyond, winning awards, and releasing new music. The rest of the brothers formed Los Hermanos Peña shortly thereafter. They have also recorded and released new music, and traveled throughout the state as well. 

In 2024, Adan Peña produced a short film for Panhandle PBS titled "The West Texas Boys," which chronicles the rise of all six brothers from migrant workers to the musical powerhouses they became. The film has earned critical praise nationwide. 

We hope you enjoy listening to this moment in time with these four brothers. Here's what we played: 

Recorded in 2012 at Freddie Records Headquarters in Corpus Christi, Texas. 

Freddie Martinez, or simply Freddie, is one of the most influential men in Tejano music history. Since beginning his professional career in the 1950s, Martinez has seen both sides of the business. He built a record company from scratch in the 1970s, which became successful enough for him to retire from being a working musician. That company has managed to survive good times and bad, and has recorded many of the top artists in Conjunto and Tejano music, from Tony De La Rosa to Ramon Ayala to Siggno and Elida Reyna, racking up Grammys and Latin Grammys nearly every year.

As a trumpet player and bandleader, Freddie was one of the most popular orquesta performers of the 1960s and 70s. His signature sound is characterized by a dominant trumpet along with Freddie’s unique vocal style. Among his catalog of hits is “Te Traigo Estas Flores,” “Botoncito De Cariño,” “Mi Arbol y Yo,” and many more.

We were fortunate to spend some quality time with the man himself at his record company headquarters in Corpus Christi. Surrounded by portraits of legendary artists on his label, Martinez talked about his early life and family, his life as a musician, and ultimately his life as a record company executive.

Today, Freddie continues to helm his eponymous record label and performs occasionally.

Here's what we played: 

Recorded in 2012 at Palo Alto College in San Antonio. After we got kicked out of Whataburger because they didn't want us to record there - seriously.

Much has been made of the decline of Tejano, and more than a few groups that made it big back in the 80s and 90s have either broken up quietly, faded into obscurity, limited their activity, melted down publicly, or have struggled to remain on the radar in a post-terrestrial radio world.

One of the few that survived and continues to be as popular as ever, is David Lee Garza y Los Musicales. For over five decades, the band led by Poteet native and accordion master David Lee Garza has consistently cranked out hit after hit, playing to packed houses everywhere they go.

DLG and the guys have a sound firmly rooted in Conjunto, but with just enough extras (saxophone, keyboards) to mix things up. It could be argued that DLG uses lead vocals almost like an instrument to subtly change the flavor of his catalog too, given the ever-changing roster of talented lead singers that have shaped the sound over the last three decades. In fact, this legacy has given rise to the phenomenon some refer to as “DLG U,” with alumni like Ram Herrera, Emilio Navaira, Jay Perez, Oscar G, and Marcos Orozco going on to Tejano superstardom after their days as Musicales. At the time of this interview, Juaquin Cura was DLG's latest singer. Cezar Martinez joined the group the following year and is still with the band. 

We caught up with David on a beautiful day in San Antonio in 2012, and found him to be very down-to-earth and personable, yet professional. We think you’ll love hearing from one of the undisputed legends just as much as we did.

David Lee Garza y Los Musicales continue to perform all over the country and remain one of the most beloved bands in Tejano music history.

NOTE: Something we should point out is, well, DLG is a very prolific, hard-working musician, who is always in the studio. He has TONS of recordings, either with Los Musicales or as duets or cameos with other performers. Many of these were produced during the days of the big record companies and are just not available anymore. To produce a show worthy of his musical legacy, it was pretty rough getting so many hits by so many artists who worked with DLG and the guys. But somehow “El Parrandero” pulled it off. The song selection is unbelievable and even includes a couple extremely rare 45′s that we converted and cleaned up. Hardcore DLG fans, especially, will not be disappointed.

Here's what we played: 

Recorded in November 2012 at Cooter Brown's in San Antonio, Texas.

If you ask any Tejano music fan to list some of the most popular performers in the industry, Ram Herrera will be near the top of the list.

He hardly has to use his last name anymore, “Ram” is usually enough. He’s also known as the “Most Wanted Man” and the “Man of 1,000 Roses.”

After starting his career with David Lee Garza y Los Musicales over four decades ago, Herrera went on to an extraordinarily successful career as a solo performer. He has won multiple Tejano Music Awards, earned several Grammy nominations, and has sold millions of records all over the country. 

We caught up with Ram in November 2012, at the end of a day that included stops in Corpus Christi, Laredo, and San Antonio before heading home to Austin. It was well worth the wait and the trip to talk to a bona fide Tejano super star who has seen the industry rise and fall, and has more than a few scars of his own. We found him to be very honest, funny, and unafraid to speak his mind.

Since this interview, Ram has continued to record new music and perform all over the country to thousands of adoring fans.

In 2025, he announced that he was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer and is keeping fans updated on his progress on his official social media accounts. 

Here's what we played: 

Recorded in November 2012 at the Garcia home in Pasadena, Texas.

When we recorded this interview, Crystal N Crew was one of the youngest groups in conjunto.  With all members under the age of 17, the family band from Pasadena included Crystal Garcia on bajo sexto, Jose Garcia on accordion, and Lily Garcia on drums. They’ve had a couple of bass players, including Anthony Diaz (included in this interview) and current bassist Isaiah Tellez.

On one of our road trips, we stopped by the Garcia home to get to know the group and their family. We found that they not only have youth, but they also have heart and passion for the music. Crystal is a songwriter, and all the kids knew who Ruben Naranjo was. Pretty impressive, considering other kids their age only knew Justin Bieber or Bruno Mars at that time.

At that time, Conjunto was especially hot, with a lot of young groups with great energy bringing life to the genre. Masters and legends were welcoming them with open arms and marveling at their skill and dedication.

At the 2013 Rancho Alegre Conjunto Festival, we had several extremely talented young conjuntos including Los Morales Boyz, Los Conjunto Kidz, Randy Garcia y Conjunto Estrella, and of course Crystal N Crew. In what we consider a historic moment, Crystal N Crew were joined onstage by Pico Ramirez, longtime bajo sexto player and second voice and original member of Ruben Naranjo y Los Gamblers.

Since then, the group has grown up and started careers and families. They last performed as Crystal n Crew in 2024 and released a single that same year. 

We hope you enjoy getting to know just a few of the faces of the bright future of Conjunto.

Here's what we played: 

Recorded in 2012 at his home in East Austin.

For decades, Julian Limon Fernandez of Los Texas Wranglers has worked to keep Conjunto alive in Austin. Through various lineups, he and his band Los Texas Wranglers have played in all kinds of venues around Austin, rodeos, tardeadas, benefits, festivals, etc. 

A drummer and songwriter, Julian puts his heart and soul into his career as a musician and bandleader. Of the people we have interviewed, he might also be one of the biggest fans as well as a performer. He talks of great memories with a big grin on his face, showing how much he loves what he does.

Julian offered priceless insight, advice, and support as we planned the very first Rancho Alegre Conjunto Festival in 2012, and has continued to be one of our mentors as our organization has grown and changed. This kind of relationship is nothing new for him, as he is always offering his experience to help young artists develop as well.

We hope you enjoy this interview with someone with decades of history as a musician with some of the best in Tejano and Conjunto.

Here's what we played: 

Recorded in 2012 when Siggno was in Seguin, Texas, for a benefit for the Enriquez family, and graciously made some time to talk with us aboard their tour bus. 

When we recorded this interview, Siggno was the the hottest band in Tejano music. They were riding high on Tejano Music Awards successes, a Latin Grammy win, and their first collaborations with Elida Reyna. 

Despite all of the success and popularity, we found them to be a hard-working group of guys who have paid their dues, love what they do, and have a great time making great music. It might seem that they came out of nowhere, but they’ve been at it for a very long time, with nine albums to their credit already. They jokingly refer to themselves as the “Motley Crue of Tejano music,” and defy traditional labels of Norteño, Tejano, and Conjunto by making (and writing and composing!) music from deep down in their souls.

It was a rowdy interview with lots of laughs, and we had a lot of fun getting to know the guys, and learn about their careers, and their past, present and future. 

Since then, their star hasn't faded and they continue to be incredibly popular with fans across the nation. 

However, frontman Jesse Turner has endured personal tragedies. In 2016, his son Jacob Turner (then the group's bass player) was in a near-fatal car crash that left him in a coma for four months and he has never fully recovered. In 2025, his beloved mother Narcisa Cortez Ruiz Turner, passed. Turner regularly featured his mother on social media, in song, and in live events back home in the valley, so she was well-known to longtime fans and colleagues. 

This interview is a snapshot in time and we hope you enjoy getting to know the guys.