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| Ambassadors of Conjunto Earn Latin Grammy Nod; Oct Tour Smithsonian Folkways recording artists Los Texmaniacs have been nominated in the 14th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards for "Best Tejano Album" with Texas Towns & Tex-Mex Sounds. The awards will be held Thursday, November 21 in Las Vegas and will be broadcast live on Univision. The 18-song album from the San Antonio-based group features a blend of polka, boleros, ballads, and Western swing, drawing from the rich tradition of Tex-Mex culture. This is their second album with Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, following the GRAMMY-winning Borders y Bailes in 2009, and features renowned Western swing singer Ray Benson and fiddle player Jason Roberts from the group Asleep at the Wheel, as well as GRAMMY-winning fiddler Bobby Flores. Max Baca, a virtuoso of the bajo sexto (a type of 12-string guitar), formed Los Texmaniacs in 1997 after his decade-long career with popular and innovative group the Texas Tornados. The San Antonio-based quartet Los Texmaniacs have performed for US troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and Bosnia/Kosovo, and have also played in China, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Germany and Austria, acting as ambassadors of conjunto music and Texas culture worldwide. They also performed at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on three occasions. GRAMMY Award-winning and highly respected artist Flaco Jiménez, who is working on a new duet album with Baca due out in 2014, said of the group: "I think Max [Baca] is the top dog on the bajo sexto... We're all on the same page. They're a real tight band, man." 'Texas Towns & Tex-Mex Sounds' was the 38th release in the Smithsonian Folkways Tradiciones/Traditions series since 2002. The series, a co-production with the Smithsonian Latino Center, showcases the diverse musical heritage of the 50 million Latinos living in the USA. The series has earned four GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY awards and seven nominations. OCTOBER TOUR DATES: 10 - Slims - San Francisco, CA 12 - Ford Theatre (Tribute To Freddy Fender W/ Flaco Jimenez & Rick Trevino) - Los Angeles, CA 19 - Fiesta Gardens W/ Rick, Augie. Little Joe and Flaco Jimenez - Austin, TX 24 - Blue Moon Saloon, Blackpot Kickoff Party - Lafayette, LA write your comments about the article :: © 2013 Jazz News :: home page |