Flaco Jimenez, RIP
By 
We have lost one of the greatest titans of American music:
The master of the Tex-Mex accordion Leonardo “Flaco” Jimenez, whose tradition-drenched sound came to define conjunto or Tejano music of South Texas, has died. Throughout a career that spanned more than 70 years, he carried that sound to an international audience through his work with megastars across genres. He was 86 years old.
A statement posted by his family on Jimenez’s official Facebook page did not provide a cause of death.
“It is with great sadness that we share tonight the loss of our father, Flaco Jimenez,” the statement reads. “He was surrounded by his loved ones and will be missed immensely. Thank you to all of his fans and friends — those who cherished his music. And a big thank you for all of the memories. His legacy will live on through his music and all of his fans. The family requests privacy during this time of sadness and grievance.”
There is a scene in the legendary 1976 documentary, Chulas Fronteras, where Flaco is playing at a dancehall in South Texas. He’s wearing a fancy cowboy shirt. He’s dripping sweat. His gold teeth are flashing. He grins ecstatically while Mexican-American couples swirl across the dance floor. The fingers on right hand fly across his Hohner button accordion as he sings of the trickster gringo who stole his girl away.
At this moment in the mid-’70s, Flaco was largely unknown outside of Spanish-speaking Texas, still undiscovered by the anglo music world. He would go on to collaborate with Ry Cooder, Dr. John, the Texas Tornados and Carlos Santana, and win a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
But the essential Flaco — his nickname means skinny — never lost his roots in the rich musical traditions of Mexican Texas.
This music is a beautiful story–German and Czech immigrants to Texas and northern Mexico brought the accordion and their music and then it was transformed by Mexicans who adapted it to their own ideas and traditions. This started a long time ago and Jimenez was probably the most important purveyor of it in recent decades.
Let’s check some of his great music out:
Jimenez is not the last of the Texas Tornadoes though, as Augie Meyers lives and still tours too.