The Melody Web what each genre heard, and what it passed on

heard passed on Click or tap a node to recenter. Use a connecting line, or Influence, for the story.

Heard

Polka form · 1830–

Conjunto is polka recoded on the Texas-Mexican floor: button accordion, 2/4 dance pulse, then bajo sexto.

Influence
Ranchera genre · 1910–

Texas conjunto takes ranchera as its sung book: couplets and ranch lyric over accordion and bajo sexto.

Influence

Conjunto

genre · 1935–

Also called Texas-Mexican conjunto, conjunto tejano

South Texas Mexican-American dance music: button accordion lead, bajo sexto, and polka/ranchera song (Narciso Martínez, Santiago Jiménez). It hears Polka for accordion 2/4 and Ranchera for the sung book. It already gives Western swing the Texas-Mexican dance-hall accordion and two-step book. This file is not Cuban son conjunto. Norteño leftover as a sibling accordion school, not a parent. Later Tejano pop leftover as a radio child. Corrido leftover as a narrative sibling on the ranchera node.

Listen

  1. La Chicharronera Narciso Martínez (1936) YouTube
  2. El Tronconal Narciso Martínez (1936) YouTube
  3. Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio Don Santiago Jiménez (1950) YouTube · Spotify
  4. Un Mojado Sin Licencia Flaco Jiménez (1972) YouTube · Spotify
  5. Hey Baby Que Paso Texas Tornados (1990) YouTube · Spotify · Amazon

Passed on

Western swing style · 1934–1947

Western swing takes conjunto’s accordion-led two-step and Texas-Mexican dance-hall book onto a fiddle-and-horn band.

Influence

Polka → Conjunto

meter and grooveinstrumentationfunction and contextstrength: highscholarly consensus1890–1936migrationdanceoral

Mechanism

Conjunto is polka recoded on the Texas-Mexican floor: button accordion, 2/4 dance pulse, then bajo sexto. Strength high. Ranchera is the song-book hop; this edge is the Bohemian dance meter and accordion job.

Evidence

Central European accordion in Texas; Martínez’s 1936 sides; Malone and Grove on polka as conjunto’s dance chassis.

Debate

Whether the hop is already covered by polka western swing. That edge is the Anglo hall; this one is the Mexican-American accordion band.

Mediators

community: Central European settlers in Texas; artist: Narciso Martínez

Ranchera → Conjunto

form and structuremelodyfunction and contextstrength: highscholarly consensus1935–1960recordingradiodance

Mechanism

Texas conjunto takes ranchera as its sung book: couplets and ranch lyric over accordion and bajo sexto. Strength high. polka conjunto is the dance-meter hop; this edge is the Mexican song type. Norteño leftover as a sibling accordion school, not a parent.

Evidence

Jiménez and later Flaco song sides; South Texas halls playing ranchera and polka on the same stand; Malone and Grove on the Mexican song book in conjunto.

Debate

Whether conjunto is only an instrumental polka band. Instrumental polkas are real; the named vocal repertory is ranchera.

Mediators

artist: Santiago Jiménez; community: South Texas dance halls

Conjunto → Western swing

meter and grooveinstrumentationfunction and contextstrength: mediumscholarly consensus1934–1947danceoralradio

Mechanism

Western swing takes conjunto’s accordion-led two-step and Texas-Mexican dance-hall book onto a fiddle-and-horn band. Strength medium. Polka is the Bohemian donor already collected; this hop is the Mexican-American hall. Cuban son conjunto is a different word and is refused.

Evidence

South Texas and border halls shared with Wills-era bands; Malone on Mexican-American dance music in Texas swing.

Debate

Whether this is already polka. The 2/4 European dance is polka’s; the accordion–bajo sexto conjunto unit is this hop.

Mediators

community: Texas-Mexican dance halls