more and more i have noticed that there are conjuntos that always have different band members and i always wonder why. is it because the musician is no good and they get rid of him? one example is edgar vasquez, everytime i have seen him he has different musicians and i always wonder why. could it be that theyre no good? or maybe he doesnt pay them well and they leave? hes had about four different bajo players and five different accordionists that i can remember. and its not just him but theres several. i just wonder why they cant stay together, its always nice to see a band with longevity and familiar faces.
thats always happening..........and i mean "always."
some musicians leave because they dont know what they want, or because they want something else. sometimes its the pay.....sometimes the girlfriend/wife gets jealous or loses trust in them.........sometimes the road can be tiring......sometimes you can be frustrated with the different levels everyone in the band is at and just give up, sometimes you give up music altogether..........it just varies. many many many different reasons. then you have the substitutes!!! yeah! lol. but yeah.......
yea but this is seen more in conjunto bands. when musicians are constantly coming and going it makes it hard to keep it tight. and that itself might be a big reason why conjunto all together might be losing its appeal to fans and why its such a small market.
in order to make conjunto into a thriving market i think the first step is to deliver good performances. but when ur constantly getting rid of or losing band members its never gonna sound tight.
ive seen conjuntos that sound great like los dos gilbertos. ruben garza and gilberto garcia have been together for many many years and every time i see them its always tight as hell. then ive seen others that are always changing musicians and they sound dull and lame...
The thing about Edgar is he always has top-notch talent! He has been blessed with a knack for always finding tremendous musicans, and helping them start their careers.
hey CK, you dont honestly think that L2Gs have had the same musicians for all these years.........do you? If you mean the main two being together ok.........otherwise no. its everywhere.......and i would not say that it would be a leading cause for conjunto being a dying genre (which is unfair to say because it is quickly gaining popularity)..........i would also say that with my experience in Tejano taught me that Tejano is worse than conjunto about switching musicians.........primarily because the focus is usually on one person (the singer)...so no one notices the change in musicians. i could see a parallel in conjunto, but not as bad. but again, i wouldn't say that it would be the cause for a downfall...........
What i am saying is no matter what the circumstances Edgar always finds good musicans. He's a great teacher, who gives alot of people chances when no one else would. If they stay with him well that's up to them. I believe any musican can be replaced no matter how good they think they are. There is always someone out there younger and hungrier who want to prove themselves.
hey zac, i always wondered how many of those type of musicians there was. i'm glad to hear there are more........i had someone like that, Julian Gutierrez. taught me a LOT about conjunto. had me playing cantinas since i was 14 (hahahahaha) maybe nobody knows him here, but he is one hell of a bass player, singer, and mentor.
Sometimes certian musicans in the group think that they are bigger than the collective group. When that happens it's time to make a change for the good of the group. Like Zac said anyone can be replaced. It's about the group not one person.
he was real sick not too long ago and they held a benefit for him at a local cantina here in corpus.....i wasn't able to make it though (i wanted to). i've been meaning to go by his house just to check up on him.
I agree with you about him beeing classy. i met him because his nephew, mike gutierrez (son of Robert Riojas) and i went to school together, and played in some bands together, and when mike wanted to go conjunto, we went to his uncle. later mike joined Los Tremendos V, and i stayed with Julian to learn all i could (i played bajo for him, but while i was doing that, i would always pay attention to the accordion). Julian deserves a LOT of credit. he is the best friend you could ever have. and funny as hell!
Hey conjuntokid why dont you use your real name? Or are you planning to play with Los Enmascarados,thats a good way to start.As for my dad,He will always be Edgar Vasquez regardless of who plays the drums,accordion,bajo, or vocals.He will always be Edgar Vasquez.Just Like Tony De La Rosa how many vocalist sang with him how many bass players,etc.And not only conjunto,do your homework.Look at David Lee Garza how many vocalist has he had like 5 I guess or more probably.But David Lee is the man,Edgar Vasquez is the man,and Tony D is the man no matter who plays with them.And these are a few examples the list goes on.Do your research on Boni.But he still is Boni!!
Coco is right Edgar is Edgar no matter who he has with him. The man is a legend. In my mind a legend is someone that no matter who he has with him can make excellent music and stay consistent throughout the years. Edgar is an excellent teacher that continues to produce hit after hit after hit! Look at all the talent that he has helped bring along through the years the list speaks for itself. Look at other bands that have been successful aside from the great musicans Coco already talked about. We have groups like Chano Cadena Y Su Conjunto, Ruben Naranjo Y Los Gamblers, Hometown Boys, and of course the great Conjunto Bernal that would replace some of the best musicans in the world and continue without missing a beat. If a group can do this and continue without missing a step that my friend is the mark of a true legend and Edgar Vasquez certainly is one!
COCO: lets not make it seem like the other people in a band don't matter...maybe you didn't intend for it to sound that way, but that's what i got out of it........
With all respect Vince, and I don't want to sound rude, but I did not get that out of what Coco was saying at all. A lot of people hear what they wanna hear. It's their intension, they might not do it on purpose, but it's just the way they inturpret things. Now as for what Coco was saying I see it as the truth, and you know it. Whether you have a great band or not, the first name to come to mind is going to be the singer. Now you can argue with me all you want, but that is the truth. Yes, other band members should be recognized as well, but not all are. Honestly, if I didn't know who you are, or who you played for I would have only payed attention to your singer. Yes the music is great and the way you play is awesome, but I would have direct attention to the one putting himself out there with the voice. Spanish, Rock, etc. that's the way it is. Unless of course you make a name for yourself as one of the greatest instrument player around then you will get the same attention.
EDGAR VASQUEZ,WELL MY FRIEND CONJUNTO KID I KNOW FOR FACT YOU WILL NEVER BE HALF THE MAN IN THE CONJUNTO MUSIC LIKE CARLOS SAID HE'S A LEGEND YOU WILL NEVER BE ONE MY FRIEND
