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Flaco Jimenez, born 1939
Born San Antonio, Texas
The accordionist Leonardo "Flaco" Jiménez has been the most influential person in bringing Tejano music to national and international audiences. Jiménez grew up immersed in the traditional conjunto music of the U.S.-Mexico border and began performing with his father, Santiago Jiménez Jr., when he was seven years old. During childhood, he earned the nickname "Flaco," the Spanish word for "skinny."
Flaco's collaborations with musicians like Ry Cooder, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, and Carlos Santana, along with his 1990s band the Texas Tornados, brought conjunto music to the attention of the American mainstream and simultaneously encouraged conjunto to mingle with these other influences. Flaco has won five Grammy awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.
The double-exposure in this photograph resulted from the jamming of the film in Al Rendón's camera, an "accident" the artist embraced to create a unique artwork.
Al Rendon, 1987 |