Fruty Villarreal Accepted into Conjunto Hall of Fame

Santa Maria accordionist Fruty Villarreal was honored in San Antonio for his 30 years of promoting and preserving the authentic, traditional style of the Mexican conjunto music of northern Mexico and the Valley. He is a recognized exponent of the Mexican border style of music both in Mexico and the United States.

This latest honor was bestowed on Villarreal in the San Antonio Conjunto Hall of Fame.

He has also been honored by the Tejano Roots Cultural Roots Hall of Fame in Alice, Texas. This popular Santa Maria musician traveled to Monterrey, Nuevo Leon to be inducted into the Mexican Conjunto Hall of Fame.

After recording twenty-seven albums and a half million albums sold, Fruty Villarreal has become a living legend among devotees of the Mexican conjunto style of music.

Fruty is modest, but delighted about his achievements in music. Since he was a small boy, he has been passionate about keeping alive the distinctive, unmistakable sound of the conjunto.

His interest in the genre was piqued by listening to his father play with various groups.

“It’s in my blood,” he said. “My father bought me my first accordion when I was 8-years-old. I began playing with my father’s group when I was 10. I just fell in love with the instrument and its possibilities. Then I got my first guitar when I was 10, and began playing that instrument professionally when I was 12-years-old.”

Villarreal played with various conjuntos until 1989 when he formed his own group called The Mavericks.

“We’ve performed for all kinds of social events,” he said, then named off: weddings, quinceaneras, funerals, churches, and political pachangas. His band was chosen for the inauguration of Mayor Victor Gonzalez, Jr and Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz.

How does your wife feel about your life in music we asked: “My wife Vanessa is my number one fan,” he said with a big smile.

“She supports me all the way. She has been a big encouragement. You might be interested in knowing that Vanessa works full-time as a highway patrolman with the Department of Public Safety. She loves her work in law enforcement, and I support her. We have a happy marriage. We make beautiful music together.”

Nice way to end our interview: If readers would like to get touch with Fruty Villarreal about his awards or Mexican conjunto music, call him at (956) 792-3175.