La Feria News

Conjunto Festival’s Second Year in Los Fresnos Brings Crowds

by Tony Vindell/LFN

The second annual Conjunto Festival held in Los Fresnos ended with a bang as people danced to their hearts content.

The three-day event that had the participation of 15 bands from all over Texas, including Conjunto Halcon of the local school district, ended Sunday, Oct 20, with a repertoire of groups.

They were Grupo Inevitable, Frutty Villarrreal y Los Mavericks, Edgar Vasquez y Sus Muchachos, Ruben Vela Jr. y Sus Muchachos and Linda Escobar y Su Conjunto.

Escobar played several tunes including Frijolitos Pintos, Mil Cantinas and El Veterano, as songs written by her father, the late Eligio Escobar.

Dressed in conjunto-styled attire, the 62 year old woman said she was glad to be here and invited the crowd to go to the El Veterano Conjunto Festival to be held Nov. 3 in Robstown.

Linda Escobar y Su Conjunto during Los Fresnos Conjunto Festival. Photo: Tony Vindell/LFN

“I started singing when I was seven years old, “she said in a brief interview. “I learned from my father who was a great musician.”

Escobar was promoting her new CD called “La Revancha.”

In 2014, she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the South Texas Conjunto Festival and in 2018 Escobar was named Conjunto Female Vocalist of the Year by the South Texas Conjunto Association.

The Alice native lives in Corpus Christi.

The festival began 27 years ago in San Benito but was relocated to Los Fresnos in 2018.

Hundreds of people attended the three days it was held and some of them came from as far as Washington, Illinois and New York states as well as from Texas.

Raul Martinez and his wife, Amelia came from Pharr to enjoy the festival.

“We used to go to San Benito but did not know it relocated to Los Fresnos,” said the former firefighter. “We enjoy listening and dancing to conjunto music.”

Did you like this? Share it: