Accordion Kings 17th Annual Accordion Music Festival

Plus – "An Evening with Filmmaker Hector Galan," featuring his Mingo Saldivar
documentary, "I Love My Texas, I Love My Freedom" and excerpts from
"Los Lonely Boys: Cottonfields and Crossroads"
June 2, 7 p.m.
Talento Bilingue de Houston
Admission $5; free to TFR members

There’s gumbo in our chili!
That’s the theme and flavor of this Accordion Kings event – our 17th annual celebration of the squeezebox. From zydeco to polka to Tex-Mex fusion, the Accordion Kings squeeze out timeless sounds as varied as the cultures they come from. Join us for more mighty pleasin’ squeezin’ as we spotlight the diversity of the Lone Star State’s accordion traditions, with a special nod to Louisiana.

C.J. Chenier
Port Arthur native and Houston resident C.J. Chenier, son of famed accordionist Clifton Chenier, began playing at a young age, but didn’t perform with his father and the Red Hot Louisiana Band until his 21st birthday – after he earned a music scholarship to Texas Southern University. When Clifton passed away in 1987, C.J. stepped into his zydeco shoes, and in 1990, was chosen to provide accordion for Paul Simon’s “Rhythm of the Saints.” Chenier’s new album, “The Desperate Kingdom of Love,” was recorded with the Tarbox Ramblers in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and features songs by P.J. Harvey, Van Morrison, Hank Williams and C.J.’s dad.

Joel Guzman & Aztex featuring Sarah Fox
Kyle resident Joel Guzman and his wife, Cuban-born vocalist Sarah Fox, are the nucleus of Aztex, the band that inspired the Grammy-winning Los Super 7 albums on which he performs. Guzman, who earned both Latin and American Grammys last year for the self-released "Polkas, Gritos y Acordeones," is a third-generation accordionist renowned for fusing traditional Mexican and Tejano music with blues, jazz, rock, funk, country, salsa, Cumbia and other genres. His motto is, "I may play a box, but don't want to be put in one." Guzman and Fox will release "Latinology" in July.

Cedryl Ballou & the Zydeco Trendsetters
Cedryl Ballou, born in Lake Charles, La., and now living in Waco, began playing in front of audiences at age 5 and started drumming professionally at 12, performing with his grandfather, Classie Ballou Sr. He got an accordion at 14 and fell in love. Ballou now has three albums under his belt on his own Trendsetters Zydeco Records and fronts the Zydeco Trendsetters, which features his grandfather on guitar, his father, Cedric, on bass and the family’s latest prodigy, cousin Cam’Ron Ballou, on drums.

Brian Marshall & His Tex-Slavic Playboys
Though most outsiders don’t associate Texas with polka music, Tomball resident Brian Marshall & his Tex-Slavic Playboys, featuring accordionist Mark Halata, keep the Texas Polonia tradition alive with their spirited blend of southern fiddle tunes and western swing, as captured on their latest album, “Texas Lowlands.” The disc was recorded last summer at Houston’s historic SugarHill Recording Studios – where Clifton Chenier recorded his first album!

Joe Nick Patoski, host

Joe Nick Patoski has been writing about Texas music since before there was a thing called Texas music. He's written books about Selena, Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Texas mountains and the Texas coast. He also wrote one of two essays in John Dyer's 2005 book, “Conjunto” ( University of Texas Press). His byline appears in No Depression, the Texas Observer and many other publications. A morning-show regular on Austin’s KGSR-FM and contributer to KUT-FM and National Public Radio, he’s working to have the accordion declared the National Instrument of Texas, while still trying to figure out the notes to "Viva Seguin" on his Hohner Corona.

Hector Galan, filmmaker

Internationally lauded independent filmmaker Hector Galan has cast his lens on the Latino experience in America, bringing the culture and history of the U.S. Latino experience to the screen. He has contributed more than 40 hours of programming to PBS, including 11 “Frontline” episodes, two segments of “The American Experience” and the four-part series, “Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement.” As part of 2005’s Accordion Kings programming, he aired his documentary, “Accordion Dreams.” His year, he's showing his Mingo Saldivar film, “I Love My Freedom, I Love My Texas,” and excerpts from his new release, “Los Lonely Boys: Cottonfields and Crossroads,” his chronicle of fellow San Angelo residents – and Grammy-winning recording artists – Los Lonely Boys.

Miller Outdoor Theatre is located at 100 Concert Drive in Hermann Park, between the zoo and the Museum of Natural Science. Metro stop: Rice University Station. For more information, visit MillerOutdoorTheater.com, or call 713-284-8352; or texasfolklife.org or 512-441-9255.
Talento Bilingue de Houston Cultural Arts Center is at 333 S. Jensen Drive. Tickets may be purchased online at www.tbhcenter.org or by calling 713-222-1213 or at the box office.

Accordion Kings is made possible with support from the City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board, the Houston Endowment, the Texas Commission on the Arts, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, and generous donations from Houston's Raven Grill, Hohner Inc., The InterContinental Houston and Southwest Airlines.
For a special Accordion Kings room rate at the InterContinental Houston hotel, click here.