Rancho Alegre

Join Piper and Frank for an hour of talking about Rancho Alegre's upcoming busy month in March! Plus, hear some background stories and the origin story of the festival and the organization!
Links mentioned
Amplify Austin donate link: ⁠https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/ranchoalegre⁠
Austin Public watch link:
⁠https://www.austinfilm.org/austin-public/watch/⁠
Consuela:
⁠https://consuelastyle.com/⁠
Rancho Alegre festival information:
⁠https://ranchoalegre.org/festival⁠
Rancho Alegre store:
⁠https://shop.ranchoalegre.org/⁠
Association of Independents in Radio:
⁠https://airmedia.org/announcing-airs-new-voices-amplify-fellows⁠
Fellow podcasts in our cohort:
⁠Kahani Jaani Anjaani - Stories in Hindi⁠
 ⁠Auricle⁠
⁠Not Ugly Pod⁠
⁠The Final Say⁠
⁠Cruising⁠
⁠What's Poppin Penny⁠
⁠Am I Old Yet?⁠
⁠Queue Points⁠
⁠This is What It Feels Like⁠
⁠Unmasked⁠
⁠Winning at Losing⁠
⁠Popaganda Podcast⁠
⁠1972 - The Chisholm Campaign Trail and the Davis Trial⁠
⁠Stitch Please⁠
⁠Books & Boba
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"El Gallo" Dez is a brand new voice in Tejano music who is just now embarking on his first adventure in the genre. Luckily for him, he is already off to a great start, having been discovered by Tejano music icon Shelly Lares, who is producing his music, mentoring him, and guiding him on this path.
We caught up with the California native on a beautiful summer day here in Austin and got to know more about his background and what brought him to this new chapter in his life and music.
Stick around after the interview and check out his debut single, "Rogando Por Tu Amor," which he co-wrote with Shelly and released on her Shellshock Records 3 label. Be sure to look for him, Shelly Lares, and Shellshock Records 3 on all social media channels.
And be sure to subscribe to this podcast, and as we migrate all of the long-form in-depth intimate interviews with legendary, veteran, and up-and-coming artists that we’ve been doing for over a decade over to this platform.
Thank you for your support - as always!
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Jimmy Gonzalez passed away 6/6/2018. Thanks to an assist from Freddie and Marc Martinez, we recorded this interview at Most Precious Blood Catholic Church in Corpus Christi in December 2012.
Most Tejano fans know where they were when they heard that Jimmy Gonzalez, bandleader of Grupo Mazz, passed away. We happened to be on an interview trip to San Antonio that day along with our friend and board member Joe Olvera of lovemytejano.com. In the days that followed, there was wall-to-wall coverage on every Tejano music radio station across the country, with fans and fellow musicians calling in with their remembrances of him. He was beloved and earned every accolade and every tear shed in the days after this death.
This interview is not just for Tejano music fans, but for music fans in general, as Jimmy had a great story. He tells of the humble beginnings of Grupo Mazz in Brownsville in the late 70s, their rise to stardom in the 80s, and the devastating breakup with Joe Lopez in the late 90s that left Jimmy broken and lost, wondering what to do with his life.
When he chose to get back into music, no record labels would give him a chance except for Freddie Martinez and his label, Freddie Records. With that opportunity to shine, Jimmy and his new version of Grupo Mazz earned 7 Grammy Awards and became one of the most bankable and popular Tejano groups from 2000 to his death in 2018.
Despite what Baldo says in the interview, we didn't include any music in this episode because thankfully Jimmy's music lives on, available on all digital streaming platforms and his son Mike Gonzalez is carrying forth his father's legacy with his own group, Mike Gonzalez and The Iconiczz. We encourage you to cruise around your favorite streaming platform or YouTube and get a taste of the sound Jimmy created for Grupo Mazz. Driven by synthesizer and guitar, the sound of Grupo Mazz was the epitome of the new sound of Tejano that rose in popularity in the late 1970s as the brass, horn-driven sound of the Orquesta Tejana became less popular and bandleaders opted for synthesizers as a cheaper alternative to horn players.
As with most of our interviews, this is one of, and perhaps the only long-form, intimate, and thoughtful interviews with Jimmy Gonzalez, and we hope you enjoy learning more about the legend in his own words and voice.
Special thanks to Thomas Hernandez of Austin's own Turntable Records and Tommy DeLeon for joining us on this Rancho Alegre adventure way back when.
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Beatriz Llamas, La Paloma Del Norte, passed away yesterday, May 15, 2023. This interview was recorded at her home in San Antonio in June 2015.
Known as La Paloma Del Norte, Beatriz was the first female recording artist on the storied Tejano record label Bego Records. Her strong, passionate voice, ever-present cat-eye makeup, and engaging stage presence made an indelible impression on Tejano and Conjunto fans all over Texas and beyond beginning in the early 1960s.
Conducted by our own Baldomero "El Parrandero" Cuellar, the interview is entirely in Spanish. But, even if you don't understand the language, her zest for life and her personality shine through and it's just fun to listen to. You can especially tell how absolutely smitten he was just talking with her. We also have a passable English transcription available on our website.  
At the 2015 Tejano-Conjunto Festival en San Antonio, Beatriz delighted the crowd with a special performance, backed up by the iconic Eva Ybarra y Su Conjunto Siempre.
After (but not because of) our interview in 2015, some pretty amazing things happened for Beatriz. With help from San Antonio's Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, Beatriz and her musical sisters Perla Tapatia, Rita Vidaurri and Blanca Rodriguez were featured in a documentary called Las Tesoros de San Antonio: A Westside Story, and performed all over the country. In 2019, as the surviving members of the group, Blanca and Beatriz were honored with the prestigious NEA National Heritage Fellowship and performed in Washington, DC.
Music played in this episode:
Dios Me Libre - Los Fabulosos Cuatro with Beatrice [sic] Llamas
Hambre - Los Fabulosos Cuatro with Beatrice Llamas
Caso Perdido - Beatriz Llamas with Los Dos Gilbertos
Distancia Maldita - Beatriz Llamas
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Festival Coordinators Piper LeMoine and Monica Castilleja discuss the 2023 Rancho Alegre Conjunto Music Festival. Audio taken from our Facebook Live broadcast on 4/24/23, so it might be a little choppy.
Complete information available at https://www.ranchoalegre.org/festival
For any questions about the festival, please email us at info@ranchoalegre.org.
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Recorded in July 2011 at El Torreón Restaurant in San Antonio, Texas.
Joe Gonzales passed away today in San Antonio at the age of 61. He was known in the Conjunto world as "El Gambler" because of his time playing bass with Ruben Naranjo y Los Gamblers in the later years of Ruben's career, as well as his friendship with the beloved legend. After Ruben's passing, Joe began his own group and switched over to accordion and primera voz, remaining faithful to Ruben's signature style and the distinctive Alice, Texas Conjunto sound.
In this interview, get to know this most humble man with a puro Conjunto heart and hear his story in his own words and voice. The interview is in the type of Spanglish commonly spoken in South Texas, effortlessly switching between Spanish and English in one sentence.
Tracks played:
Aborezco La Vida
Locos Disvarios
Las Ilusiones
Te Quiero Con La Vida – w/ Ricky Naranjo
Prietita Mia
La Piedrecita – w/ Ruben Naranjo
Tributo a Ruben Naranjo
Le Gusta Bailar Cumbia
Ya No Llores – Jo Ann Gonzales y Los Lowriders
Popurri – Tu Buen Camino, Preso Sin Delito, Las Puertas De La Carcel
Mi Casa Nueva
Your Cheating Heart
Mi Barrio
El Reniego
Consuelito
Alice Polka
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Recorded in June 2019 at Austin Central Library
In June 2019, Rancho Alegre finally caught up to Little Miss Dynamite herself, Shelly Lares. We had been after her since we first started doing interviews in 2011 and the stars finally aligned and our schedules finally allowed for us to finally meet.
And let's just say that the award-winning, hard-working musician, vocalist, entrepreneur, producer, arranger, bandleader, songwriter, and record label exec did NOT disappoint.
With nearly 35 years in the business, Shelly has truly seen it all. The always-candid Lares talked about everything from her very first public performance and recordings, how she writes music, the peaks, and valleys of success, telling off a CBS executive, starting her own record label, and so much more.
This is a must-listen for music nerds, Shelly fans, and everyone in between. Also included here are tracks from Shelly's latest album, "Obra de Amor," which is now available on all digital outlets and on CD.
Special thanks to Rudy Ancira for joining us and photographing the interview!
Shelly officially retired from live performances at the end of 2022. She has gone on to pursue her dream of becoming a hospice nurse, but continues to work in the studio nurturing new talent and producing new music on her label, Shellshock 3 Records.
Music played:
Soy Tu Amor
Dejame en Paz
Vas a Pagar
Mi Lugar
Trato y Trato
Ayer (ft. J.R. Gomez)
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Recorded live on KOOP radio in Austin 3/25/17.
This episode is another blast from the past! Let's go back to March 2017 when Rancho Alegre's own Piper LeMoine sat in for Dot Matrix on her spectacular Girlie Show, which plays nothing but music by female artists.
What happened was radio magic - 11 female Tejano musicians in the studio at once. Most were from the Austin area, with a couple from San Marcos and another from San Antonio.
Included were:
Mia Garcia (then age 9)
Sylvia Donley
B Santa Ana
Maria Villarreal-Fraga (Maria y Cien Grados)
Silvia Rodriguez (Maria y Cien Grados)
Erika Santana (Cañonazo)
Irma Chavez (La Distancia)
Laura Ann (La Distancia)
Daisy Loren (then age 13)
Devin Banda
Nikki Lopez Vigil
We talked with each of the artists and had a listening party with their music and that of other legendary female artists. We basked in the moment and cheered each other on. Unfortunately, the recording cut off before Nikki could finish and before we could talk more with Devin.
Songs played:
Lydia Mendoza - Mal Hombre
Linda Escobar - Es Muy Tu Vida
Beatriz Llamas con Los Fabulosos Cuatro - Dios Me Libre
Laura Ann y La Distancia - Necesito Tu Amor
B Santa Ana - Pa' Que Volver
Sylvia Donley with Manuel "Cowboy" Donley - El Barco de Oro
Maria y Cien Grados - Cumbia Del Sol
Daisy Loren - Amor Eterno
Mia - Pepe Le Pew
Cañonazo - Lo Lindo de Ti
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Recorded on 10/3/15 at the KOOP studios, Austin Texas. BJ Moncivais passed away in August 2018.
Rancho Alegre talked with BJ Moncivais of legendary Austin, Texas-based Chicano record label, Valmon Records. BJ's parents, Ben and Lupe Moncivais, started the label in the 1950s and recorded some of central Texas' favorite Tejano musicians like Little Joe and the Latinaires, Manuel Donley, Roy Montelongo, and more.
During the interview, we discuss the history and future of this regionally popular, but influential independent record label.
During the broadcast, we played these 45s from Valmon Records:
1. "A Medio Baile" by El Conjunto Corona de Señon Reyes2. "Por Un Amor" by Little Joe and the Latinaires3. "Dancing in the Street" by Alfonso Ramos y Su Orquesta4. "Flor Del Rio" by Manuel Donley y Las Estrellas
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Recorded in January 2013 at their home in Midlothian, Texas.
Conjunto Baraja de Oro is one of the hottest bands going these days. Affectionately known as Conjunto BDO or simply BDO, North Texas husband and wife duo Mario and Betty Barajas are taking the Conjunto world by storm, boasting multiple Tejano Music Award nominations, incredibly well-attended shows, high-quality songwriting and recordings, and a loyal army of fans.
Mario has been working hard for nearly 30 years playing accordion and singing in various Tejano groups. For over 20 years, he and Betty have, with their super-talented band members, steadily built the phenomenon that is Conjunto Baraja de Oro. 
We took an afternoon drive up to Midlothian, Texas, just north of the I-35 split (and the closest Braum’s Ice Cream to Austin!), and really enjoyed getting to know the pair. After talking with them, we came away with a great sense of how much of a labor of love this is for both of them, something we can definitely identify with.
They both have killer good looks, brains, talent, and extraordinary love for and from their fans. Add to that their marketing savvy, business acumen, drive to succeed, and undeniable passion for the music, and the result is nothing short of amazing. We hope you enjoy getting to know them as much as we did.
Since this interview was first posted and since their Austin debut at the 2013 Rancho Alegre Conjunto Festival, BDO has become one of the most in-demand Conjuntos in Austin and continues to tour all over Texas.
BDO also became even more of a family band when they added daughter Victoria on bass and son Jordan on bajo sexto.
Songs played:
Ayer y Hoy
Que Lastima
Prieta Casada
Yo Vendo Unos Ojos Negros
Infiel
Star-Spangled Banner
Damelo
Dos Ojas Sin Rumbo
Sembre Mi Amor
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