Members of the Los Texmaniacs
Photo : Twitter
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Max Baca, founder of Los Texmaniacs, will perform at the Democratic National Convention, representing Chicano culture.
- Baca, who has a 50-year music career, has been recently inducted into the national Conjunto Hall of Fame.
- Los Texmaniacs won a Grammy Award in 2010 for Best Tejano Album, showcasing their significant contribution to music.
Los Texmaniacs will take the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The band has also played for Republican events, too, including at the governor’s mansion in Austin. For the DNC, they were invited by The BOLD PAC, a Democratic Political Action Committee.
Max Baca is performing “Hey Baby Que Paso” on the bajo quinto in his studio on the northeast side of San Antonio. He has been involved in music for 50 years, beginning his journey at the age of seven.
Early Beginnings
Baca’s musical career began in Albuquerque with his father’s conjunto group. This early experience ignited his passion for music. “I played with my dad. And from there on, I was my dad’s bass player till, you know, until I got my own band. Me and my brother, we started the Baca brothers, Los Hermanos Baca, out of high school, and my dad started … he had quit playing by that time, and he started managing us,” Baca has stated.
Formation of Los Texmaniacs
Baca joined the Texas Tornados and later founded Los Texmaniacs in 1997. He plays the bajo sexto, a 12-string instrument, and provides vocals. The bajo quinto, a ten-string bass instrument with a guitar-like body, differs from the bajo sexto, which has 12 strings. “Then the bajo sexto is 12 strings. And that’s what I normally play, the 12 string,” Baca explains.
Educational Outreach
Los Texmaniacs have collaborated with the Texas Commission on the Arts to introduce conjunto music to grade school classes throughout South Texas. In San Antonio, locals can learn to play both the bajo quinto and the bajo sexto at Conjunto Taller, which offers free music classes on the West Side.
Cultural Significance
To Baca, conjunto music represents the Chicano community’s story and history. “Continuing on the legacy of conjunto music is … this is our culture. This is who we are. This music is the people’s music. It comes from the people, from us,” Baca says.
Recent Achievements
In recent weeks, Baca has been inducted into the national Conjunto Hall of Fame. At 50, he is the youngest conjunto musician to receive this honor, joining the ranks of pioneers like Narciso Martínez, Pedro Ayala, and Santiago Jimenez Sr. In 2010, Los Texmaniacs won a Grammy Award for Best Tejano Album for “Borders y Bailes.”
Upcoming Performance
August has been notable for Baca and Los Texmaniacs, who are set to perform at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago. They have been invited by The BOLD PAC, a Democratic Political Action Committee. Baca has played at Republican events, including at the governor’s mansion in Austin.
Performance Details
Baca has expressed gratitude for the opportunity to represent the Chicano community at the DNC. “But I’m very proud to be a part of this, this night that they asked us to, it’s called “BOLD night,” and it’s Chicano organizations,” he states. While Baca prefers not to align his music with political sentiments, he chooses songs based on the crowd and atmosphere. “And what, you know, I just told them, ‘Look, I have to see the crowd. I have to see the demographic, you know, and we’re just going to be who we are.’ We’re going to be Texmaniacs and just play music,” he explains.
Musical Focus
Baca has indicated that he has at least one song in mind for the DNC. He performed a classic Los Texmaniacs track, “Mexico Americano,” as part of his preparation.
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