Flaco Jiménez, a Grammy-winning accordionist and a pivotal figure in Tex-Mex conjunto music, has died. He was 88.
Jiménez’s decades-long career, marked by his distinctive accordion style and collaborations with a wide range of artists, earned him numerous accolades, including multiple Grammy Awards, a National medal of Arts, and a National Heritage fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.
His extensive body of work was recognized with lifetime achievement awards from the Grammys, Billboard, and the Tejano Music Awards. In 2022, President Joe Biden presented him with the National Medal of arts, though Jiménez was unable to attend the ceremony due to illness.
A significant milestone in his career was the inclusion of his 1992 album “Partners” in the National recording Registry of the library of Congress in 2021. This album featured numerous collaborations with other prominent musicians.
Reflecting on the recognition in an interview with the Library of Congress, Jiménez stated, “People used to regard my music as cantina music, just no respect. The accordion was considered something like a party joke … I really give respect to everyone who helped me out on this record and I’m flattered by this recognition.”
Hohner, the manufacturer of the accordions he favored, paid tribute to his legacy, describing him as a “Global Ambassador for Tex-Mex conjunto music.”
In 2012, Jiménez received a national heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, the nation’s highest honor for folk and traditional arts, acknowledging his cultural preservation efforts and pioneering contributions to music.
Jiménez maintained a strong connection to his origins, performing annually at the Tejano Conjunto Music Festival in San Antonio. This festival, held in a west side San Antonio park were he grew up, showcases emerging and established Tejano and conjunto artists, including many accordionists, and serves as a fundraiser for the local Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center. The center shared its condolences on social media, acknowledging his significant contributions to the institution.
