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Encounter CultureAuthor: New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs
New Mexico's deep artistic traditions have long engaged with the multifaceted histories and cultures of the state. At Encounter Culture, we talk with artists, historians, scientists, museum curators, and writers who are all a part of New Mexico's centuries' old lineage of helping us understand the places and people who make the Land of Enchantment so unique. https://podcast.nmculture.org/ Language: en Genres: Arts, Places & Travel, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Button Box Dreams & Repair-Shop Flair: Mastering the Art of Accordions with Tony Tomei and Antonio Maestas
Episode 63
Wednesday, 11 February, 2026
Accordions are woven into New Mexico's soundscape—at fiestas, on plazas, and in the musical storytelling traditions that travel across generations. In this episode of Encounter Culture, host Emily Withnall talks with Tony Tomei and Antonio Maestas, a master-and-apprentice duo who completed the New Mexico Arts Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program in 2024, focusing on accordion restoration and traditional New Mexico tunings. Tony and Antonio fell in love with the accordion in different decades and play different styles. Tony first encountered the accordion as a child in the 1950s, growing up in an ethnically diverse community where the instrument was central to social life. "And that was before the Beatles came in the sixties and basically wreaked havoc with the accordion and everybody switched over to the guitars," Tony laughs. Discover more: New Mexico Arts Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs on YouTube Hear more on Encounter Culture: The American Mystique of the Cowboy Boot with Deana McGuffin and Jes Márquez Learn more: Hohner Albuquerque Accordion Club We'd love to hear from you! Let us know what you loved about the episode, share a personal story it made you think of, or ask us a question at elpalacio@dca.nm.gov. You can write a regular email or record a short voice memo and attach it for us to listen to. Visit newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours, and more. Our favorite way to fully experience everything they have to offer is with the New Mexico CulturePass. Reserve yours online! If you love New Mexico, you'll love El Palacio Magazine! Subscribe to El Palacio today. Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Emily Withnall, editor at El Palacio MagazineExecutive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Technical Director & Post-Production Audio: Edwin R. RuizRecording Engineer: Collin Ungerleider and Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa FeEditor & Production Manager: Alex RieglerAssociate Producer & Editor: Monica Braine (Assiniboine/Lakota) Theme Music: D'Santi Nava Instagram: @newmexicanculture and @elpalaciomagazine
