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Rancho AlegreAuthor: Rancho Alegre
Many moons ago, seeing a criminal underdocumentation of Tejano and Conjunto music, Austin-based nonprofit organization Rancho Alegre began an ambitious project to travel the state of Texas recording oral histories with legends, veterans, and up-and-coming artists in Tejano and Conjunto music. These were a sort of proto-podcast, living on ranchoalegre.org. Now its time to move these over to podcasting platforms for the rest of the world to enjoy. These are in English, Spanish, and Spanglish, depending on the preference of the interviewee, and conducted by the one and only Baldomero Cuellar. Language: en-us Genres: Music, Music Interviews Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Rancho Alegre Interview with Los Arcos Hermanos Peña (2014)
Episode 8
Sunday, 8 February, 2026
Recorded in 2013 in Dimmitt, Texas. Things have changed considerably since this interview (read to the end for the update). In 2013, Rancho Alegre headed out to the Texas panhandle on business. While we were out there, we thought we would touch base with one of the region's most popular groups: Los Arcos Hermanos Peña. We had already been all over the Valley, Houston, and Central Texas, and we wanted to know more about the scene out in that area of the state, which is not traditionally known for Conjunto. We were not disappointed... We spent a Saturday afternoon with brothers Jerry (accordion) Larry (saxophone), Gilbert (bass) and Fidencio Peña(drums) in their clubhouse in their hometown of Dimmitt. "Clubhouse" is kind of an understatement. It's more like a super-nice private club, complete with a pool table, televisions, a bar, and all manner of Arcos memorabilia on the walls. Getting to know the guys, we learned all about their career as a very closely-knit family band that has been able to slide between Relampagos Del Norte-style Norteño and hardcore, foot-stomping Conjunto. Their first recording was in 1979 as Los Arcos Del Norte on Joey Records. At the time of this interview, they had recorded over 25 different albums, plus joint ventures with Toño Zamora, Crystal Tarango, and the late, great, legendary Cornelio Reyna. After scoring major hits during the 1980s, including the classic slow jam, "El Borracho Del Año," tragedy struck the band in the early 1990s when drummer Juan Ramon Peña passed away after a very short bout with cancer. This shook the brothers to the core, and they took a hiatus for several years. They came roaring back in 1998 with the album, Sin Mi, and have continued to crank out studio albums and tour all over the United States. The band also includes big brother Luis Peña Jr. on bajo sexto, and vocalists Luis III and Oscar Peña. A LOT has happened since this interview was recorded. We have brought the band to Austin multiple times for the Rancho Alegre Conjunto Music Festival, including a live album at One-2-One Bar in Austin in 2018. But the biggest news is that the brothers parted ways in 2024, with Jerry continuing what he calls "La Tercera Epoca" of Los Arcos Hermanos Peña with his sons JJ and Fabian and nephews Adrian and OJ. The guys have been playing all over the country and beyond, winning awards, and releasing new music. The rest of the brothers formed Los Hermanos Peña shortly thereafter. They have also recorded and released new music, and traveled throughout the state as well. In 2024, Adan Peña produced a short film for Panhandle PBS titled "The West Texas Boys," which chronicles the rise of all six brothers from migrant workers to the musical powerhouses they became. The film has earned critical praise nationwide. We hope you enjoy listening to this moment in time with these four brothers. Here's what we played: Copas Llenas (Los Arcos Del Norte) Dos Amores (Los Arcos Del Norte) Te Eche Al Olvido Una Carta y Un Clavel Te Vengo A Declarar Vuela Paloma Llorar y Padecer El Borracho Del Año Jugando, Jugandito (with Toño Zamora) Contrabando y Traicion (with Cornelio Reyna) Olvidate (with Crystal) Se Quiero Llorando Pintor Pinta Mi Padre A Quien Le Debo El Favor Jinete De La Noche
