El Veterano Conjunto Festival
There are a number of conjunto festivals throughout the state, and the Veterano Conjunto Festival organized by musician Linda Escobar stands out for its emphasis on honoring Mexican-American military veterans and providing scholarships to young musicians. The festival was subject of a chapter by border archivist Margaret Dorsey and Miguel Diaz-Barriga in the book, Transnational Encounters: Music and Performance at the U.S.-Mexico Border.
The 15th Annual El Veterano Festival will take place Sunday, November 3rd at Pan Am Plaza in San Antonio. Held every year around Veterans Day in memory of Conjunto legend Eligio Escobar, the festival honors all veterans for their service to this country and also awards scholarships to young musicians on behalf of the Eligio Escobar Scholarship Fund.
This yearly family-friendly event is a source of pride for coordinator and Tejano R.O.O.T.S. hall-of-fame inductee Linda Escobar, as the Conjunto music showcase honors not only veterans’ service to our country in memory of her late father, but also shines a spotlight on the future of the genre with scholarships for young musicians. This year’s recipients include Michelle “Shelly” Lara (14 years old, accordion), Reynaldo Valero (14 years old, bajo sexto), and Michael Degollado (17 years old, drums). Scheduled to perform are some of today’s hottest Conjuntos from around Texas, as well as past scholarship recipients. Pan Am Plaza is located at 1419 Commercial Avenue, just east of the intersection of I-35 and Southcross boulevard in South San Antonio. All ages are welcome, and the cover charge is $12 per person, with the proceeds going to the Eligio Escobar Scholarship Fund.
About the Eligio Escobar Scholarship Fund
The Eligio Escobar Scholarship Fund was established by Linda Escobar to recognize the talents of young Conjunto musicians and awards scholarships annually to help them continue their education. To date, the Fund has awarded nearly 50 scholarships to children from all over the state.
More information about Linda Escobar is available online at lindaescobar.com.
