Accordion Dreams

August 21, 2001 7:30 PM

Accordion Dreams is a great new PBS show that I just got to see a preview of on my local Texas station. Try to catch it when it comes out nationally on August 30.
posted by bjgeiger (5 comments total)

I'll be sure to catch this. I've always been fascinated by the heavy polka-like influences heard in lots of mexican music. I wondered if there was a european invasion I never read about in history class or something.

Looks like this documentary will explain it.
posted by mathowie at 7:34 PM on August 21, 2001

Surprisingly little European immigration to Mexico. Though with a President named "Fox" you can tell that it's a country with a distinct European minority. (Not all settlers stopped at the Rio Grande!) Here's a history of the polka in Austria, Texas, and Mexico (whoops, Dutch). There was some immigration to the Monterrey area around 1900. And you're right on, Matt.
posted by dhartung at 10:29 PM on August 21, 2001

I have no sources to link to (sorry), but when I lived in Texas, I remember a series in either the local paper or on the local radio about German immigrants having a huge impact on Tejano music. It specifically focused on the polka parts of the Tejano music. I was always under the impression that it was part of the *Tejano* culture, not the *Mexican* or general *Latino* culture in America.

Central Texas (around Walburg, Weir and Taylor) had lots of German immigrants at one part in its history.
posted by crush-onastick at 11:14 AM on August 22, 2001

This site mentions that the accordions first used in Mexico were of German make. I was under the impression that conjunto used button accordions, while most polka is played on piano accordions. I could be wrong.
posted by transient at 11:16 AM on August 22, 2001

it seems there's a lot of dreams being explored at PBS...
posted by gwint at 4:12 PM on August 22, 2001