Valerio Longoria, Jr.

by Eugene Chadbourne
This Tejano musician is the son of the legendary Valerio Longoria Sr., who was responsible for an array of innovations in the Tex-Mex conjunto musical traditions. While Longoria the father worked on his musical skills while laboring in orange groves and cotton fields, his children have enjoyed basking in the glow of the kind of fame being a musical pioneer can bring if an artist plays his cards right, or rather chords. The family band of los Longoria continue in their fathers conjunto tradition. Valerio Longoria Jr. plays both the traditional bajo sexto and drums, the latter instrument representing one of his fathers major innovations in the conjunto instrumental lineup. The other members of the group are Flavio Longoria, who dares to follow in his fathers footsteps on accordion, and Paul Sanchez on bass. Longoria Jr. also performed on several of his fathers albums, including the superb sessions for Arhoolie involving Tex-Mex legend and country star Freddy Fender.