Great Weekend Activity October 7-9

                            2011 International Accordion Festival

Where:
         Villita Street, Alamo and Nueva streets
         San Antonio, TX 78288
          (210) 207-8610

How:

Official Website Info

Cost:

FREE

Times:

Friday Oct 7 6-11pm
Saturday Oct 8 12-10pm
Sunday Oct 9 12-10pm

Based in San Antonio, the International Accordion Festival has earned a reputation for innovative programming, featuring international performers of the highest caliber, and for a commitment to cultural education by initiating cross-cultural communication in workshops and performances. This FREE festival has established itself as one of the premier events in the Southwest.

The accordion in Texas is a perfect vehicle through which to tell the story of immigrant America.  And the musical tale of immigrant America examined closely unpacks the rich international roots of our heritage.

Historically rich from its variant origins, the accordion is at the root of numerous multicultural music traditions throughout the world, many of which have found their way to this country, many of which enjoy great acclaim in diverse parts of the world: the Italians, los mexicanos, the French, los dominicanos, the Germans, los colombianos, the Irish, los argentinos, the Poles, los españoles, the Czechs...and many others.

Of course, to enhance its draw, the International Accordion Festival will be held again in the scenic downtown San Antonio at the historic La Villita.  The festival's focus makes San Antonio an especially appropriate host site--since the city is essentially the birthplace and industry hub for Tejano conjunto music.  Conjunto, a popular and historically important accordion music, draws on European and Latin American influences and rhythms but is basically an American musical genre.

In the past ten years, the International Accordion Festival has become a premier event in the Southwest and has presented: 159 ensembles, representing over 39 distinct styles (Russian, Texas Czech, French Canadian, Indian, Klezmer, Basque, Vallenato, Irish, Merengue Tipico Ripiao, Conjunto, Tango, Cajun, German Polka, Klezmer and Eastern Europe, Bulgarian Wedding Music, Zydeco, Western Swing, Slovenian, Breton, Croatian, Nuclear Polka, Italian, Argentine Chamame, Brazilian Forro, Albanian, Middle Eastern, Texas Ecletic, Czech Republic, Third Coast, Azebaijani, Cape Verdean, Quebecois, Creole, Canary Islands, Alternative, Chicken Scratch, Bulgarian Roma, Panamian Pindin and Parisian Musette and many more), 85 workshops, demonstrations, panels, lectures, and open mics.