My Grandfather Pablo Reyes

1912 - 1982

by Gilbert Reyes Jr

My grandfather picked up his first accordion when he was fifteen years old. My great grandfather bartered livestock in exchange for a one row diatonic accordion from a German merchant in Monterrey Nuevo Leon, Mexico in 1927.

"Cada tres meses ibamos para Monterrey en carreta desde Teran para comprar necesidades y vender ganando o puercos."

"Every three months we would go from Teran to Monterrey in wagons to buy necessities and sell livestock."

It was at one of these trips to Monterrey that my grandfather eyed the one row diatonic accordion. With the one row diatonic accordion, there was only so much you can do musically according to my grandfather "It was not until we came to America that I really got into other styles of music besides corridos."

In 1942, when my grandfather and father crossed the Rio Grande River and settled in La Feria, Texas, the polka style of music had an impact on my grandfather. In 1943 he bought a two row diatonic accordion and started experimenting with polkas. And in 1948, he purchased a three-row accordion. Clearly, having been exposed to many great accordion players and those who were not well known in the late 1940s and early 1950s, influenced my grandfather's technique tremendously. However, he never did abandon the bass keys of the accordion as did most of the musicians of his era.

A man of very few words, my grandfather found a form to express himself. To transcend if you will, his spirit as he toiled and labored like a beast of burden in the labor camps. After working all day in the scorching sun, he would quench his overworked body by soothing it with music. His strong hands filled with bruises and calluses would float with ease as he worked his magic fingers to create music out of the red box with buttons. My grandfather was not well known for his music, or even cared to be. As a matter of fact, Conjunto was basically a poor working mans music that really did not hold any value in the mainstream. Like most folk music, it was a way to express the pain and sufferings of the poor working man. Conjunto is not a widely popular genre even though some who romanticize this style of music think it is.

My grandfather indeed left a great impression on me. His music flows through my fingers. He has given me an umbilical chord, if you will, that connects me with my culture, heritage, and people. Mainstream has not been able to cut this chord. The music, my grandfather’s music, has truly saved me. Click here for more pics.