Flaco Jimenez

Biography

Leonardo Jiménez, 11 March 1939, San Antonio, Texas, USA. Jiménez’s grandfather, Patricio, learned the accordion from German neighbours and played in towns in southern Texas at the turn of the century. Jiménez’s father, Don Santiago Jiménez Snr., was a noted accordionist and played lively dance music around San Antonio. His best-known composition was the polka ‘Viva Seguin’, named after a small town near San Antonio. Santiago, who started recording in 1936 and cut some music for RCA Records, played the two-button accordion and made no attempt to integrate his music with other American forms. Jiménez, nicknamed El Flaco ‘the skinny one’, played bajo sexto with his father and made his recording debut in 1955 on ‘Los Tecolotes’. He recorded with a group, Los Caminantes, and often had regional successes by considering contemporary lifestyle such as ‘El Pantalon Blue Jean’ and ‘El...

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