Austin Tejano non-profit to begin SXSW initiative for Tejano and Conjunto artists

Austin-based non-profit organization Rancho Alegre Radio announced today the
beginning of an initiative aimed at raising the profile of Tejano and Conjunto music at the world-famous South by Southwest (SXSW) music conference.

“Tejano and Conjunto music fans have long criticized the festival, noting a near total absence of these genres on the official showcases. We looked at the process and decided to try our best to improve the situation,” said Baldomero Cuellar, Executive Director of Rancho Alegre Radio.

The initiative has two parts. The first part is a proposed discussion panel through South by Southwest’s PanelPicker process to analyze and bring to light the various challenges that Tejano and Conjunto music face trying to gain visibility in mainstream media and live music venues. The second part of the initiatives to assist artists with the application process through a series of live webinars on Rancho Alegre Radio’s Facebook page.

“We don’t guarantee anything nor do we claim to be associated in any way with South by Southwest, but we see an opportunity to help artists in the genres we love and advocate for to be considered at one of the most famous music festivals in the world. We are happy to help them by going over application deadlines, the frequently asked questions and even the application itself,” says Piper LeMoine, Rancho Alegre Radio’s Communications Director.

The first of these webinars will take place on Wednesday July 26, 2017 at 7pm on Rancho Alegre Radio’s Facebook page, with more to be announced on Facebook and on their website, ranchoalegreradio.org, before the application deadlines this fall.

Public voting on the PanelPicker submissions begins on August 7, 2017.