Los Texmaniacs talk ‘Cruzando Borders’ album and more [VIDEO]

Grammy Award-winning Max Baca Y Los Texmaniacs stopped by Casino del Sol on November 29th while passing through to Phoenix and California. Los Texmaniacs delivered a solid upbeat performance.

The group took time out to catch up with Tejano Nation. Baca touched on his childhood, learning how to play the accordion at the age of 5 in Albuquerque New Mexico. The combination of rock and roll, jazz and conjunto were inherited by his father Max Baca, Sr.

Playing at Fiestas, parties, and public events, Max stated that they played a form of music called “Chicken Scratch” (also known as Waila music), which is an instrumental kind of dance music developed by the Tohono O’odham People.

At the age of 12, Baca joined his brother, Jimmy to form their own group, Los Hermanos Baca. That’s when Flaco Jimenez, one of Max’s major idols, invited Max to San Antonio and play bajo sexto in his band. He continued to play with the Texas Tornados, but in 1997 created Los Texmaniacs.

Josh Baca (The Magician) also started at a young age, watching his uncle Max and his father, Jimmy Baca, play music. At the age of 17, Josh decided to move to Texas to pursue performing and studying conjunto masters. In 2012, a huge opportunity came when uncle Max needed an accordion player for his Grammy award-winning band, Los Texmaniacs. Josh has been busy performing with many artists such as Flaco Jimenez, Los Lobos, Los Lonely Boys, Jimmy Vaughn, just to name a few. He was a master instructor for the 2016 Folk Alliance Conference at the age of 24.

During the interview, Josh stated that their music represents and makes a statement about being Mexican-Americans. Their new album, Cruzando Borders, pertains to other countries not only the situation here in the Southwest.

Max Baca has created history by becoming the first Native New Mexican to have won a Grammy and to have his original bajo sexto to be preserved in the National Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. The Smithsonian Folkways is a non-profit record label of the Smithsonian Institute located at the Capitol Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. For more information, you can view the official website www.folkways.si.edu.

WATCH: Max and Josh Baca of Los Texmaniacs