The UT San Antonio Institute of Texan Cultures has partnered with Casa Navarro State Historic Site to present "Stories in Song: A Corridos & Conjunto Walking Tour," on Thursday, Oct. 22, 6 to 8 p.m. This special event invites participants to experience San Antonio history through guided discussion and visits to two historic downtown sites. Participants will experience a live music presentation, a guided historic walk along San Pedro Creek, stories from the historic Little Laredo neighborhood, and a hands-on opportunity to write their own corrido.
Long before podcasts, playlists, and social media gave communities new ways to share their stories, they turned to music. Corridos and conjunto songs served as living records of everyday life. They told stories of local heroes, celebrated milestones, preserved cultural traditions and passed community history from one generation to the next.
The walking tour will begin at the Institute of Texan Cultures, where renowned musicians and educators Juan and Armando Tejeda will share a presentation and performance exploring the history and cultural significance of corridos and conjunto music.
The Tejeda brothers have performed together for more than 40 years and have made lasting contributions to Tejano and conjunto music. Juan founded the Tejano Conjunto Festival at the Guadalupe Theater, where he served as director of the Xicano Music Program for 18 years. Armando is a professor of education at Texas A&M University San Antonio and has performed and recorded music with conjunto legends including Valerio Longoria and Santiago Jimenez, Jr.
Following the presentation, participants will walk with the Casa Navarro team along San Pedro Creek and explore the historic sites of Little Laredo, or "Laredito" a neighborhood that played an important role in San Antonio’s Mexican American history.
At Casa Navarro, the storytelling continues. Participants will learn how corridos have been used to document people, places and events, then put the tradition into practice by writing a corrido of their own. Together, the evening’s music, history and hands-on activities will demonstrate how songs can do more than entertain: they can preserve memories, tell the stories of people whose experiences might otherwise be forgotten, and connect generations to the history of a place.
“Stories in Song” will be offered as part of Downtown West’s “Journey West Guitar Wars” urban activation.
Admission is $5 per person or free with UT San Antonio ID.