15 years ago in October, Ruben Naranjo, the beloved legendary Conjunto accordionist and bandleader from Alice, Texas, passed away at age 53. For over 30 years, he traveled all over Texas and beyond with a simple but elegant brand of Conjunto that filled dancehalls and resonated with fans everywhere. 

For Rancho Alegre, this is a very special show. Not only is this the first of our Homenaje series, but it is special to us because we are also huge fans of Ruben Naranjo. Listening to the stories people told us about him offered a more intimate look at El Si Señor himself. 

The playlist below features the voices of 75 different Conjunto and Tejano artists, collected through our interviews all over the state over the past two years.

You'll hear intimate stories from Conjunto pioneers like Gilberto Perez, Agapito Zuñiga and Chano Cadena; Tejano legends like Ruben Ramos, Little Joe, and Roberto Pulido; veterans like David Lee Garza, Linda Escobar, and Pio Treviño; and up and coming performers like Mickey Mendoza, Crystal and Jose Garcia of Crystal N Crew, and many, many more. 

Complementing their stories are some of his greatest hits, as well as rare selections from deep within our catalog, many of which we have converted from vinyl, 8-track, and cassette. 

We hope you enjoy it, and many thanks to everyone who participated in this project. 

Like what you hear? Let us know! And thanks for listening.