Hacienda Records bids a Musical Farewell to Pioneer Legend, Valerio Longoria, with the new CD release, "Recordando," commemorates some of his all-time hits. Accordionist Valerio Longoria will be remembered not only as one of the pioneers of conjunto music but also as an innovator who transformed this once rural folk music into a widely appreciated popular music tradition. As a vocalist, he eloquently articulated the singing style that popularized "cancion ranchera" (sentimental song in waltz tempo) and introduced the Cuban bolero to conjunto audiences everywhere. The "cancion ranchera" style is now a standard among conjuntos throughout Texas. Before the 1940's, vocals rarely accompanied the accordion as it was used primarily for dance music. However, Longoria's boleros demanded more vocal control and technique, requiring the singer to transfer a full range of emotions through his voice.

During the late 1940's, Valerio Longoria also began experimenting with the sound of the accordion as well as with the conjunto ensemble. He re-tuned his accordion reeds so he could transpose them to other keys causing the notes to vibrate at the rate of an octave lower, producing a rich resonant tone. Longoria's innovations drew more passion and feeling out of the instrument and broadened its scope in the conjunto ensemble. In 1948, Longoria was the first conjunto bandleader to add drums. He added a new dimension to the sound by emphasizing the dance rhythm and allowing the accordion and voice to be focused solely on the melody.

In 1986, Valerio Longoria was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship Award for his contributions to this distinct "American" music form. Fittingly, he performed at the White House for President Reagan at his Second Inauguration. In his lifetime, he made well over 00 recordings and was a master accordion instructor at the Guadalupe Cultural Center in San Antonio. The Center is an organization working to keep conjunto music alive and moving forward within the Latino community in South Texas.

Hacienda Records is proud to present this musical farewell, "Recordando," containing an array of 15 favorite hit tunes including special interviews by Valerio capturing his thoughts and feelings just prior to his passing away. This compact disc is compiled with feelings of remendous grief, sorrow and loss. However, we know this musical prodigy will bring great joy and comfort to his multitude of fans.