Los Texmaniacs bring conjunto’s living history to Tiny Desk

Los Texmaniacs brought conjunto to NPR Music’s Tiny Desk on October 8 as part of El Tiny, the series’ annual Latin Music Month program. Led by bajo sexto player Max Baca, the San Antonio band performed “Ay Mama,” “Boom and a Bang” and “Herido,” with Alt.Latino co-host Felix Contreras joining on güiro. The set also introduced “Déjalo (Let It Go!),” a new single tied to the band’s planned 2027 album, Nuevo Crossroads.

The appearance carries a lineage as well as a spotlight. Baca first played the desk in 2012 beside the late accordionist Flaco Jiménez; fourteen years later, he returned at the front of a group that treats conjunto as a living form rather than a museum piece. Tiny Desk’s reach does not by itself secure sustained attention for regional Mexican American music, but this performance gives the tradition a prominent room—and lets the band define what comes next.