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Eva Ybarra is an accordionist with her group
"Eva Ybarra y su Conjunto", a tejano conjunto from San
Antonio, Texas. She is known as the "Queen of the
Accordion". Eva was born in San Antonio and began playing
the accordion at the age of four. She comes from a musical
family. All nine siblings, as well as her parents, are
musicians, songwriters, and poets. Her mother and sister
wrote songs appearing in Eva's records. At the young age of
six, Eva was known as a professional accordionist,
showcasing her talent in restaurants, clubs, and cantinas.
She has taught accordion and bajo sexto (12 string guitar)
at the University of Washington and released two records
with one in the making, as well as collaborated with other
popular tejano musicians. Eva is unique in that she is one
of very few women accordionists to achieve success in a
typiclly male dominated genre. According to Cathy Ragland,
an ethnomusicologist and producer of Eva's recordings,
"Ybarra stands out as one of the best and most creative
accordionists among a plethora of squeeze-box
royalty."
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Gloria García is the singer for Eva
Ybarra y Su Conjunto. She was born in Chiapas, Mexico. Her
family members were interested in music, though she was the
only one to strike out and pursue a career. She left her
home to work in Mexico City, where her musical career took
off.. From a young age, she has been singing and composing
and has had a career replete with diverse experiences. Her
focus has been mexican folk music.This has led her to tour
many states in Mexico, Spain, Venezuela, and the United
States. In addition, she has worked for several television
programs in Mexico, such as Canal Dos. She has also
collaborated with the comedian "Cantinflas" as well as other
famous artists. In 1983, Gloria came to the United States
where she met Eva Ybarra. A few years later, the two began
playing conjunto music together. Gloria writes many songs
appearing on their recordings, including several corridos.
As a woman singer from Mexico,she has experienced difficulty
in gaining the recognition she deserves.