by Johnny LoftusBorn in 1944, Santiago Jimenez Jr. was a singer and accordionist whose father made a significant contribution to the conjunto instrumental style. Conjunto, the accordion-based social music of Mexico and South Texas, was a style rooted in tradition. While his brother Flaco Jimenez mixed its sound with modern influences like jazz and country, Santiago upheld the traditions of his father and concentrated on the basic formula of two-button accordion with guitar and voice accompaniment. He released numerous albums, including a 1960 collaboration between his brother and him, numerous singles on local pressings, and a series of Spanish-language releases for the Rounder and Watermelon labels throughout the late 80s and 1990s.