Jacinto Guevara, born in 1956 and button accordion player since 1977, is a painter, musicologist and performance artist. He is an expert in Texas-Mexican music and 1920’s pop music.

Originally from Los Angeles, California, Jacinto Guevara came to San Antonio in 1992 as a “conjunto” accordion-playing band leader and fine artist, getting his first professional gig at Fiesta Texas, and his first S.A. gallery experience with the Dagen Bela Ortiz Gallery in 1993.

He paints what he sees, disdaining things copied from photographs. Besides accordion, quena, and banjo, Jacinto’s passion is painting portraits from life, preferably dancers, writers and actresses

Diatonic accordionist Jacinto Guevara writes, “Last public performance of all time. After performing, composing, arranging and band-leading since 1976 I’ll be retiring my musical career. I’ve performed at hundreds of private parties, original music clubs, folk festivals, theatrical plays, studio sessions with other bands, recordings for movies (three) and for dignitaries including César Chávez, Gloria Molina, Jesse Jackson and Charlie González.

I thank all the people who have performed with me in the last 38 years including Ray Symczyk and Joaquin Muerte. Thank you, Everto Ruiz at CSU Northridge for lending me the acordeón for a semester as a bribe to get me to learn and perform guitarrón in your mariachi.”

Jacinto Guevara’ final gig was at Barriba Cantina, Crocket and Navarro on the Riverwalk, San Antonio, Texas on Sunday March 15th.

Painting is Jacinto’s self portrait.