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  • Flaco Jiménez Dies at 86: Tejano Music Legend

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    Leonardo “Flaco” Jiménez, the six-time Grammy Award-winning accordionist who brought conjunto music to global audiences and became an icon of Tejano culture, died Thursday, July 31, 2025, at the age of 86. His family announced his passing on social media, stating he was surrounded by loved ones in his final moments.

    “It is with great sadness that we share tonight the loss of our father, Flaco Jimenez,” the family’s statement read. “He was surrounded by his loved ones and will be missed immensely.”

    According to his son Arturo, Jiménez’s last words were “I’m tired,” marking the end of a remarkable life dedicated to music and cultural preservation.

    A Musical Legacy Spanning Seven Decades

    Born in San Antonio on March 11, 1939, Flaco Jiménez was destined for musical greatness. He came from a distinguished lineage of musicians, including his father Santiago Jiménez Sr., a pioneer of conjunto music, and his grandfather Patricio Jiménez.

    Jiménez began performing at the tender age of seven alongside his father and started recording at just fifteen as a member of Los Caporales. His nickname “Flaco,” meaning “Skinny” in English, was inherited from his father and became synonymous with conjunto excellence.

    Throughout his career, Jiménez revolutionized conjunto music by incorporating elements of country, blues, and rock, creating a broader, more accessible sound while maintaining the genre’s traditional roots.

    Key Achievements and Collaborations

    Jiménez’s extraordinary career was marked by numerous achievements that elevated conjunto music to international recognition:

    • Six Grammy Awards: Including the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015
    • National Medal of Arts: Awarded by the U.S. Government in 2022
    • National Heritage Fellowship: Received from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2012
    • Texas Medal of Arts: Honored alongside his brother Santiago in 2001
    • Billboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award: Recognized in 1999

    His 1992 album “Partners” was selected for the U.S. Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry in 2021, with the Library of Congress calling Jiménez “a champion of traditional conjunto music and Tex-Mex culture who also is known for innovation and collaboration with a variety of artists.”

    Breaking Musical Boundaries

    Jiménez’s influence extended far beyond the Tejano music scene. He collaborated with an impressive array of artists across genres, including:

    • The Rolling Stones (appearing on their “Voodoo Lounge” album)
    • Bob Dylan
    • Ry Cooder (featured on the world music album “Chicken Skin Music”)
    • Dr. John
    • Willie Nelson
    • Dwight Yoakam
    • Linda Ronstadt
    • Emmylou Harris

    His work with Doug Sahm in the 1960s and later with the Texas Tornados supergroup in the late 1980s helped bring Tejano music to mainstream audiences. The Texas Tornados won a Grammy for their song “Soy de San Luis,” further cementing Jiménez’s crossover appeal.

    Recent Health Struggles

    Jiménez’s passing comes after a period of health challenges. On January 12, Jiménez was taken to the hospital after “facing a medical hurdle.” While he initially showed signs of recovery and returned home later that month, his health continued to decline.

    Over the past decade, Jiménez faced several health setbacks:

    • 2014: Underwent major back surgery
    • 2015: Emergency hip replacement surgery after breaking his hip in two places following a fall at home
    • 2022: Unable to attend the National Medal of Arts ceremony at the White House due to ongoing health issues

    Despite these challenges, Jiménez continued performing well into his 80s, regularly appearing at San Antonio’s annual Tejano Conjunto Festival and other local events.

    A Lasting Cultural Impact

    Flaco Jiménez’s contributions to music extended beyond performance. The Hohner company collaborated with him to create the Flaco Jimenez Signature series of accordions, ensuring his influence on future generations of musicians.

    He also ventured into the culinary world, once owning a food truck in the San Antonio area called Tacos Jimenez, further connecting with his community through traditional Mexican cuisine.

    His brother, Santiago Jiménez Jr., continues the family’s musical legacy as an accomplished accordionist in his own right, having recorded extensively and maintaining the conjunto tradition.

    Remembering a Legend

    As news of Jiménez’s passing spread, tributes poured in from across the music world and beyond. His family expressed gratitude to fans, saying, “Thank you to all of his fans and friends—those who cherished his music. And a big thank you for all of the memories. His legacy will live on through his music and all of his fans.”

    The family has requested privacy during this time of grief but assured fans that Jiménez’s musical legacy will continue to inspire future generations.

    Flaco Jiménez leaves behind an unparalleled legacy as a cultural ambassador who brought the rich traditions of South Texas to the world stage while never forgetting his roots in San Antonio’s vibrant conjunto scene. His innovative spirit and dedication to his craft ensured that conjunto music would not only survive but thrive in the modern era.

    As the accordion falls silent, the music world mourns the loss of a true pioneer whose influence will resonate for generations to come.

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    Anita Kantar

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  • Denis LePage, co founder of Montreal disco powerhouse duo Lime, dies at 74 | Globalnews.ca

    Denis LePage, co founder of Montreal disco powerhouse duo Lime, dies at 74 | Globalnews.ca

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    Disco producer Denis LePage had a knack for drawing revellers to the dance floor, and in the heart of Montreal’s pumping 1980s nightlife, the musician’s hitmaking skills were unmistakable.

    With a stream of Billboard chart hits, LePage helped define an era of Canada’s discotheques as part of the duo Lime.

    LePage, who identified as non-binary and later took the name Nini Nobless, died Monday of cancer at age 74, said former manager Yvon Lafrance.

    While not exactly a household name, LePage’s infectious synthesizer hooks made Lime’s songs favourites at dance clubs around the world.

    “He was a genius,” explained Claude Chalifoux, who co-owned Lime Light, the bustling Montreal dance club that regularly spun Lime’s dance tracks.

    “All of the music that Denis did was a smash hit. People went crazy when they’d play Your Love, You’re My Magician and Guilty.”

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    Years before those electronic disco favourites, LePage was already chasing a music career.

    As a teenager, they performed in the band the Persuaders, and by the mid-1970s had formed the jazz-fusion act Le Pouls with then-wife Denyse LePage, a singer-songwriter in her own right.

    A few years later LePage secured their first hit with the funky 1979 single The Break, released under the name Kat Mandu. The cowbell-fuelled song peaked at No. 3 on Billboard’s U.S. disco chart.


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    The success put some wind into the sails of LePage’s second project with Denyse, which caught the wave of the synthesizer revolution sweeping through the industry.

    Inspired by the sounds of Giorgio Moroder and Kraftwerk, the LePage duo had recorded an electro-disco project together. But they hadn’t settled on the title of their new act the night they walked into the Lime Light with a promotional copy of their first vinyl, said Chalifoux.

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    Lime Light, a downtown Montreal discotheque that welcomed gay and straight clubgoers alike, proved a fruitful inspiration in more ways than one. Opened in 1973, the venue began hosting an exclusive, fashion-forward patronage four years before New York’s Studio 54 would cater to a similar crowd.

    When in-house DJ Michel Simard played Lime’s 1981 debut single Your Love on the turntables for the first time, he was instantly convinced they had a hit on their hands, remembered Chalifoux.

    As the disco pair chatted with Simard, it became clear they were somehow connected to the venue in a special way.

    “When the people came to the Lime Light … a lot of (them) said, ‘We’re going to the Lime tonight,’” added Chalifoux.


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    And so a shortened version of the club’s name stuck to the couple.

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    A night at the Lime Light soon became synonymous with hearing Lime’s hits over the sound systems on one of the venue’s two levels of dance floors.

    By the end of 1981, Your Love had spread beyond Canada’s borders, landing atop the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart for one week.

    Lime delivered another floor filler with 1982’s mirrorball booty shaker Babe, We’re Gonna Love Tonight, which peaked at No. 6 on the dance chart.

    Trending Now

    Denis and Denyse also found success outside Lime when they wrote Dancin’ the Night Away for the duo Voggue. The 1981 single held at No. 1 on the Billboard dance chart for three weeks.

    They also continued making music as Lime into the 1990s, though friends say financial problems led LePage to sell music copyrights to Unidisc, a Montreal record label that specializes in sounds of the era.

    “My parents’ relationship was not easy,” said Claudine LePage, the couple’s child.
    “They continued making music together … and then my dad continued producing music but used other singers. Or my mom would sing by herself on songs with other artists. The goal was just to continue making music.”


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    Around the early 2010s, LePage began to publicly identify as a woman, taking the name Nini Nobless and recording new material. The music struggled to find an audience for a variety of reasons.

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    “I felt that the people didn’t like that Denis went from a man to a lady,” said Chalifoux.
    “His music was good, he had the same voice as when he was singing with Lime, it was only a physical change … (but) the sound was too much from the ’80s.”

    Still, Lime’s sound has reverberated in contemporary circles with the help of Unidisc. The company’s ownership of Lime’s catalogue meant the label could reissue and rework past recordings.

    In recent years, that included recruiting Canadian dance producers Jacques Greene and Tiga to produce remixes of the duo’s classic singles.

    Francis Cucuzzella, who manages artist relations at Unidisc, said there was a documentary on Lime being made in cooperation with the late LePage. While the project is now in limbo, he hopes it will one day be completed and released.

    A funeral is planned in Montreal for Sept. 4.

    Editors’ note: The Canadian Press consulted family and friends of Denis LePage, who also went by Nini Nobless, to determine which names and pronouns they believe they would have preferred for this story. The musician used their names and pronouns interchangeably in their later years.

    &copy 2023 The Canadian Press

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