Conjunto Bustamante*In Memory Of Pete Bustamante*

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Story Behind the MusicDedicated to Tommy BustamanteI hope you like these songs recorded by my dad, Pete Bustamante Sr. I would like to thank my nephew Issac for helping me tell the story behind your grandfather’s music. Daddy had lots of recordings that show his love and dedication to music. They also show the pride he had of not only having his sons play his music but, he passed on this tradition to his grandsons as well. Please keep in mind that these recordings were in my dad’s private collection and were not of a professional recorded album. These songs were recorded at home in Vernon, TX at different times, through the years, mostly in the late 90’s. Some off of old reel to reels recorded in the 70's when my brother was 5yrs. old just learning to play the drums. On some of these songs, you will hear my dad’s original sound as he would play everyday at home with no sound effects, microphones or electricity, or backup, just simply unplugged. I do not know the names of all the songs or who wrote them but, you may recognize a few of them. My nephew Issac and I remembered my nephew Tommy Bustamante as we listed to some of these songs. Tommy had learned to play the bass and also played with his grandfather before he was tragically killed. My dad was teaching his grandsons to sing and play. I can only imagine how proud my dad must have felt to have two of his grandsons playing some of these songs with him. We lost Tommy way too young and as my dad said “When we lost him we lost a piece of our hearts too”. My dad knew lots of old songs but only wrote 2 that I know of one was a corrido that he wrote about one of his best friends and fellow musician “Chema” Ramirez who was tragically killed in a car accident on his way to a dance where he was going to play. My mother says that she remembers dad staying up all night to write these verses for his friend and would not go to bed until he finished the song. Daddy loved to teach all his old music to his sons and grandsons, but he still liked learning new ones even after he retired. Dad liked country and rock-n-roll music too. Sometimes he would play an old rock-n-roll song or a country song like “Making Believe” and innovate it to a Tex-Mex rhythm or cumbia. Dad liked to add sound effects to his music and did not mind trying something new every now and then. Pete Jr. tried getting dad to use an electronic drum. At first, he did not like it and it was hard to get use to. He would say “I think I rather have Elias on drums”. Elias is one of his son-in-laws who also played the drums for the conjunto at one time. I don’t know which one of my brothers said this, but they joked around saying “at least the drum machine won’t fall off the chair”. This was the Conjunto Bustamante, playing, laughing and learning. There were several members that were in the conjunto at one time or another through the years, including some of my cousins like Lupe Bustamante who played bass and Juan Santos Martinez who played drums. All the memberrs of the conjunto have stories they love to tell about playing the gigs with daddy or playing with him at Red’s Tavern just across the Red River border in Oklahoma. This family tradition started a long time before my dad. He kept it going through the good times and bad times for us. My dad always played with heart and soul as if he had an audience every time. He was known to be one of the best musicians around the area. He brought people together playing music and we know it will never be the same without him, but the music and love he taught us will continue to bring us together and always keep us close. Thank you daddy and Conjunto Bustamante. Love, Rita