Eva Ybarra, often referred to as "La Reina de Conjunto" and "Queen of the Accordion," has dedicated over 65 years to her musical career. A skilled button accordionist and multi-instrumentalist, she is proficient on the piano, guitar, bajo sexto, bass, and guitarron. In addition to her instrumental talents, Eva is also a vocalist, songwriter, composer of instrumental melodies, arranger, recording artist, performer, musical stylist, and music educator.
Born on March 2, 1945, in a humble neighborhood on the Westside of San Antonio, Texas, Eva's musical journey began at an early age. By the time she was four, she would strap on her brother Pedro's button accordion, tuning into the radio to play along with various melodies. Her parents soon recognized her passion and bought her a two-row button accordion. Eva has often remarked that instead of playing with dolls, she preferred to engage with her accordion. Her innate musical talent became apparent as she taught herself polkas and other melodies, alongside her singing abilities.
At the age of 14, while performing with her older brother’s band, a promoter approached Eva and her father about recording. They agreed to a one-year contract, which was later extended to two years. This partnership led to the creation of several 45 rpm records under the Discos Rosina label, featuring songs such as "La Noche de Mi Mal," a slow ballad, and "Ausencia," a bolero.
In her late 20s and 30s during the 1970s, Eva collaborated with various bands, including recording two 8-track tapes with Rudy Calderon y su Conjunto for Discos Reloj in Del Rey, Florida, as well as performing with La Fama, where she played both accordion and keyboards. The early 1980s saw her recording two cassette tapes with Jet Martinez y Los Navigators for the Discos Dina label, where she not only played accordion and sang but also arranged music for Jet’s original compositions. Eva's performances included notable venues such as the E-Z Club and the Royal Palace Ballroom in the San Antonio area.
After her time with Jet Martinez, she re-established her own band, Eva Ybarra y su Conjunto, and recorded two cassettes with Hacienda Records in Corpus Christi, Texas. Her performances extended across Texas, with appearances in Mexico and Puerto Rico. During the late 1980s, she met an executive from Rounder Records at the Tejano Conjunto Festival, which led to the recording of two CDs with Eva Ybarra y su Conjunto in the early 1990s: "A mi San Antonio" and "Romance Inolvidable."
Eva has continued to compose and record, producing various CDs, including "Space Needle," which she self-produced around 2005. She also collaborated with Puerto Rican singer, composer, and instrumentalist Lourdes Perez on three CDs, one of which contributed a song to the soundtrack of the film "A Donde se fue Juan." Her contributions to music have been highlighted in the documentary film "Accordion Dreams" by Hector Galan, and in 2015, her life inspired an original theater/musical production titled "La Reina del Acordeon."
As a music educator, Eva made history as the first woman hired as a button accordion instructor at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center in the late 1980s. From approximately 2003 to 2009, she served as an Adjunct Faculty member at Palo Alto College, teaching Private Button Accordion to music students. Her teaching experience also includes residencies at the University of Washington in Seattle and at McAuliffe and J.T. Brackenridge Elementary schools.
Despite her numerous accolades and achievements, Eva’s life and career have faced challenges, particularly within the male-dominated Conjunto culture that has sought to undermine her role as a female accordionist and band leader. Nevertheless, her performances convey a resilience and passion for music. At 73 years old, she remains a captivating performer. Although she has never married or had children, Eva often expresses that "my instruments and students are my children." Music has always been her greatest love, and she continues to write, arrange, record, and perform, pledging to do so "until God calls her," as she states.
