Tex-Mex music is influenced by the polka. Invented, and brought to Tejas, by BOHEMIANS.

It just so happens my great grandfather was from Salnau, Bohemia, Austria as it says on the ship manifest and his immigration papers. He settled in the Seattle, Wash area. He was a box player. According to my mother, her grandfather played for the Bohemian Hall the Swedish Hall, dances, weddings, parties etc. and played mazurkas, waltzes and of course the Polka. (which is not Polish)

I have, and play, his 2 1/2 row D/G box.

PS Salnau, Bohemia, Austria was in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and a "kingdom" within the Empire. Many of the Bohemians, such as my great grandfather spoke German with an Austrian inflection. Salnau is now Zalnav and in the Czech Republic. It is six miles east of the German Bavarian border and six miles north of the current Austrian Czech border.
When Hitler invaded... he annexed "Bohemia" and confiscated our family's mill and property. It was Hitler's first conquest.

My great grandfather's birth name was Jakob Josef Bock, his father was Wenzl Bock .

Apparently both played the button accordeon.


PS There were no Cajuns in Nova Scotia or Newfoundland or any of the other island provinces(sp).. They were Acadians.

If I'm not mistaken, the Mrnustik family of Houston was Czech as well. He was a box player that did repairs during the 40s.

With that last name, he could be a Czech speaking Czech.. or, like my GGF spoke both Czech and German.

I heard that Marc Savoy said that during a seance of Marie Laveau a black accordionplayer was playing.
I have to search for the video where he said that.
Is anybody familiar with that or i sthat a rumour ?

Marc talks about it in the documentary of Les Blank titled Jai Ete Au Bal.
It's when he talks about the accordion.

I have the video.. I'll check it out.

This is what I found in the chapter about Marie Laveau in Janet Allured/Judith F. Gentry's Louisiana Women:
"Marie Laveau's front room was filled with altars laden with candles, images of the saints, flowers, fruit, and other offerings. Here she presided over weekly Friday night meetings, which were attended by "more white than colored". A core group of her closest followers was always present to assist her. A chorus of young singers, accompanied by an old man who played the accordion, supplied the music..."