Eva Ybarra
“I am humbled to be recognized by such a program that recognizes individuals who are exceptional at their practice and humbly serve their communities.”
Eva Ybarra
Live performance at Mexican Cultural Institute of Washington D.C. This was the same week Eva received her National Heritage Fellow honor. (2017) L – R: Sandy Rodríguez and Eva Ybarra Photo Courtesy of Eva Ybarra.
Ybarra posing for a promotional photo in a dress sewn by her grandmother, Josefa Gonzales Araiza. Photo courtesy of Eva Ybarra.
Eva Ybarra y Su Conjunto performing at a local San Antonio lounge. Ybarra is accompanied by her brother David Ybarra (Bass). Photo courtesy of Eva Ybarra.
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La Reina del Acordeón
Eva Ybarra, known professionally as “La Reina del Acordeón” (“The Queen of Accordion”), is a venerated conjunto accordionist, band leader, and music educator. Ybarra hails from San Antonio, Texas. Eva began her musical journey at the age of four when she received her first accordion. A self-taught accordionist, she picked up most of the early tunes she learned how to play by listening to the radio.
Known for her progressive style of conjunto music, Ybarra takes her fans through a blend of conjunto, mariachi, and to the edge of jazz with a passion that translates across generations. Her powerful voice and soul-playing accordion style have made her a legend in conjunto music. Ybarra’s contributions to conjunto go beyond the stage as she has also been a dedicated music educator for many years. She served as an Artist-in-Residence at the University of Washington (Seattle, WA). Ybarra’s contributions to the San Antonio music scene are immesurable as she has been an instructor for many staple conjunto programs across the city. Over her storied career, Ybarra has received numerous lifetime achievement recognitions and is a multi-time Hall-of-Famer. Her career has even been immortalized via playscript. In 2015, “La Reina del Acordeón: Eva Ybarra’s Life on Stage” was sold out throughout the entirety of its run. In 2017, the National Endowment for the Arts named Ybarra a National Heritage Fellow. Ybarra was chosen to represent the state of Texas as the 2022 Texas State Musician. Eva is currently the bandleader, accordionist and lead vocalist for Eva Ybarra Y Su Conjunto Siempre.
What does being a Taproot Fellow mean to you in your practice and community?
It is my great honor to be recognized as a Taproot Artist. I am humbled to be recognized by such a program that recognizes individuals who are exceptional at their practice and humbly serve their communities. I am elated to be among this outstanding group of artists.
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Delores Taitano Quinata
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Hagatna, Guam
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Birdtown Community on the Qualla Boundary (Cherokee, NC)
David Comingdeer (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)
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Flint District of the Cherokee Nation (Stilwell, OK)
TJ Sgwaayaans Young (Kaigani Haida)
Haida Wood Carver
Hydaburg, AK
Van-Anh Vanessa Vo
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El Cerrito, CA
Reba Jo Teran (Eastern Shoshone)
Traditional Shoshone Saddle Maker & Bead Worker
Fort Washakie, WY
Raymond Wong
Traditional Chinese Lion Dancer & Martial Artist
Chinatown, Washington, DC
Ramón Rivera
Mariachi Musician & Educator
Mount Vernon, WA
Omar Santiago Fuentes
Puerto Rican Troubadour, Improviser of Verse & Décimas
Hatillo, Puerto Rico
Manuel A Delgado
Old-World Luthier
Nashville, TN
Lani Strong Hotch (Chilkat-Tlingit)
Chilkat/Ravenstail Weaver & Textile Artist
Klukwan, AK
Kewulay Kamara
Mandeng Finah Poet & Storyteller
Jackson Heights, NY
Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)
Haudenosaunee Raised Beadworker
Stevens Point, WI
Inna Kovtun
Ukrainian Ethno-Singer & Folklorist
Portland, OR
Hamid Al-Saadi
Iraqi Maqam Vocalist
Brooklyn, NY
Elena Terry (Ho-Chunk)
Indigenous Chef
Wisconsin Dells, WI
Dena Jennings
Affrolachian Musician & Culture Bearer
Nasons, VA
Chum Ngek
Cambodian Musician & Ritual Artist
Gaithersburg, MD
Billy Branch
Blues Musician
Chicago, IL
Chef BJ Dennis
Gullah Geechee Chef & Cultural Bearer
Charleston, SC
Brett Ratliff
Traditional Appalachian Musician
Stamping Ground, KY
Bruce Bradley
Tap Dancer
Flint, MI
Annetta Koruh (Hopi)
Hopi Weaver
Village Bacavi, Third Mesa-Hopi land, Arizona (Bacavi, AZ)
Alejandro López
Chicano Muralist
Santa Cruz, NM
Wayne Henderson
Appalachian Luthier & Musician
Mouth of Wilson, VA
Willard John
Moko Jumbie Stilt Dancer
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Veronica Castillo
Mexican Polychromatic Ceramicist
San Antonio, TX
Theresa Secord
Penobscot Basketmaker
Farmington, ME
Stan Rodriguez
Kumeyaay Culture Bearer
Santa Ysabel, CA
Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto
Japanese Koto Musician
Oakland, CA
Shaka Zulu
New Orleans Black Masking craftsman & stiltdancer
New Orleans, LA
Sami Abu Shumays
Arab Musician
Queens, New York, NY
Roy & PJ Hirabayashi
Japanese American Taiko Musicians
San Jose, CA
Pedro Adorno Irizarry
Puerto Rican theater artist and director
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Ofelia Esparza & Rosanna Esparza Ahrens
Chicana Altaristas
East Los Angeles, CA
Meklit Hadero
Ethio-Jazz Vocalist & Composer
San Francisco, CA
King Khazm
Hip Hop Artist
Seattle, WA
Juan Longoria, Jr.
Conjunto Accordionist & Educator
Los Fresnos, TX
Jontavious Willis
Blues Musician
Luthersville, GA
Jesus M. Cepeda Brenes
Afro-Puerto Rican Musician & Folklorist
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Iris Brown
Puerto Rican Foodways & Agriculture
Philadelphia, PA
Gertie Lopez
Tohono O'odham Waila Musician
Tucson, AZ
Eva Ybarra
Conjunto Accordionist & Bandleader
San Antonio, TX
Dr. Dwayne Tomah
Passamaquoddy Language Keeper
Edmunds, ME
Deborah Gourneau
Anishinaabe (Chippewa) Culture Bearer
Belcourt, ND
Dani Pikolakitisaata Tippmann
Miami Plant Tradition-Bearer
Myaamionki (Fort Wayne, IN)
Bill Harris
Catawba Master Potter
McConnells, SC
Carolyn Mazloomi
Quiltmaker
West Chester, OH
Adrienne Benjamin | Amikogaabawiikwe
Jingle Dress Maker, Cultural Artist
Chiminising, Misizaagaiganing (Isle, MN)
Anwan “Big G” Glover
Go-Go Music Pioneer
Washington D.C.