SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio’s “West Side Sound” comes alive this weekend at the San Antonio Public Library.
The library will host the archival workshop and film screening from 12 - 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4.
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The West Side Sound Oral History Project is a collaborative, community-focused archive of a music movement synonymous with San Antonio in the 1950s and 60s; it’s where doo-wop and soul collided with conjunto and Tejano music.
The project was born out of a grant that Sylvia Mendoza and Gloria Gonzáles, professors in UTSA’s Department of Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, received in February 2022.
The grant was part of research connected to UTSA’s Westside Community Partnerships Initiative.
Several community members joined the project to support archive and outreach efforts.
One of those members is Chuco Garcia, a local DJ and filmmaker.
Garcia has worked to amplify stories around the West Side Sound movement. He directed a documentary on the life of Dimas Garza, a member of the Chicano soul band, The Royal Jesters.
Along with his film and deejaying music at local community gatherings, Garcia believes in the work.
“Spinning records around town and screening the Dimas film has really shown me that education is a big part of the meaning behind what I do,” Garcia said.
A screening of the documentary will be a part of Saturday’s workshop.
The workshop on Saturday will very much be a hands-on opportunity for the community, says Sarah De La Rosa, the Latino Collection and Resource Center Program Manager at the San Antonio Public Library.
“We are showcasing DIY methods on how to preserve heritage and culture through film, photos, music and/or oral histories,” De La Rosa said.
De La Rosa is eager for Saturday’s workshop to add to an existing line of workshops geared toward stories of identity and history.
“We’ve hosted other workshops that focus on storytelling and the representation of identities and histories as well as how to make that information accessible by future generations,” De La Rosa said.
A through line of this partnership is the common need to archive these stories and images for future generations. Garcia believes that the workshop and other community gatherings are important educational opportunities.
“I feel I am educating by reintroducing this genre of music through playing records or screening the doc,” Garcia said.
To learn more about the music of the West Side Sound, click here.