Fans, friends, family gather to remember conjunto legend

HARLINGEN — Ruben Vela’s accordion glistened over his open casket Thursday as his son remembered the conjunto legend whose love for his music and fans came before money.

“He was all heart,” Ruben Jr. said of his father, who died Tuesday at the age of 72 after a career that spanned a half-century. “He was a straight, honest man. If he was a businessman, he’d be very well off. But money was not to be worried about. He just wanted to play when he wanted.”

Fans joined family and friends at Faith Pleases God Church to honor the master accordionist who helped pave the way for the Tejano music explosion.

“He’s irreplaceable,” said Elaine Guerra, whose family owns KJBZ FM in Laredo. “There’s no other accordion player out there to replace him. It was his style of music.”

Angel Noe Gonzalez remembered Vela as the 12-year-old boy who he taught to play the accordion in a schoolhouse in Relámpago.

“I would let him play the accordion after the spelling tests,” said Gonzalez, who taught Vela in the school near U.S. 281. “He just picked up the music by ear. It was just amazing. I used to bring him to KGBT and to restaurants and bars in Mercedes and he’d get 25 cents or 50 cents to help his family.”

Vela helped pioneer the accordion-driven music that laid the foundation of Tejano, said Ramiro Cavazos, who played bajo sexto with the legendary Donneos.

“He was a great accordionist. He had a unique style,” Cavazos said. “He was a great friend. I always respected him. He was a very simple, good person. He respected his fans. We’ll remember him all our lives.”

Patricia Cavazos Torres remembered Vela as the uncle who used to take her to lunch at her day care.

Three houses down the street, Vela worked on accordions in a workshop in back of his home in Santa Rosa, she said.

“That was his pastime,” she said. “That’s what brought him peace.”

“He’s the guy who picked me up when I fell off my bike,” said Cavazos Torres, an insurance adjuster in Katy. “I guess I never realized how famous he was. He never thought of himself as something big. Now I comprehend how big he was. He’s one of the few people in the world who did what he wanted to do in life.”

Frutoso Villarreal said he was 8 years old when Vela taught him to play the accordion.

“To me, he was not only a mentor, he was like my father. When you see me perform, you always see me in a suit and tie. I got that from Ruben. He said presentation is always important,” said Villarreal, a conjunto bandleader. “We lost a great legend.”

Vela’s driving accordion sound packed dancehalls across America for 50 years, said Andrew Michael, a disc jockey with KJBZ radio.

“Ruben Vela drew an awesome crowd. He was loved. He never canceled a gig. He was always there for his fans,” Michael said. “He created a sound that was unique. His music will live forever.”

Funeral services are set for 11:30 a.m. today at Faith Pleases God Church, 4501 W. Expressway 83, Harlingen.

Burial will follow at Restlawn Memorial Cemetery, 14166 E. Business 83, La Feria.

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Fernando Del Valle is a reporter for the Valley Morning Star in Harlingen.