ESB MACC: Manuel Cowboy Donley Tribute

Saturday, September 28
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Location: Parque Zaragoza, East Austin
Facebook Event Link

Join us for a heartfelt tribute to the legendary Manuel "Cowboy" Donley, featuring performances by musicians, including family members, honoring his remarkable musical arrangements. This tribute is a collaboration between The Donley Family, the ESB-MACC, the Austin Tejano Music Coalition, and is produced by Christopher Mares. We invite the public to come and celebrate the memory and music of Manuel "Cowboy" Donley. This event is funded in part by the City of Austin Cutural Arts Division.

About Manuel "Cowboy" Donley

Manuel "Cowboy" Donley is a trailblazer in Tejano music, representing a transformative moment in the genre. As the arranger, guitarist, and lead vocalist for Las Estrellas [The Stars], Donley transformed música tejana from a traditional acoustic sound into the modern electric sound that dominates today.

Event Highlights

• Performance: A two-hour set with a short intermission.
• Family Memories: Sylvia, Phillip, and Lupe Donley will share memories and perform songs they performed with their father, along with the orchestra featuring Donley's own arrangements for horns.
• Special Appearance:
  
  • Trio Los Vigilantes: An Austin-based group preserving the Mexican trio tradition, inspired by La Epoca de Oro. They will perform boleros with Sylvia Donley, recreating the magic she once shared on stage with her father.
  • Kim Simpson: One of our emcees, Simpson is a renowned Austin-based singer-songwriter, song collector, and fingerstyle guitarist. He hosts The International Folk Bazaar on Austin's KOOP Radio and authored Early '70s Radio: the American Format Revolution. Simpson had the fortune to perform with Donley on KUTX.
• 12-Piece Orchestra: Featuring various horn musicians who played with Donley, including:
  
  • Felipe "Tiburon" Borrero: Heading up the horn section.
  • Jerry Silva: Special appearance from one of Donley's Estrellas.
  • Horn Section: Featuring Donley's traditional lineup of an alto sax, tenor sax, and two trumpets.