Label history

Rio Records is one of those legendary labels that came to be identified with not just a musical genre but a movement. Though the label was short-lived, some of the biggest names in Tex-Mex conjunto music made their first recordings for Rio. They include three accordion players – Flaco Jimenez, Tony de la Rosa and Fred Zimmerle – who went on to become big stars in South Texas and beyond. In this blog post, Frontera Collection founder Chris Strachwitz tells the story of Hymie Wolf and the creation of Rio Records.