20th-century accordionists

Ventura Martínez Alonzo (December 30, 1904 – December 14, 2000) was a Mexican-born American musician. She was known as the "Queen of the Accordion".She was born Ventura Martínez in Matamoros and moved to Brownsville, Texas with her family in 1909. Her father taught her to play the piano. The family lived in Kingsville for several years before moving to Houston in 1917. Alonzo married a man named Gallegos. Together, they had 3 sons. The couple later divorced and she married Frank Alonzo in 1931. The couple formed a group known as Alonzo y Sus Rancheros; she played accordion and piano and was lead vocalist. They recorded for Falcon Records and a number of other record labels. After World War II, the group changed its name to Alonzo y su Orquesta; they performed throughout Texas. In 1956, the couple opened the La Terraza ballroom in Houston, catering to customers of Mexican descent. They retired from performing in 1969.In 2002, she was inducted into the Tejano R.O.O.T.S. Hall of Fame.

Jo Privat (15 April 1919 – 3 April 1996) was a French accordionist and composer. Privat was born at Ménilmontant, Paris. He played for many years at Balajo, a musette club in Paris where he worked with Django Reinhardt, the Ferret Brothers, Didier Roussin and Patrick Saussois. Privat composed about five hundred works, influenced by bagpipes, Gypsy culture and American jazz. He died at Savigny-le-Temple and was cremated on April 12. His ashes were buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery.