Dissecting the Westside Sound

What is the Westside Sound? Born on San Antonio’s West Side in the mid-1950s, this groundbreaking musical style blended influences and talent across communities to create a sound that would captivate audiences across the United States and Europe in the 1960s. But who were the pioneering musicians behind it? What made its signature blend of keyboards, saxophone, drums, and soulful rhythms so distinctive? And how was it revived decades later by one of Texas’ most celebrated quartets?

Discover the answers in this special conversation moderated by Jose Arredondo featuring two Westside Sound pioneers—Grammy Award winner Sunny Ozuna of the Sunliners and Frank Rodarte of the Dell-Kings and Los Blues—along with Ramón Hernández, the historian who has documented the movement’s remarkable legacy. Together, they’ll explore the origins, evolution, and enduring impact of one of San Antonio’s most influential musical traditions.