Original 2001 Arte Sana Founders
Daniel Mendoza
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Daniel was born in Texas to migrant farmworker parents,
and as a youth he joined his family to work in the fields throughout the United States. Daniel experienced the remnants of Jim Crow white supremacy segregation policies in the late 50’s and early 60’s (that also affected Mexican-American citizens), in his hometown of Georgetown. These experiences would later influence his musical career.
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Daniel knew he had musical skills early on and
began earning money as a drummer at the age of 12 with local Conjunto groups. Daniel’s professional percussionist
skills and life experiences later led him to become one of the founding members of Conjunto Aztlan, a group born
out of the Chicano Movement in Austin, Texas in 1977. Later, he provided the percussion for another Austin-grown
musical group with a Latin American, internationalist focus: Balamil. Throughout Daniel’s musical career he
offered support to many causes including the Anti-Apartheid movement, Central American peace initiatives, and GLBT rights.
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As one of the founders of Arte Sana,
Daniel offered critical support to help Arte Sana become a
formal 501 (c)(3) non-profit. From purchasing Arte Sana's very first Mac and sponsoring its first Border region networking trip, to providing initial bookkeeping as Treasurer
of Arte Sana’s first annual budget of $2,500. Without Daniel's substantial support
Arte Sana would not exist today.
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