By Juan Montoya
In 1998, Amalia Cano, now an employee with the U.S. Customs, Delia Alvarez, an El B
ravo contributor, and I had started a news weekly called The Progressive Times.
ravo contributor, and I had started a news weekly called The Progressive Times.It was a fledgling operation with Amalia and Delia doing most of the ad selling and promotions and me and a few other contributors filling in the news hole.
At that time we were approached by Timo Ruedas, also at the time a U.S. Customs officer at the Gateway Bridge. Ruedas, a conjunto aficionado, held accordion classes at his home off Iowa Road by the Brownsville airport. He also told us of the upcoming First Annual South Texas Conjunto Association Awards to be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Mercedes.
Would we be willing to be presenters at the awards?
Cano and I jumped at the chance and traveled to Mercedes where the association had a full house for the first awards. That was the beginning of what is now a popular television show and radio program in the Valley.
Since its start in March,1998, the South Texas Conjunto Association has been on a journey to promote the music and to to keep conjunto music alive and going.
The association's "Acordeones de Tejas" airs on public television and its radio show airs Saturday mornings on KMBH public radio 88.1 in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and 88.9 in the upper valley from 10 am to noon.
Additionally, there is Puro Conjunto Radio Station running 24/7 and they're even on the internet at http://www.conjunto.org/
Their promotion of this music doesn't end there.
This Monday they will be in downtown Browntown to host the Freddie Gomez Memorial to honor "El Ciclon del Valle."
Ruedas, the South Texas Conjunto Association and the Brownsville Society for the Performing Arts are inviting the public to join them to remember Freddie's music, treasured by many of us who grew up on his music and appreciate the memories he left behind
The event will be held Monday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Historic Brownsville Downtown District between 12th and 13th on Adams Street in Brownsville.
The event is free in celebration of Labor Day.
Freddie Gomez was a simple man, and singing with a conjunto was a side gig (he worked at J.C. Penney's in Brownsville and retired from there without ever missing a day of work.) One can only imagine what he could have achieved is he had devoted his full time to his musical pursuits.
See you there.
The event will be held Monday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Historic Brownsville Downtown District between 12th and 13th on Adams Street in Brownsville.
The event is free in celebration of Labor Day.
Freddie Gomez was a simple man, and singing with a conjunto was a side gig (he worked at J.C. Penney's in Brownsville and retired from there without ever missing a day of work.) One can only imagine what he could have achieved is he had devoted his full time to his musical pursuits.
See you there.
1 comment:
Tejano music died when Selena died.
No one has measured up since her, very sad.
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