The Ninth Annual Freddie Gomez Memorial Conjunto Concert will take place Saturday at the Brownsville Historic District and Bernardo Martinez II of Bernardo y Sus Comprades will be recognized at the event and will be presented with the South Texas Conjunto Association Brownsville Chapter’s Freddie Gomez Conjunto Ambassador Award.
The event will be held from 4 to 11 p.m., at East Levee and 11th streets. It is free and open to the public.
According to the South Texas Conjunto Association, Bernardo y Sus Comprades have been a conjunto circuit staple since the 1970s. For over 40 years, they have been providing Texas audiences with old fashion Taquachito-style music.
In recent years, the Laredo native has been honored with several awards including being inducted into the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame in 2007.
The group’s first travels to the Rio Grande Valley were in the 1980s, when they would perform at San Benito venues such as La Villita, 77 Night Club and the KC Hall. The Conjunto group performed in other Valley cities later on.
Saturday’s music will begin at about 4 p.m. and will feature the playing of a DJ Mix of recorded music of over 40 Conjuntos & Tejano 2018-2019 departed artists. The Memorial Ceremony and the Lifetime Achievement recognition of local artists will follow. The Youth and Student musical performances will then follow and there will be a 20 minute dance marathon contest.
The Street Dance begins at 7:30 p.m. with El Chicken Club from Los Fresnos followed by Bernardo y Sus Compadres and the ConjuntoImprezzion will close out the night.
