FREDDIE GOMEZ

The South Texas Conjunto Association in conjunction with the Brownsville Society for the Performing Arts will host a concert in historic downtown Brownsville. 

"We are closing off Adams from 12th to 13th," said the city's historical downtown director. "Personally, I'm excited about the event. This is our music. Nothing compares to a fine accordion player. We're not trying to upstage anyone. We recognize that other communities have done an outstanding job of preserving and promoting conjunto music. We want these musicians and their followers to recognize that they have a second home in Brownsville.

"Delta" Dave Handelman emphasized that there is a place in a revitalized downtown for this genre of music.

"This is authentic stuff," he said. "The Valley is the home to conjunto music. San Benito is its capital. I can envision a club in the downtown area that would specialize in conjunto music. If you want to drink and dance, I can't think of a better beat to realize those two laudable goals."

The South Texas Conjunto Association is honoring Freddie Gomez, once known as El Ciclon del Valle. Maclovio O'Malley has fond memories of the border legend.

"The songs made popular by Freddie Gomez would reverberate across the fields, the sound of youthful voices losing themselves over mirages of heat across the green and white expanses of the endless cotton rows," recalled la Voz de los Vatos.

"Freddie Gomez was indeed a legend and innovator," said another admirer. "I used to see him jam with Arturo Gonzalez at his 18th St. barber shop. Puro good times. Que viva conjunto music!"

"When I first came to Brownsville in 1975, I was working at the Milner Hotel which is now the Colonial," recalled G.F. McHale-Scully. "Freddie was living at the hotel and working as a salesman at J.C. Penney's.

"He was a humble individual. You had no idea that he was a music star. I go to Lucio's Cafe for breakfast and you can listen to him on the jukebox. I'm confident the shindig will do him justice. I'm also sure that he would have been embarrassed by the attention. He was a quiet person devoid of all pretension."