City hosts music competition

(San Benito News/Ray Quiroga)

Special to the NEWS

The City of San Benito and the San Benito Cultural Arts Department, in collaboration with La Cultura Vive en Brownsville, are inviting the community to the 3rd Annual Duelo de Acordeón y Bajo Quinto Competition on Saturday, May 03, 2025, at the San Benito Cultural Heritage Museum, located at 250 E. Heywood St, San Benito.

Organizers said that they are thrilled to host this year’s “Duelo de Acordeón y Bajo Quinto,” Phase II of the 9th Annual Texas Best Conjunto Student Showcase, a student-centered competition showcasing the incredible musical talent of high school students from across the Rio Grande Valley through the timeless sounds of conjunto music.

Admission is free and open to the public, offering families and music lovers a chance to celebrate culture, creativity, and community pride.

“El Duelo” features instrumental performances by student teams — up to four per school — which previously competed in the 2025 “Texas Best” Student Conjunto Competition.

As the birthplace of conjunto music, the City of San Benito is the prime locale to host this event in partnership with La Cultura Vive en Brownsville — an organization committed to promoting cultural awareness and youth empowerment through the arts, reads a San Benito Cultural Arts Department [CAD] press release.

This event is also made possible, in part, by a grant from the Texas Music Office, whose investment reflects a shared belief in the power of music to educate, connect, and preserve cultural traditions.

“We are deeply grateful for their support and continued commitment to events that promote musical excellence and heritage preservation in Texas,” reads the press release.

The event is being held at the San Benito Cultural Heritage Museum, 250 E. Heywood St, San Benito, TX 78586 on Saturday, May 03, 2025. The competition event will begin at 12 p.m. Organizers are asking that all attendees be respectful of the students and their performances.

For more information, contact the San Benito Cultural Arts Department at sbmuseumcoordinator@gmail.com or call (956) 658-8493.

To learn more about La Cultura Vive en Brownsville and the Texas Music office, visit La Cultura Vive en Brownsville on Facebook, https://facebook.com/laculturabrownsville, and gov.texas.gov/music.

Music lovers may also want to note that the famed show, Texas Country Reporter, is airing a segment on San Benito’s own Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame & Museum on Saturday, April 26, 2025 on CBS at 5 p.m. and again on the local NBC affiliate on Monday, April 28, 2025 at 1:30 a.m. The show, which has been on the air for over a half century, is hosted by J.B. Sauceda, whose father was raised in the Resaca City.