By ARABELLA SERRATA
editor@sbnewspaper.com
Freddy Fender, a San Benito native and music icon, was recently nominated to be part of the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress, according to Geneva Fuentes, communications director for Congressman Joaquin Castro.
“There are currently 650 recordings in the National Recording Registry, but less than five percent of current titles can be attributed to Latino or Hispanic voices,” stated Fuentes.
She also stated that the listings are part of Castro’s ongoing efforts to “improve awareness of how Latino voices have shaped American history and culture.”
The goal of the National Recording Registry is to “preserve sounds and recordings with cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance to life in the United States,” according to Fuentes.
The full list was based on genre, sound, eras and more. Some of the songs include, Before the Next Teardrop Falls by Freddy Fender, Amor Prohibido by Selena, The Hamilton Mixtape by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Diamonds and Rust by Joan Baez. Alongside the song listings was a radio recording to commemorate the first full-time Spanish-language radio broadcast originally aired on KCOR/ KWEX in San Antonio in 1946.
According to the release, Castro used public feedback to nominate the songs to ensure the lists covered a variety of generations and sounds. He began submitting nomination lists in 2022.
Coincidentally, the San Benito Cultural Arts Department [CAD] opened a new exhibit at the San Benito Cultural Heritage Museum on Sept. 26, officially named “Freddy Fender: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Baldemar Huerta.”
An event listing from the official CAD Facebook account promises, “exclusive memorabilia, photographs, and artifacts from Fender’s personal life and career” is featured for attendees to view. Valley Music Historian and award-winning Tejano artist Veronique Medrano and CAD Director Aleida Garcia are curating the exhibit, which is free to the public.
The exhibit strives to show the modern public “Fender’s remarkable journey from San Benito to international stardom,” and commenced with a three-hour-long reception celebrating the exhibit.
The exhibit is open to the public Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and on Fridays from 10 a.m. -1 p.m. Tours and in-person access are available during business hours. Virtual programming such as video presentations, interviews, and virtual tours, are available through the museum’s social media platforms for those unable to attend in person.
Jose Carlos, Administrative Assistant at the Cultural Museum, said many items in the exhibit are on loan from Fender’s estate and will be returned after the exhibit ends in November.
The exhibit has been in the works since March of this year, with some conversations starting much earlier. Carlos said the museum’s constant influx of visitors asking about the former Freddy Fender Museum, which was housed next door, pushed the cultural museum to see the opportunity to try a similar concept.
An official press release on the event included statements from Evangelina Huerta and Maria Huerta, Fender’s wife and daughter respectively. “It’s been such an emotional but celebratory process over these years. He did so much for music, but also for everyone around him. On top of that, he endured so much in terms of what it took to become the first Mexican-American artist to break through across so many genres. I can’t say enough about how these artifacts of Freddy’s career have been cataloged, researched, and cared for– even going as far as to have missing artifacts returned to us, that his fans will now get to enjoy, “ stated Evangelina Huerta.
Maria Huerta continued the sentiment: “Dad was an icon, and I’m thankful that we, as a family, can launch this one-of-a-kind exhibit here, in the town he loved! It has meant the world to us that Dad is being honored in such a thorough, yet heartfelt way.”
According to its website, the CAD works to “strengthen the quality of life in San Benito by promoting a family-friendly cultural district that gives residents and visitors the chance to experience history, culture, music and art authentically through a variety of cultural activities.” The CAD welcomes volunteers and encourages those interested to contact the CAD at (956) 361-3804, Ext. 418.
The San Benito Cultural Heritage Museum is located at 250 E. Heywood, San Benito, and is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Entry fees and brochures are available on the museum page of the City’s website. A petition to induct Freddy Fender into the Country Music Hall of Fame is also available for signatures on the website.
For more information, contact the museum at (956) 281-0810 or follow its official Facebook page for updates.
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