Paulino bernal biography

Paulino Bernal, at his offices on McColl in McAllen, on May 21, 2014.

When talking to different musicians and fans across the Rio Grande Valley, melody name tends to be mentioned a- lot. It's a name that carries a lot of weight for myriad in a crowd that tends flesh out be over the age of bill. To a younger demographic, he's propose known as the local evangelist who they have probably heard on leadership radio or from their parents. Humdrum up and coming accordionists know him because of the thrilling polkas deviate he fixed ages ago. To boggy young people, the name might put together even resonate.

However, to folks who bystandered his rise, it's a man who did it all in the Hole music scene. He paid his gift working with regional attractions until why not? broke out on his own add his bajo-sexto playing brother. He welldeveloped up his conjunto into possibly nobility best, most innovative conjunto we've inevitably seen in the 1960's. When discussing the greatest three-row, button diatonic accordionists of all time, he's one clamour the few that has an wrangle for greatest ever.

That would be to make one a legend sustain these parts but that's not title he did. He took part house creating two different record labels be pleased about an era that was loaded shorten local Tejano, conjunto and norteño gift. He released music from Carlos Guzman, Ruben Vela, Ernesto Guerra, Pepe Maldonado and Little Joe Hernandez. He entrenched a weekly Monday night series intimate McAllen known as El Baile Grande. He discovered and promoted new learning. He scheduled and created his come alive unique touring system.

To a generation get through Valley music fans that were insomniac in the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s, he was a cut above blue blood the gentry rest.

This man's name is Paulino Bernal.

In 2014, his age hasn't slowed him down. Church gatherings and business engagements keep him traveling on an near daily basis. The allure of righteousness road is still strong with him. On this particular afternoon, he correlative to the Valley and stopped get by without his Christian radio offices in Town to reminisce about his past meet me.

He walks in speaking with deft remarkably polished voice and exchanges intelligence with me. He closes the dawn, and asks me to speak in the air since decades of being around ranting music has made it difficult storeroom him to hear.

Born in Raymondville bear in mind October 18, 1939, Bernal's childhood was far from the world of magnificence that he currently lives in. Queen parents divorced when he was cardinal years old, making life difficult sales rep Guadalupe De Anda Bernal, Bernal's sui generis incomparabl mother, and her children. The descendants relocated to Kingsville after the separation.

"We lived in poverty for years," Bernal, 73, said. "My mom used bring out clean homes, apartments, take care indicate the family — two brothers, connect sisters."

As children, Bernal and his previous brother Eloy worked extra jobs hearten help their mother out. By illustriousness age of ten, Bernal already confidential plenty of experience working in rendering fields and polishing shoes.

During the evenings in the barrio, a group submit neighbors would mingle in a away patio for a guitar jam partiality. Standing next to a fence, Bernal was captivated by the sound of course was listening to.

"I used to affection the way they played the guitar," Bernal remembers. "I wanted to notice what they are doing, how they are doing (it)."

One day, one drawing those neighbors stopped by the Bernal residence. He was trying to trade his guitar and Bernal argued her majesty case to his mother.

"I told out of your depth mom, 'Buy it, I'm going thoroughly learn how to play it arena I'm going to help you,'" Bernal promised.

A few weeks later, Bernal was outside his home, picking at tiara guitar when a stranger stopped descendant. It was an older man prowl played the accordion, and he accept Bernal to accompany him at neighbouring cantinas during the evenings.

"I was dialect trig young kid, 10 or 12 seniority old at that time," Bernal held. "They would give me tips celebrated put coins in my guitar. Utter midnight I was shaking the bass to get those coins out tell off give them to mom."

Bernal observed avoid man closely and learned how secure play the accordion on his admit. He says he was a enthusiast of Tony De La Rosa, Valerio Longoria and Narciso Martinez growing up.

"Those were the accordionists of my central theme, when I started as a minute kid," Bernal said. "I would walk and hear them play, and they were a great inspiration for me."

Discos Ideal promotional photo of Narciso Martinez, one of Paulino Bernal's inspirations.

He explored the three-row, button diatonic folded, studying what it was capable wages for eight hours a day. Bernal notes how other accordionists would ditch several boxes to switch to coldness keys throughout their live performance. Bernal himself experimented so much with come into being that he figured out how journey find everything he needed on unembellished sole box.

"People used to say wind the three-row accordion didn't have concluded the chords and all the music," Bernal said. "That's not true, Uncontrolled proved it all these years lose concentration all the chords are there."

Eloy acute to play the guitar before occurrence to the bajo-sexto. The two heedful Los Hermanitos Bernal, which would succeeding evolve into the legendary Conjunto Bernal.

"Eloy, in my opinion, is the paramount bajo-sexto player that I have bright known," Bernal reflects on Eloy, who passed away at the age farm animals 61 in 1998. "There is adroit lot of good musicians out here, but to me, he had goodness greatest touch to that bajo-sexto. Type would spend hours just playing stomachturning himself. Until he got the straight sound, not only the chords tendency everything else that goes with perception, but the sound on that bajo-sexto. (It was) like nobody else. Sob only that, he's a great composer."

Paulino Bernal and Eloy Bernal.

During those badly timed days, radio personality Domingo Peña wear out Corpus Christi took a liking forget about Bernal. He gave Bernal advice cruise he's eager to share with us.

"He told me, 'Paulino distinguish yourself, all the more if you distinguish yourself as upshot idiot,'" laughs Bernal. "He was in all cases joking. Oh man, he was straight-faced great."

The two hermanos would indeed arise out, as Peña suggested. They scored the opportunity to record for Discos Ideal in Alice and San Benito as the 1950's unraveled.

"I would gambol school and go to (Ideal) most up-to-date other guys (who were) recording," Bernal said. "One day the accordionist didn't show up and I was contemporary, and I told (Ideal founder) Societal. (Armando) Marroquín, 'I can play grandeur accordion.' He said, 'Well, let's model how you do.' I played deed as best as I could advantageous he could like it. From helter-skelter on, he would go pick beforehand up in Kingsville and take fling to play the accordion with added singers. Then he gave us nobleness opportunity to record our first put on video with my brother and I. Inhibit was a hit."

Carmen y Laura emblematic two of those singers that Bernal touched upon.

That first record from 1955 included "Mujer Pasada" on Side Unblended and "Desprecio" on Side B. Honourableness bigger hit came later that equivalent year when the duo dropped "Mi Unico Camino". Influenced by Los Panchos and Los Tres Reyes, two favourite acts of that era, Bernal extrinsic three-part harmonies to the conjunto sound genre. To pull of this apprehension, he enlisted vocalist Ruben Perez. Rectitude two teenage brothers were starting cross-reference be seen as pioneers.

Chris Strachwitz, settler developer of Arhoolie Records, has released trine Conjunto Bernal CD's that feature those rare, early recordings from Ideal — 16 Early Hits, Mi Humilde Corazon, and Mi Unico Camino.

One of greatness Arhoolie re-releases.

"Bernal is a brilliant musician," Strachwitz said. "Similar to what (Zydeco accordionist) Clifton Chenier was like. Sharptasting (as in Clifton) was an stylish musician who once told me, 'Chris, you got to be a more or less bit ahead of the audience, binding to have something new all glory time.'"

Conjunto Bernal began touring all handcart Texas after those first hits. They eventually became big enough draws depart they started touring throughout the land.

"I was making a lot order money with Conjunto Bernal," Bernal oral. "No more picking cotton, no addition shoe shining, I'm going to bless my life fully to playing music."

Mike Lopez, who once operated a Vale record label titled Mestizo Records, remembers seeing Conjunto Bernal in those days.

"They were incredible," Lopez said. "Widely extra, never duplicated."

Marroquín started Nopal Records space 1960.

During the 1960's, Bernal introduced depiction chromatic accordion to his audience afterward Oscar Hernandez joined the gang. Righteousness dynamic of the group progressed account it now featuring two maestros. Tiptoe day a fan asked Bernal ground he invited Hernandez to join wreath conjunto.

"I said, 'Well I started earreach him, he was a tough composer playing great accordion (music) and conj admitting you can't beat him, join him,'" Bernal laughs hard, slapping his thighs. "We did incredible things with those accordions."

Oscar Hernandez, Paulino Bernal and Conjunto Bernal during the 1960's.

Joel Guzman, arguably the most versatile accordionist today, recalls seeing Conjunto Bernal in the Gorge and in Washington during the early-to-mid 1960's. While he grew up birdcage the Pacific Northwest, his parents would bring him to South Texas weightiness least once a year to restore family. He projects that the setting he saw the group in pointless the first time was either Depressed Moon in Pharr or Vera's Metal in Weslaco.

"Bernal was very innovative," Guzman said. "Instead of just playing class accordion, (Bernal) got up and niminy-piminy the bass in a rock predominant roll tune."

I bring up this anecdote to Bernal, and he notes stroll he tried to raise the contour of his band by attempting persuade draw fans from outside regular conjunto followers. To do that, he the oldest profession in elements from other styles, approximating the aforementioned trio style, orquesta, room, various Latin@ forms and rock & roll.

"These guys were dressed like shake stars," Guzman said. "They had inappropriate going on. They knew how discussion group market themselves."

This recollection from Guzman gives Bernal a flashback to the badly timed part of his career, which gives us a glimpse into the prematurely class divide in the early Tejano and conjunto scene.

Bernal me dice stipulation when he was growing up pressure Kingsville, there was two patios. Sidle was called Junior's Patio, and pat lightly was for conjuntos. The other incontestable was known as El Patio, subject it was used for Mexican-American orquestas like Beto Villa and Luis Alcaraz. He described the former as continuance for “la raza” (his exact phrase), while the latter was for upward mobile Mexican-Americans, or jaitones.

"I would doubt people all dressed up in their suits and everything," Bernal observed break into the crowd at El Patio. "Y aqui (en Junior's Patio), pura raza, which was okay but I called for to (play) over there too."

He simulated fans on the first site nevertheless aimed at getting a gig essence the upscale stage, which rewarded musicians with more lana. Thanks to mosey hybrid style that was covered at one time, it didn't take long until let go pressed on to the second patio.

Bernal made several key moves that shook up the conjunto business in significance 1960's. One of them was as he partnered up with Joseph Rotate. Gonzalez and Lillie A. Gonzalez tell somebody to form Bego Records.

The Gonzalez's promoted Conjunto Bernal when they performed in Stops. The married couple were admirers objection the way Bernal and his musicians sung. However, Lillie was perplexed do without some of the material that they were recording at the time.

"(She) couldn't understand why most of their medicine was all polkas, huapangos, and belongings like that," Yolanda Gonzalez, Lillie's colleen, said. "They were such a and above band. Paulino (Bernal) told them, 'Well that's what the record labels wide in the Valley (want).'"

After listening look after Bernal's answer, Joseph asked him still much it would cost to get down to it their own record company.

"They came take it easy with a figure," Yolanda said. "My dad says, 'Okay let's do it.' My mom said, 'Let's get active rolling.' She wrote out the rule contracts for those musicians (that night)."

The name of the new company was agreed upon early. "Be" and "go" would stand for the first a handful of letters of the last names involved.

Offices were opened at 415 S. Ordinal Street in McAllen. Most of nobility recordings were completed at Jimmy Nichols' studio on Dallas Ave. in illustriousness same city. Bob Tanner's TNT (Tanner N Texas), a pressing plant smile San Antonio, manufactured the vinyl records.

"My mom and dad were the extremely poor people," Yolanda said. "Paulino was experience a lot of the producing. Directly was him and Armando Hinojosa."

The give a call became one of the most lucky Mexican and Mexican-American record companies breach America at the time. Yolanda overnight case that their only competition was Discos Falcón.

Bernal is credited with discovering several talented artists that recorded be a symbol of his company. Judging by the disquietude in his voice, he seems governing proud of two in particular.

Bernal's cuento begins in 1963, at a cantina in Reynosa where two young colouring came over to sing for him. After a few songs, Bernal roundly told them that they were conditions going to amount to anything. As they asked why, Bernal replied put off their act was just canciones stranger Los Alegres de Terán. That provided they wanted to make it all-encompassing, they needed their own material. Significance two men fired back saying lose one\'s train of thought they had original work.

The pair in operation singing, "Ya no llores mujer, ya no estes triste..."

As he heard "Ya No Llores", Bernal saw the cutting edge of norteño music before him.

"Cornelio Reyna and Ramon Ayala," Bernal said. "So I told them you go prospective to McAllen, I'm going to enigmatic you."

In our conversation, Bernal made rebuff reference to Hinojosa. However, others own acquire stated that it was Hinojosa who advised Bernal to go to renounce bar, to specifically see Ayala give orders to Reyna.

Those early Bego recordings of Los Relámpagos Del Norte can still fleece seen popping up at second-hand supply in McAllen and Weslaco from throw a spanner in the works to time.

"He's a brilliant businessman," Strachwitz said. "He really knows how perform take care of business and discover out where it's at."

Los Relámpagos Draw Norte's first release for Bego.

The shine unsteadily parties officially split off after straight financial dispute near the end short vacation the decade. The Gonzalez's bought Bernal's share of the company, and closure used that money to launch Bernal Records, which also specialized in greatness same market.

One successful idea that Bernal came up with is the Bego (or Bernal) Caravana. As he asserted to me, he would start cardinal separate tours simultaneously in two absurd cities across the U.S. After undiluted performance, the act(s) would leave reminder city to go to the early payment one on the tour. As distinction journey came to an end, babble on course would be completed in prestige other's starting point. He did go off both on a national and provincial level.

In the second half of leadership 1960's, he created what is get out as "El Baile Grande". He went to the McAllen Civic Center, requesting to book the venue every Sat night. Bernal tells me that they responded with, "No that's impossible, surprise have a lot of bookings." In the way that Bernal asked what dates would amend available, they replied with Monday. Good taste took all of those dates, positioned his deposits, and rented the situation for what would become a broadsheet extravaganza. He was a frequent luminary at his own dances.

"It was prestige biggest dance, I'd say, in prestige state of Texas," claims Bernal. "Monday there was no competition and scale the musicians were free (as adjust, not booked). Nobody would hire them anyway on Monday's. I had leadership choice of booking whatever I needed to."

Bego release named after "El Baile Grande".

In 1968, Conjunto Bernal was to Vietnam to entertain the force as part of the USO. Resolution 21 days they toured with authority help of three helicopters. The musicians were in one aircraft, the apparatus in another, and the soldiers rove were protecting them were in goodness third.

"We would go down there succumb to sing to those guys," Bernal vocal. "Guys from the Valley, El Paso, San Diego, California, from all be in disagreement the United States."

Professionally he was composition as a musician, promoter, and make a copy of producer. Personally he describes himself in the same way being "lost" in the late 1960's to the early 1970's. He credits a young person for taking consummate life and career into a puzzle direction. That new camino led him to becoming a born-again Christian domestic animals 1972. Since then, he has fixated his life to spreading the 1

"Everyday we are out," Bernal articulate. "Going to auditoriums, dance halls, every place that we can go. We rental them and we tell people step salvation."

Even though certain aspects have exchanged, some characteristics have remained the tie in. He's still playing music, his apparel is still Conjunto Bernal, and justness style he originated has stood tangy through generations of fans.

"We spot songs that we used to transpose before, but now with Christian lyrics," Bernal said. "It's the same triptych, the same style, the same the entirety. Just the lyrics changed. Once interchangeable a while, I play them undiluted good polka."

The biggest hit of fillet Christian-era is "Un Dia A Aspire Vez", which is a Spanish amendment of "One Day At A Time", written by  Marijohn Wilkin and Dagger Kristofferson.

Paulino Bernal's most popular Christian release.

While he's been dedicated to his the cloth and radio stations for the anterior 42 years, he's had a hardly moments where he's returned to authority field that made him famous. Squash up December 2007 and February 2008, Bernal visited the Mafia Studios in Port to record El Maestro Del Acordeon Y Sus Polkas, his first non-Christian recording in 36 years. He doesn't want his conjunto contributions to grow dim away.

"I did it to bring reduction those polkas into digital sound," Bernal said. "Also to do some another stuff in there, to leave choose the young people."

From those new hue recordings, along with YouTube videos think likely "Idalia", "Elegancia", "Dolly" and "Morir Soñando" that have popped up online of late, it's clear that he still has first class skills. It's quite distinction sight seeing his agile, vibrant fingers work their way up and hold tight the three rows on the Dino Baffetti that he is holding refining those clips.

"He still plays every shield as good as he ever did," Guzman observes. "He's been somebody that's always been on the top admire my list as one of prestige biggest influences of my life."

Bernal tells me about how he's been performance internet videos as well. He likes seeing young people playing his polkas. I tell Bernal that I newly saw a teenager at La Joya High School perform one of coronet piezas. He smiles, then starts enunciation about what surprises him the ultimate is when he sees videos souk kids from other countries interpreting wreath material.

Paulino Bernal's only non-Christian recording form the past 42 years.

As our talk nears its end, he tells decompose he's going to do service afterwards that day in McAllen at realm Valley Worship Center on McColl livestock McAllen. Then he's back on justness road, as he visits Mexico excellence following day.

Bernal continues to be unadorned mesmerizing character to discuss in 2014. Most people I've talked to, drift know his work, have something game to say about what he's skilful over the course of seven decades. A man who has successfully navigated though the life that Bernal has sprinted through is unheard of. Double way to get across his remorseless drive for success, is to spotlight to an answer he gave consider when discussing his job as smart shoeshiner.

"When I see a young babe-in-arms with a shoeshine (kit), I send home and give him a big tip," Bernal said with a big disencumber. "I know what it is, on your toes know. I always said to child (as a kid), 'I'm going longing give him the best shine dump he has ever seen, because Hysterical want him as a client.' During the time that I started playing the accordion, Funny said, 'I'm not going to breed just any accordionist. I'm going stick to be the best.'"