A icon of conjunto regional whose alto voice and accordion style are signatures of the "Valley Sound," Gilberto Pérez has been making music in Texas for almost 50 years. Since recording his first hit, "El Die De Tu Boda," in 1960 for legendary record label Discos Falcon, Pérez has toured the conjunto circuit, dedicated to maintaining the sound of traditional conjunto he learned from both his brother, Alejandro Pérez, and mentor, Eristeo Flores, while growing up in Mercedes, Texas. Gilberto Pérez, the youngest of twelve siblings in a musical family, was drawn to music at an early age and showed great prowess on the guitar. He honed his skills playing "Los Aficionados", live music programs usually held before or during intermissions of movies, at the local El Rio Theater in Mercedes, often alongside a young Ruben Vela. Pérez's switch to the accordion came unexpectedly at his first recording session, when he proved himself more accomplished on the instrument than his bandmate. Gilberto Pérez Y Sus Compadres went on to record many more hits for Falcon, "Con Cartitas", "Porqué Dios Mio", "Mi Última Parranda", "Aguanta Corazón", and the 1997 Grammy-nominated "Arráncame El Corazón", composed by the late Alejandro Pérez.
Throughout the years, Perez has released over 50 albums on numerous labels: Discos Falcon, Chico, Nuevo Records, Joey Records, Freddie Records, M & M, Hacienda, Capitol, Sony, and Smithsonian Folkways are but a few. One of the founders of the South Texas Conjunto Association, Perez was inducted into the Texas Conjunto Hall of Fame in San Benito in 2003 and Tejano Conjunto Hall of Fame in San Antonio in 2007. In 1999 Gilberto Perez y sus Compadres performed at the Smithsonian's Festival of American Folklife in Washington D. C. He has seen many conjuntos and styles come and go, occasionally adding saxaphones, electric guitars, and synthesizers into his band to keep with current trends, but he never let go of the traditional conjunto sound he developed with his brother and Los Compadres Ramón Medina and Cruz González, and now maintains with his son Gilberto, Jr., on bajo sexto guitar, and his grandson, Zeke, on drums. One of the premier dance bands performing today, Gilberto Pérez Y Sus Compadres have secured a place in the Texas music history.
