Ramón Ayala,

Ramón Ayala,

is an accordion player and singer of norteño music from Nuevo León, Mexico (born December 8, 1945). The King Of The Accordion and 4 time Grammy winner, featured in 13 movies, and has recorded 105 albums. Accordion models named after him are available on the market. Ayala has defined most of early and modern Norteño and Tejano music with his distinctive accordion style and lyrics. Though he added electric guitars and drums to his music, it retains a traditional northern ranchera style. He does a lot of his songwriting, musical arrangements, movie and television rehearsals at his famous ranch "Rinconcito en el Cielo" in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. He is known for his great generosity and annual Christmas party for children at his main residense near his ranch home. He is the founder of "Los Relampagos del Norte" and "Ramon Ayala y sus Bravos del Norte," and has recorded many Gold and Platinum albums.

Career

Ayala, the son of musician Ramón Cobarrubias, began playing the accordion when he was six years old. Ayala's first band experience was a group called Los Jilgueros de Marin. Later, Ayala joined Los Pavoreales. After moving to Reynosa, a border town in the northern Mexican state of Tamaulipas, Ayala met Cornelio Reyna at El Cadillac cantina and Ramon formed Los Relámpagos del Norte. In 1963, the group made a self-titled album that included Ya No Llores.

For the next eight years, "Los Relampagos del Norte" continued to extensively play norteño music, a genre that was then and now considered early tejano and norteno music. Ramón Ayala and Cornelio Reyna livened the music and lyrics in order to reach and appeal to more people. Ramon's accordion playing and music arrangements were "on fire" and never before heard. Ramon mentored Cornelio who was also a pro and they wrote many songs together. The duo recorded a total of 20 albums that produced songs such as "El Disgusto," "Devolución," "Mi Tesoro," "Tengo Miedo," and many others.

Mariachi

In 1971, however, Cornelio Reyna decided to leave Los Relampagos del Norte and switch to the mariachi genre. At the time, many music experts felt that Ramón Ayala's career at the top was doomed since Cornelio Reyna was the voice of Los Relampagos del Norte. Surprisingly enough, Cornelio Reyna's mariachi career was only mediocre compared to Ramon's career. Cornelio was a talented musician and considered a legend, but he had been much more popular with Los Relampagos del Norte than he had been as a new solo mariachi singer, proving that Ramon's management of the group and contacts were phenomenal and unsurpassable.

Ramón Ayala had proved that he could stay on top with his band, Ramón Ayala y sus Bravos del Norte by late 1971. Ramón Ayala mentored talented vocalist Antonio Sauceda. Sauceda had a similar singing style and voice tone as Cornelio Reyna, which proved to be perfect for Ramón Ayala's musical arrangements. This made a smooth transition for his playing style.

Lead singers

After cementeing his name at the top of norteño music charts once again, and appearing in over a dozen Spanish movies, Ramon was considered a "movie star." The next lead singer Ramon mentored was Eliseo Robles who was at the time playing in another band called "Los Satellites de Fidencio Ayala." Fidencio and Jose Luis, which are both Ramón Ayala's brothers and Robles decided to join Ayala's band, and he continued to be the standard for norteño music. Fidencio, also a master accordionist joined as the bass player and Jose Luis, as drummer. They are both very exceptional composers and master musicians like Ramon, and with the three master recording Ayalas in the band, they could produce music in the studio basically unsurpassed. During this period, Ramón Ayala y sus Bravos del Norte's album sales reached new heights in Mexico and the United States mainly due to Ayala's ability to produce hits such as "Un Rinconcito En El Cielo," a song named after his famous ranch in the Rio Grande Valley, near his main residence, "Chaparra De Mi Amor," "Tragos Amargos," "La Vecina Me Puso El Dedo," "Buenos Dias, Señor Dios," Un Puño de Tiera," "Gaviota," "Cumbia del Zoologico," "El Corrido de Chito Cano," (one of the most requested corridos in norteno music) etc. Ayala is especially famous and known for his corridos, and considered by many the maximun performer of Spanish ballads (corridos). The next year, Ramón Ayala celebrated his 30th anniversary of his career with the arrival of his current and best lead singer yet, the extremely talented and educated Mario Marichalar. With Marichalar's arrival and professionality, Ramón Ayala once again remains at the top. Ramón Ayala still greatly appeals to a younger generation that seems to love and accept him. His extremely talented son, Ramon Ayala, Jr. has recorded many albums as a separate band, and is a huge sensation with all age groups also. Ayala continues to be the classic musician who is known as one of the main founders of modern Norteño and Tejano music. Ramón has won four American and Latin Grammy's and his record sales exceed most Norteno bands in the U.S. and Mexico. Ramón Ayala is also known around the world as "El Rey del Acordeon." Elvis holds the throne as the "King of Rock and Roll" and Ramon Ayala holds the throne as the "King of the Accordion." Ayala is also known as the "most copied band in spanish music". Probably thousands of bands record and also perform his songs upon request in the U.S. and in Mexico. The public seems to love Ramon's music and do not get tired of listening to it.

(NOTE:) Years later, Ramon Ayala accepted the opportunity and task of facilitating and reuniting "Los Relampagos del Norte." Ramon and Cornelio had always remained friends through the years. Ramon is known for his loyal friendships. Ramon produced several of their album recordings and assisted in facilitating tours. They were a massive hit both here and south of the border. The phenomenal legend band recorded and toured until Cornelio Reyna's untimely death.

Miscellaneous

Ramón Ayala y Sus Bravos del Norte won the Grammy Award for Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album at the 44th Grammy Awards in 2002 for En Vivo...El Hombre y Su Música.

Nominated for Latin Greatest Hits Album of the Year for Antologia De Un Rey by Ramon Ayala y Sus Bravos Del Norte at the 2006 Latin Billboard Music Awards.

Won Best Norteño Album for El Número Cien and Best Regional Mexican Song for "Del Otro Lado Del Porton" by Ramón Ayala y Sus Bravos del Norte at the 2002 Latin Grammy Awards. Crean, Ellen (2002-09-19). "Sanz Sweeps Latin Grammys Again". CBS News. Retrieved 2008-12-23.

Nominated for Best Norteño Performance for La Leyenda Continúa... by Cornelio Reyna Jr. with Ramón Ayala y Sus Bravos del Norte at the 2000 Latin Grammy Awards.

The 13 movies that Ramon Ayala has participated in are still very popular and shown on television. He has filmed side by side with Antonio Aguilar, Los Hermanos Almada, and the late Cornelio Reyna.

Ramon Ayala has recorded 105 albums, and received many "Gold and Platinum" album awards.

In August 2006, it was announced that Ramón Ayala and his son had been killed in a car accident. Multitudes of media reports were aired. When a friend of Ramon was able to locate the busy and unaware Ayala, it was confirmed that his death had only been a rumor. The world experienced a similar rumor about Paul McCartney while with The Beatles.

In 1990, Ramon Ayala wrote and recorded "Cumbia del Zoologico" (15 Cumbias Legendarias Album), a song about Danny Moreno's mini zoo and museum in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, which sold over 1 million copies. "Doctor" Danny (his show name) exhibited over 75 freak-mutant animals including "two pigs with human-like heads," hundreds of hard-hitting collectibles and memorabilia including: two Elvis Presley jackets, Mother Teresa hair locks, and meteorites from the moon. Autographs include: Pope Paul II, M. L. King Jr., etc., all with certificates of authenticity. On major TV shows, Danny wrestled seven giant snakes exhibited in the mini zoo. (his "Cage of Death" dare devil stunt act). Ayala mentored Danny for years about promotion, networking and show business. The young student and apprentice "Doctor," Danny and Ayala were featured on Good Morning America, Ripley's "Believe It Or Not," Ocurio Asi, Hola America, tabloids, La Alarma, in over 300 newspapers, radio shows, etc. Ayala had the vision to promote the museum to international status which turned into a total "media frenzy" and "media circus" that converted the museum into the most jaw-dropping "phenomena" and "legend" to ever hit the Valley. "Doctor" Danny operated a five-star feed and pet store next to the museum, and was the original "exotic animal health care consultant" for Ayala's private famous ranch, "Rinconcito En El Cielo." Tejano Superstar Selena initially consulted Danny with fashion ideas for his "freaked out" wardrobe. Over 550,000 visitors toured the museum in the nine years it was open, Due To Ayala's Cumbia About The Museum. (A video of "Cumbia del Zoologico" can be seen on "YouTube").

(source:wikipedia)