Artist Biography
The singing group Las Leyendas was formed for the sole purpose of paying tribute to the artistry and achievement of Grammy and Latin Grammy-winning norteño songwriter and "El Rey del Acordeón," Ramon Ayala. The album Homenaje a Ramón Ayala was conceived by veteran singer Freddie Martinez (founder of Freddie Records, Tejano music's most important label), with fellow hitmakers Sunny Ozuna, Augustin Ramirez, Joe Bravo, and Carlos Guzman. These Latin stars each credited Ayala's influence on their careers, and arranged the 16 Ayala songs here so they could rotate solo spots, perform in various duets, and sing backup with the group. The first single, "Damelo,” featuring vocals from Martinez and Ramirez, charted at Mexican Regional Songs. Issued in September 2019, Homenaje a Ramón Ayala placed in the Top Ten at streaming and Mexican Regional Albums. It was not the first recorded tribute to Ayala, however. In 2000, Sinaloa's Julio Preciado y Su Banda Perla del Pacífico issued an album of his songs with the same title, and a year later, the Los Angeles City council paid a civic tribute to celebrate Ayala's 50th anniversary in music. In 2017, a televised concert was broadcast across Mexico to celebrate Ayala's birthday and his lasting influence with a cast of artists who included La Septima Banda, Javier Rosas, Voz De Mando, El Fantasma, Larry Hernandez, Jorge Medina, and El Dasa. ~ Thom Jurek
Hometown
Texas, United States
Genre
Música Mexicana