Here you will find some small amount of information about New Mexico musicians that I consider to be important. I have not included art music such as symphonic and opera at this time although such is an important part of the music scene in New Mexico. I have only included those that would be considered popular musicians from various genres and others that would be considered carriers and propagators of the various folk traditions here in the state. It is amazing that I have taken so long to do this as I am a fiddle and guitar player myself and music is one of my major loves in life. I also would like to add that it is quite hard to get comprehensive information on some of this state’s musicians. There are many reasons for this but one of the major reasons is that the world of music and musicians can be very insular with not much contact between the various groups and especially between the various genres. In times past rock and roll was a common point of contact but even that has diminished as the whole rock world has been cut up into so many factions and styles of music.
Let us start with some of the better known individuals and groups that I am more familiar with. I hope to add some of the newer bands as time and better information allow.
Northern New Mexico Musicians
Al Hurricane:
Alberto Nelson Sanchez was born in the small town of Dixon, New Mexico in 1936 and grew up in different parts of Arizona and New Mexico before moving to Albuquerque in 1947. Sanchez had an early interest in music, starting to play guitar at the age of 5. It was then his mother gave him the nickname “hurricane” because he would run around the house, knocking things over. In 1954, Al graduated from Albuquerque High School. He is known as the “Godfather” of New Mexico music. In the 1950s and 1960s Hurricane played guitar for Fats Domino and the two have remained friends.
Tiny Morrie:
Amador Sanchez, Tiny Morrie, is one of the most successful New Mexico Music artists of all time. He is one of the few true pioneers of the genre. His most famous and still popular song is “La Del Mono Colorado”. I wish I had more information on Tiny Morrie. He is the brother of Al Hurricane.
Baby Gaby:
Mauricio Sanchez, younger brother of New Mexico famous singers Al Hurricane and Tiny Morrie. A very influential and popular singer but again there is not a lot of information on him.
Los Blue Ventures:
Los Blue Ventures de Louis Sanchez, are an Espanola family band that draws record crowds wherever they perform. Louis Sanchez, the band leader and father, is the father of eight children, most of whom play or have played with the group the last 10 years. They are the most popular Northern New Mexico style group in northern New Mexico.
Freddy Brown:
Freddie was born in the Southern New Mexico town of Winston in 1940. He was one of 14 children in a musical family. Freddie grew up in the Albuquerque South Valley and played a lot in various bars and night clubs in the Albuquerque area. He toured and performed with artists such as Rene Rene, Freddie Fender and Antonio Aguilar who was one of the major stars from Mexico. Freddie Brown died April 30, 2002 in a one vehicle accident near Scottsdale, Arizona. Freddie was 61 years old. I listened to Freddy Brown quite a bit back in the late 60′s and considered him one of my favorite New Mexico musicians.
Roberto Mondragón:
Roberto Mondragon served two terms as Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico from 1971–1974 and from 1979–1982. He also was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives. He is the co-founder of Aspectos Culturales, a Santa Fe, New Mexico based firm dedicated to the preservation and sharing of many aspects of Hispanic culture particularly through the Spanish language. Roberto was and still is a prolific singer of the old songs of Northern New Mexico.
Cleofes Vigil:
Cleofes was born April 9, 1917, in a small village in the San Cristobal Valley of northern New Mexico. He said of himself, “I play the mandolin and sing old songs and religious chants called alabados. My religious chants came from Spain with the first settlers and are very old, and I am sorry to say that I am one of the few that sings them exactly the way Juan de Oñate and his settlers sang them when they came to the New World.” Vigil participated in Los Penitentes rituals and eventually became a cantante, or singer. He is a professor at Northern New Mexico College in El Rito New Mexico and is a frequent lecturer and performer of the old colonial Spanish musical traditions.
I was lucky enough to hear him one time and I assure you he does more than play the mandolin. He is an excellent fiddle player, singer and story teller. He also plays a saw which is a heck of a lot more difficult than it appears.
Cleofes Ortiz:
Cleofes Ortiz was born in 1910 on Pajarito Plateau near Rowe, New Mexico and died March 17th, 1996. He was a great New Mexican fiddler and he played the Spanish Colonial music that he learned from his cousin Emiliano and other older fiddlers. The tunes reflected many parts of Europe including Spain, Italy, France, Ireland, Poland as well as some Native American influence. Cleofes was a farmer and a stone mason as well as a musician. He was one of the last of the old people who grew up playing the old New Mexico style music at dances and other functions in San Miguel County.
Brown Persuasion:
Popular Northern New Mexico style band from the Espanola-Pojoaque area. They were active in the 80′s and they were one of the most popular bands in northern New Mexico at the time. Their music can still be heard on KANW FM in Albuquerque. The drummer, Willie Romero, and I have been friends for many years.
Note: the next list will concern itself with Native American performers.
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