The Orona Family, Phoenix AZ:

Many people recognize the familia Orona, but many ask who are they?.  The question, “Who are they”, can be split in many ways. A brief description could say, a family known for their talent of music ... or a family known for their hard farm work throughout the states of Texas, New Mexico, California, and Arizona.  But realistically, they are a family known of both worlds … music and hard field work labor. The Orona family is originally from Pecos, Texas. They traveled through the states of New Mexico, California and Arizona to earn there living by working in the fields either picking cotton, working in the pisca, and other fruits and vegetation crops.

Within these travels, Matias Orona being the 2^nd son of Eusebio and Modesta Orona found interest in music. Matias interest was first found when his older brother Ramon was issued a guitar to learn music. Matias along with his brothers began to play music for family gathering in Pecos, in Roswell and El Vallijo, New Mexico. In 1954, the Orona family came to the great state of Arizona. Their first stop was in Chandler, Arizona. Not only did the family bring their hard labor to this state, they also brought their talent and love of music. A gentleman from Chandler booked the Orona’s to play their first “gig” at a family dance hall called “El Savaco” in Chandler. From that point on not only did they play in Chandler, they also performed in Sacaton, Queen Creek, and Casa Grande.

In those days performing in the band were Matias Orona, Gilberto Orona, Eusebio Orona, and a friend of the family by the name of Manuel Galindo. In 1961, the Orona’s were residents in a town by the name of Tolleson. In this year, Jose Orona learned to play the accordion. His first “solo” gig was to play for a couple of gentleman’s into which his earnings were $23.00 that night. While Jose was playing alone, his father and brothers were playing at another event into which there earnings that night was $27.00 … Keep in mind that dollar figure was lots of money! 1962 was the year that the Orona’s had left their name marked in everyone’s heart. With the guapangos, boleros, cumbias, and corridos performed by the Orona brothers is what made them the talk of the town. Performing at Los Compadres (Tolleson, AZ), Calderon, Emmas’ Ballroom, La Cita, Big 7, Lucero’s Ballroom (Eloy), and the Riverside hall was also a success for them.

This bio was written by Teresa Orona in behalf of: Eusebio Orona, Ramon Orona Sr., Matias Orona, Gilberto Orona, Jose Orona, Ramon Orona Jr. - Son of Ramon Orona Sr., Freddie Orona - Son of Gilberto Orona, Roy Orona - Son of Ramon Orona Sr., Tony Orona - Son of Jose Orona, Esmeralda Orona Tagle - Daughter of Jose Orona, Teresa Orona - Daughter of Jose Orona, 'Little Ray' Orona III -  Son of Ramon Orona Jr.

 For "Tonka", a veteran of the conjunto circuit, quality is first, last and everything. Tonka is a singer songwriter, and arranger who has been involved in conjunto music for more then twenty years and known simply as Tonka, a tag he was given while still a youngster in his hometown of Robstown, Texas. Tonka's early influences read like a who's who in conjunto music. A musician's musician Tonka has more than 50 recordings for different labels under his belt and years of experience playing in the music circuit with groups like Massizo, Los Chachos, Tony De La Rosa, Steve Jordan, Juan Sifuentes and Tonka y Libre. In 1976, while doing vocals for another group, Eloy Bernal approached Tonka and asked him to join El Conjunto Bernal. It was while touring with Bernal that Tonka had the opportunity to study voice under the tutelage of Bernal. To those who recall the glory days of conjunto, Tonka's music has stimulated a nostalgic nerve ... but, something else is happening; younger fans are experiencing the quality that can be achieved with harmony in the hands of a master like Tonka. An active performer Tonka tours with a group of artists who prize professionalism and musicianship.

Candid and honest, Tonka admits he is still influenced by the experiences he realized in the Bernal organization and acknowledges the stylistic connection to Bernal, however, he points out he is much more than a parody of the original. By infusing new techniques and arrangements to his style, he keeps it contemporary and fresh. Tonka continues to experiment with voices; new techniques and arrangements that make his band a reminder of the days when music was taken seriously and fans knew good music when they heard it. In short, Tonka is reintroducing a passion for Tejano and conjunto music that has been absent for many years. Today, Tonka is being rediscovered by a multitude of new fans and his new CD "Pudo Mas Tu Orgullo," will definitely boost his already growing popularity! Hacienda is proud to present Tonka.

Ailing in a hospital bed in 1999 after his second heart attack and the quadruple bypass that followed, Tejano singer Sunny Ozuna was certain his time in this world was up. Best known for his 1963 hit “Talk to Me,” which he recorded with his band the Sunglows (later the Sunliners), and for being the first Tejano musician to perform on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand that same year, Ozuna had led a fulfilling life and hoped he would be remembered when he was gone. Frail from the surgery, Ozuna didn’t call on family members to be by his bedside. He didn’t ask for a chaplain to read him his last rites. Instead, Ozuna turned to his wife and asked for one final visitor, someone he knew could get his story right. Ozuna asked for Ramon Hernandez.

"I wanted my thoughts at that time to be written down," Ozuna said. "I thought the only one that could document that would be Ramon."

Over the last 30 years, Hernandez has transformed himself into a human encyclopedia of Latino music knowledge. In the early 1960s, he began collecting literature, periodicals, recordings, photographs, and other memorabilia on Latinos in the music industry, from the crooners of the ’40s to the rock ’n’ rollers of the ’50s to anyone who has ever been associated with Tejano, conjunto, and música ranchera. "Ramon has one of the most extensive music history collections in the world", says Steve Williams, founder of the Museum of American Music History. "There are very few collections that are as detailed as his that will take you from the origins of an artist throughout his entire career in pictures, documents, and mementos."

Housed in his two-bedroom apartment on the city’s southwest side, Hernandez’s Hispanic Entertainment Archives, an affiliate of the Texas Music Office and the MAMH, contains thousands of pieces of music history. Lined against the walls of his living room, a dozen large file cabinets contain the lives of Latino musicians from Ritchie Valens to Randy Garibay to Flaco Jimenez, all uniformly stored in their own manila folders. Some folders spill over with clippings, personal notes, and never-before-seen photos, including a Sammy Davis Jr. file, which barely has enough room to fit the medallion he gave Hernandez after a concert. The archives also hold other irreplaceable, offbeat collectibles: accordionist Steve Jordan’s famous eye patches, a Selena comic book from Mexico, and a discontinued jar of Freddy Fender’s King of Tex-Mex Picante Sauce.

The archives extend into Hernandez’s bedrooms, where boxes of original album collections, posters, and video files make it hard to maneuver around the cramped space. Hernandez doesn’t even have a bed. He lays out mats next to his layers of albums and sleeps next to vintage vinyl. "It’s not a matter of not having the money to buy a bed," Hernandez explains. "The truth is that there is no room for any furniture. As a result, I’ve had no choice but to sleep on the floor for the last 10 years." His closets, like another secret vault inside his extensive archive, are overflowing with performers’ costumes, including a polyester shirt and tie given to him by the "Father of Tejano Music," Isidro Lopez; a folklorico dress from the "Queen of Tejano," Lydia Mendoza; and a Zarape-patterned cummerbund and jacket worn by "Little Joe" Hernandez.

"A lot of the history of Mexican-American music is really hard to find," says documentary-film producer John Valadez, who is using Hernandez’s archive as a reference for a 2009 TV special called Latin Music U.S.A. “ A lot of big, mainstream institutions didn’t document this stuff very well. They didn’t care about it and didn’t value it. I have to say I was shocked and dumbfounded when I walked into [Ramon’s] apartment and saw everything he had.” Born and raised in San Antonio, Hernandez, 68, began compiling music history when he joined the Navy in 1960 and attended concerts wherever he was stationed. Although he tried his hand as a musician when he formed Whitie and the Escorts in 1959, Hernandez soon recognized he didn’t have the natural talent ("or the good looks") to compete with the Frankie Avalons and Pat Boones of the time.

"It was the pretty-boy era and I was skinny, narizon (big-nosed), and full of pimples," Hernandez said. "One day, one of the guys in the band brought a small reel-to-reel tape recorder and recorded a session. When I heard myself, it sounded terrible. So I gave up singing." Hernandez decided that he was more of a behind-the-curtains guy rather than a leading man. While stationed in San Diego in 1968, he landed a gig as a volunteer photographer for The Lawrence Welk Show and The Andy Williams Show, where he would snap photos of stars such as Jose Feliciano and Trini Lopez. It was during this time that Hernandez realized how many Latinos were in the mainstream American music industry. He was proud to know that Sam the Sham was Latino, but was disappointed that the majority of people did not.

"Whenever a group like Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers would come out and sing ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love?,’ they would never say there was a Puerto Rican in the group," Hernandez says. "They never said Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers featuring Herman Santiago. I wanted to educate the people and make it known. So, I became a crusader for Latino musicians." After working as a part-time writer, photographer, and DJ in various parts of the world during his 23-year military career, Hernandez returned to San Antonio in 1983 and began freelancing for local publications and working as a publicist for artists such as Patsy Torres and Selena.

As he continued working, Hernandez’s archive kept growing. Today, like a Latino-music version of the Library of Congress, he allows others with a similar interest to visit the archive for research. He hopes one day his priceless collection can be exhibited in a museum "where one can learn about their musical heritage and the influence of Latinos in the entertainment industry." Until then, he is comfortable being a friend to the musicians he has met and covered over the years and the outlet everyone turns to when memories start fading away.

"When someone asks me a question about my career, I say, Ask Ramon," Ozuna says. "He knows more about me than I do."

Marky Lee, Texas:  Marky Lee is certainly not one of Tejano music most recognized artist but definitely a part of Tejano music history. Considered a living legend by admirers, Marky Lee has been a loyal and devoted Tejano artist. He has his place in the history of La Onda Tejana. Marky Lee’s first adventure into the Tejano industry was when he and a group of friends worked together and created a small band while still in high school. He was eventually noticed for his vocal talent and at the request of the well-known Tejano artist, Mr. Augustin Ramirez, he joined his band as a backup vocalist. He toured with Augustin throughout the United States. Marky sang on eight of his albums and earned his popularity by being known as the “James Brown” of tejano music. Marky was singing mostly the R &B style music which earned him that name. Marky Lee became very popular in this era of Tejano music for his style, charisma and energy. He had 'it', the flair and the fancy that came with being an entertainer.

In the early 70’s Marky Lee formed the group 'Lumbre'. During the 70’s Tejano music went into a different sound with influences of modern R&B artists and so Marky launched his 'Chicano' style music with the formation of this band. The band was able to record one album entitled, 'Marky Lee and Lumbre'. Around the 1980’s Marky Lee would present to the Tejano community another unique performance with his 'Blues Brothers Show'. The show was a collaboration of oldies and Tejano music with outstanding performances by band members! The show became a must-see in the Houston area. The Tejano Band was able to record three albums: 'The Eighth Wonder of The World', 'Dios Mio Que No Amanesca', and 'El Tejano'.

During most of 1989 Tejano music scene was changing yet again, the old style that first made tejano popular, the more traditional sound we all know as 'Conjunto'. During this time a very good friend of Marky Lee’s by the name, 'Joe Martinez', was in search of a vocalist to launch his new band ... 'The Dream Team'.  Marky Lee felt honored to join this very talented musician. He will never forget and always hold deep in his heart the love that was shown to him by Mr. Joe Martinez. This is when Marky Lee’s fire was lit! He enjoyed the conjunto style and became accustomed to jamming with 'The Accordion Abuser!' An opportunity to carry on the 'Dream' came about in 1998. Marky‘s appreciation for the more traditional conjunto style would lead him to start a very young talented group under the name, 'Grupo Caliente'. The young band was able to record three CDs under the meticulous musical ear and leadership that Marky Lee has developed through the years. The first CD entitled, 'La Misma Gata', earned Marky Lee and Grupo Caliente a nomination at the Tejano Music Awards in 2002. The other two CDs were 'Antojo De Amor' and 'Conjunto Caliente'.

In 1999 Marky Lee not only rose to new levels of his career as a conjunto artist but he was inducted into Tejano Music Association Hall Of Fame. For his hard work and dedication to his craft of entertaining Tejano fans all across the country, he was recognized by his peers with this induction. In 2002 a close friend and colleague by the name of Roman Martinez asked Marky to join Ricki Martinez with backup vocals in their group the 'Hometown Boys'. Marky considered this invitation as an honor and is grateful for the chance to work with one of the most talented families in Tejano music. Marky toured with the family for six years and has so much love for the time he was able to grow as an artist and enjoyed the experience of working with the talented family. While touring with The Hometown Boys, Marky Lee did make it to the studio from time to time working on personal projects and was able to produce a demo CD entitled 'El Rebelde' which was received with much airplay throughout Texas.

In 2008 Marky has decided after much thought and consideration to move forward with a promising future of making his unique style a part of Tejano Music as we know it today. Marky known for his electric and charismatic stage presence is looking forward to a more awarding future. Along with his stage presence and 'air pistols' Marky is sure to give you a show you won’t forget. The future for Tejano music is promising, and Marky Lee feels that it is time to take his career to a higher level! Collaborating with two very talented musicians: Stevan Martinez, Johnny Hernandez - all three have come together to present 'H Tres!' Stevan Martinez widely known as the accordionist of all accordionist brings his very passionate sound to the group. Johnny Hernandez an outstanding percussionist and backup vocals pumps the crowd up for gritos! And, of course Marky Lee’s electric stage dancing and powerful voice speaks for itself. The group has come together to collaborate music with a unique sound and keeping with the traditional sounds of the tejano culture.