Search - Ruben Ramos :: Gato Negro Smooth

With his cool demeanor and emotive but restrained singing, Ruben Ramos represents the class act of Tejano. His ensemble is one of the last of a dying breed--the orquesta tejana or big-band Tejano style patterned after the Glen Millers and Tommy Dorseys. The 1990s orquestas are smaller combos but the horn section is crucial. The sound here is impeccable, with bright horn power on the addictive ranchera (popular Mexican song) "Como un Suspiro," a philosophical tune about living it up because life is like the wind. Ramos also injects blues attitude on "Por un Carino," about waiting for the right love, and "El '56," on good times gone by. The engine that drives this music, though, is the potent blend of whip-sharp percussions, Ramos's classy vocal style, and the mighty horn section--two trumpets, trombone, and three saxophones. --Ramiro Burr