Pedro Ayala

Pedro Ayala (June 29, 1911[1] – December 1, 1990[2]), called "El Monarca del Acordeón", was a Mexican accordionist and songwriter from General Terán, Nuevo León, Mexico.[1] Pedro Ayala was a pioneer of conjunto music[3] with his distinctive accordion playing, receiving a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts[1] for his contribution to conjunto and folk music.

Pedro Ayala
Birth namePedro Ayala
Born(1911-06-29)June 29, 1911
General Terán, Nuevo León, Mexico
DiedDecember 1, 1990(1990-12-01) (aged 79)
South Texas
GenresConjunto
Instrument(s)accordion
Years active1935–1989
LabelsArhoolie Records, Bego Records, DiscOlando Records, Eco Records, El Pato Records, Falcon Records, Folklyric Records, Ideal Record, Oro Records, RyN Records

Early life

Ayala, the son of musician Emilio Ayala,[1] began playing the accordion when he was 5 years old. His family migrated to the United States when Pedro was about eight years old, settling in the town of Donna, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley and working as farm laborers. At age ten, he began to accompany his father on gigs for local dances, playing the tambora (drum).[3] By age fourteen, Pedro had learned the two-row button accordion, guitar and was playing with one of his favorite accordionists, Chon Alaniz.[1]

Career

Ayala began his professional career in 1935, and decided to concentrate on the accordion as his primary instrument. He played music while continuing to work on farms. In the 1940s and 1950s, Ayala was a well-respected performer among working-class Mexican Americans living in Texas, earning the title "El Monarca del Acordeon" (Monarch of the Accordion). In 1947, he recorded with a new record label named Mira in McAllen, Texas. Mira later became Falcon Records, a very successful Chicano recording company.[3] Over the course of his career, Ayala made 10 albums and numerous 78- and 45-rpm recordings that included polkas, chotes, valses, and redovas.[1]

Throughout his career, Ayala remained true to the stylistic core of conjunto music, but also added innovations such as incorporating the toloche (stand-up bass) to the ensemble. He was also regarded as a songwriter with a distinctive style of composition.[3]

In 1957 his sons Ramon Ayala, and Pedro Ayala Jr. (Quito) joined his group Pedro Ayala y su Conjunto. By 1963 Pedro Ayala's youngest son Emilio joined the group renaming the group to Pedro Ayala El Monarca del Acordeón y Los Hermanos Ayala touring the entire United States for the next several years.

Personal life

Pedro Ayala married Esperanza Benitez in 1935.[1] They had a total of nine children three of which also played instruments. Hector Ayala, Elia Ayala, Pedro Ayala Jr., Anita Ayala, Ramon Ayala, Pedro Ayala Jr. (Quito), Olga Ayala, Magdalena Ayala, and Emilio Ayala.

Awards and honors

References
  1. "Pedro Ayala: Mexican-American Accordionist". www.arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. n.d. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  2. "Texas Music Pioneers (A-M) / Texas Music History Tour". governor.state.tx.us. Texas Music Office. 2013. Archived from the original on December 4, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  3. Govenar, Alan, ed. (2001). "Pedro Ayala: Mexican American Conjunto Accordionist". Masters of Traditional Arts: A Biographical Dictionary. Vol. 1 (A-J). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-Clio. pp. 41–43. ISBN 1576072401. OCLC 47644303.
  4. "NEA National Heritage Fellowships 1988". www.arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. Archived from the original on July 30, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  5. "Arhoolie Records". Archived from the original on June 20, 2002.
  6. "Local musician dies, leaves legacy | ayala, ramon, music - News". TheMonitor.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012.
  7. Shorkey, Clayton T. (October 23, 2015). "Ayala, Pedro". Tshaonline.org. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved January 22, 2018.

Further reading
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