Tejano music pioneer and longtime entertainer Ruben Ramos, known to his fans as “El Gato Negro,” spoke to Tejano Nation during an autograph signing for his new CD, “Inolvidable,” at the historic Janie’s Record Shop in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday (April 9).
The iconic crooner spoke about the Cuban and Puerto Rican sounds that inspired the music on his latest effort, updated fans on his health following triple bypass heart surgery in March 2018, and even admitted he felt nervous about his concert that night at Fiesta De Los Reyes, which comes after an almost four-year absence from live performances due to his surgery and the pandemic.
“After what I’ve been through in the last three or four years, it’s a shining light at the end of the tunnel to me,” said Ramos. “I’m glad to be here and I’m so glad to be performing tonight. I’ve performed probably four times since 2018.”
Ramos joked that he was worried he might not remember the words to his songs once he stepped on stage.
Despite the pandemic keeping Ramos from live shows, he did stay busy as he joined with well-known producers Hugo Guerrero and Rick Fuentes for his latest album Inolvidable. The album includes six songs each from the two producers and contains Cuban influences, which he picked up from his childhood in the cotton fields near Houston as he listened to a shortwave radio that happened to pick up music from Cuba. The album’s Puerto Rican influences come as his older brother was stationed in Puerto Rico and the brothers would later perform some of the songs of that style with the Alfonso Ramos Orchestra.
Beyond music, when it comes to current and always-advancing technology or the wild world of social media, Ramos made it clear that: “I have people to do that.” To prove his point that he isn’t an early adopter of tech, he then, pulled his cell phone from his pocket to reveal that he still uses a flip phone. However, not to stay completely behind the times, Ramos did sport a high-tech smartwatch he recently bought.
Watch the full interview with the always gracious and ever-entertaining Ramos and follow his Instagram and Facebook for details about his new CD Inolvidable, which will be available on all digital platforms in a week.
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