Biography
Avizo emerged from Houston, Texas as a charting, Grammy-nominated tejano ensemble whose music also incorporates cumbia, conjunto, salsa, and vintage R&B. Locals long ago dubbed them "Houston's Powerhouse." Trumpeter Robert Dorantes assembled the group in that city during 1984 to voice opposition to the trend of tejano acts abandoning traditional horn sections for keyboard-generated sounds. Keyboards and accordion nevertheless remain central to the front line. Early bookings relied on Top 40 Latin and pop covers, yet the band's sheer volume and drive moved a local DJ to coin their nickname and steered them toward an exclusively tejano repertoire. The roster comprises Dorantes, singer "GQ" Chris Quiroga, trumpeter Lonny Lalanne, trombonist Sal Gonzales, saxophonist Tory Treviño, drummer Sergio "Sarge" Salas, Ralph Garcia on keyboards and accordion, bassist Rick Rios, and guitarist Mike Garcia.
Even interpretations of radio hits stayed anchored in tejano traditions. After 2000 the group dropped pop material, folded in conjunto, cumbia, and salsa, and later welcomed vintage R&B. Their 2005 album The Power of Friends featured an extensive roster of guest appearances by tejano and norteño figures including Little Joe Hernandez, Rudy Rincon, Jay Perez, Rubén Ramos, Augustín Ramírez, David Marez, and Tracy Perez. Heavy regional radio play and repeated tours across the American Southwest secured a 2006 Grammy nomination. That same year brought five Tejano Music Award nominations, a pattern repeated with every subsequent recording. Year-round regional performances have allowed the band to issue albums roughly every two years on their own Powerhouse label. The 2011 release Mas Amigos reached a strong position inside the Top 100 of the Top Latin Albums chart. Reflejos appeared in 2016 as a collaboration with fellow tejano veteran Jimmy Edward, formerly of Latin Breed, and was followed by Q Majesty in 2017.
Even interpretations of radio hits stayed anchored in tejano traditions. After 2000 the group dropped pop material, folded in conjunto, cumbia, and salsa, and later welcomed vintage R&B. Their 2005 album The Power of Friends featured an extensive roster of guest appearances by tejano and norteño figures including Little Joe Hernandez, Rudy Rincon, Jay Perez, Rubén Ramos, Augustín Ramírez, David Marez, and Tracy Perez. Heavy regional radio play and repeated tours across the American Southwest secured a 2006 Grammy nomination. That same year brought five Tejano Music Award nominations, a pattern repeated with every subsequent recording. Year-round regional performances have allowed the band to issue albums roughly every two years on their own Powerhouse label. The 2011 release Mas Amigos reached a strong position inside the Top 100 of the Top Latin Albums chart. Reflejos appeared in 2016 as a collaboration with fellow tejano veteran Jimmy Edward, formerly of Latin Breed, and was followed by Q Majesty in 2017.
Albums
