Ramón Ayala, affectionately known as the King of the Accordion, announced the curtain call on his remarkable 60-year career with the El Principio De Un Final (The Beginning of an End) tour on Tuesday (Feb. 27).
With more than 50 concerts across arenas and auditoriums on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, the tour is set to launch at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on March 9, and will wrap up at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., on Nov. 30, according to a press release. The Monterrey musician will also perform in U.S. cities such as Atlanta, Chicago and Las Vegas.
In tandem with his final tour, he is poised to release a new single titled “El Retén” on March 8.
Ayala’s trajectory from his early days with Los Relámpagos del Norte to the zenith of his career with Ramón Ayala y sus Bravos del Norte helped reshape the norteño music landscape, propelled by his riveting and virtuosic accordion skills. He’s widely recognized for crafting timeless norteño classics such as “Mi Piquito De Oro,” “Que Casualidad” and “Tragos Amargos.”
Throughout his career, Ayala has influenced great artists such as Grupo Frontera and Intocable. “The first song I fell in love with the accordion was ‘Mi Piquito de Oro’ by Ramón Ayala. I was sold,” Ricky Muñoz, Intocable’s leader and accordionist, told Billboard Español earlier in February.
His albums Antología De Un Rey (2004) and Arriba El Norte (1991) have reached No. 1 on the Regional Mexican Albums chart, and 12 of his songs have entered the Hot Latin Songs tally, including “Del Otro Lado Del Portón” at No. 12 and “Quémame Los Ojos” at No. 19.
As the four-time Grammy-winning artist prepares for his swan song, his partnership with Fundación Hermes Music through the Guitarras Por La Paz (Guitars for Peace) campaign will continue to underline the Monterrey artist’s dedication to harnessing music as a vehicle for peace. This initiative sees the distribution of guitars and educational materials to various charitable organizations, ensuring his impact extends beyond the stage.
See his Instagram announcement below:
