EL GATO NEGRO

We were over the moon the first time we had the privilege of collaborating with Tejano legend Ruben “El Gato Negro” Ramos. The performance was held in March of 2019 at the Cactus Cafe. Over the years our creative relationship with Ruben has grown, and now we are excited to embark on something larger together - a brand new studio album along with a documentary film!

Funding

This is a rare opportunity to help tell Ruben’s story while he’s still making history, and to do it with the depth, beauty, and care it deserves. If you’re moved by this project and want to be part of something meaningful, a donation is a powerful place to start. Supporting this project means honoring a living legacy and investing in the future of Latine storytelling. Please reach out to us directly or make a donation today to help support this exciting project!

ABOUT THE PROJECT

At 85, Tejano legend Ruben Ramos, known as “El Gato Negro,” still walks on stage with the same iconic swagger and soul that made him a household name across generations. Dubbed the “Tony Bennett of Tejano,” Ruben's story is not just one of musical longevity, but a chronicle of cultural resilience. From singing in segregated Texas dance halls as a child to forming his band “The Mexican Revolution” during the Chicano movement, Ruben helped define the orquesta sound and gave voice to a community navigating identity, pride, and struggle in a changing America. Through the ebbs and flows of the Tejano scene, he remains ever-evolving, always performing, and adamantly insisting on live horns. Now, as Latin music tops global charts, “El Gato Negro” returns to the studio with acclaimed collaborators and co-producers Carrie Rodriguez and Sergio Mendoza (Calexico), blending vintage Tejano with bold new sounds on a forthcoming album.

Told through a dynamic blend of archival footage and photos capturing the rise of Tejano music on the national stage, original interviews of major artists, and intimate vérité scenes of Ruben today, this film is a celebration of a man who may have used most of his nine lives, but never lost his joy for music, his connection to community, or his place in Tejano’s living history.