Ramon chunky sanchez biography

Ramón “Chunky” Sánchez, charismatic elder musician and composer, mentor, educator, and activist, lent his talents and consejos (advice) to youth, adults and all interested.

Chunky’s signature sound was committed to Mexican traditions with a Chicano style uniquely his own. He gave traditional songs, such as corridos, rancheras, and boleros, new meaning, voicing a new story written by Chicanos in the barrios of the United States.  He is recognized as one of the most impactful musicians of the Chicano Civil Rights era nationally. 

Born to immigrant Mexican parents in the California desert town of Blythe, Chunky learned to play traditional music at the knees of his mother and uncles, who had been the musical entertainment for their village on the Río Yaqui in Sonora, Mexico.

He grew up working the Palo Verde Valley fields of Riverside, California. Recruited to San Diego State University he joined folklorist and ethnomusicologist Pepe Villaril