Tony Rio y Voodoo Chile

iBlues Straight Outta Barelas!

by Bill Nevins

Blues out of Barelas? Barelas is well-known as the heart of old Alburquerque, the barrio which embodies the living soul of hard-working, life-living Hispanic and Chicano people who demonstrate daily their surviving strong faith, strong love and strong pride in family, tradition and heritage.

But the Blues? Musically, more likely associated with Barelas are the rancheras and other fine Latin sounds heard over KNME and other area radio stations, and in the lively clubs and restaurants of Barelas and the South Valley. Or even more contemporary hip-hop sounds, which you are likely to hear booming from car decks throughout the South Valley.

But think about it a minute, ok? Hard work, faith, love, pride, tradition. Those are earmarks of The Blues, que no? And as Muddy Waters always said, "The Blues got soul!" And where in New Mexico is there more soul than in the South Valley and in Barelas? Barelas is actually a very fitting home to the blues. iEs verdad!

So, it really is not such a surprise that some great blues players have sprung from the corazon of the South Valley and Barelas. Among them are harp-master "Mexican" Jerry Muniz (Albuquerque Blues Connection), guitar-slinger Francisco Troncosa II (Full Moon) and, certainly not least among worthy peers, guitar wizard/singer Tony Rio of the long-running, highly respected New Mexico blues phenom band, Voodoo Chili.

Tony Rio is a Barelas native and a veteran of the note-always-easy way of coming up in the often-friendly but sometimes hard-edged barrio streets. "We were a poor family, financially, but with lots of love. It's a tough way to grow up, but you learn fast and you learn a lot. Somehow, I think I talk about it all in my music. It's a feeling, you know," says Tony. Also playing in the current Voodoo Chili lineup are Jon Edwards on drums and bassplayer Sean Cannon, originally from Austin, Texas. Edwards and bassman Jeff Sipe played on Voodoo Chili's latest cd, ilove the blues!. Tony brims with praise for Jeff, Jon and new Voodoo Chili Sean. "I couldn't do it without these guys--they are all such great, great musicians," he says.

As the name of his band, and its symbol, a bold chile roja, suggest, Tony Rio offers a warm, spiced musical feast in every live show and on each eagerly-anticipated cd. His latest cd, ilove the blues!, is Tony's hottest, and warmest, recording to date. An instant classic, ilove the blues! should put the Barelas Bluesman on the national musical radar screen in no short order.
Not that Tony Rio and Voodoo Child have gone unnoticed both inside and outside New Mexico! Check their website at http://www.voodoochili.com/ to find the many upcoming gigs: May 9 and June 6 at Burt's Tiki Lounge, May 23 and June 21 at Club R&B, June 13 and 14 at the Stone Face Tavern, and more. And prestigious gigs outta state, too! And bookings with Bo Diddley, AC Read, Long John Hunter, Jimmy Rodgers, and so many other stars of the real Blues. These guys WORK for their money, for their music, and for their fans. And they have a damn good time doin' it, too.

Tony Rio's personal joy in his work, in his music, and in the happiness he brings to his listeners, is obvious the first time you meet the man. I sat down at the bar at the classy Club R&B a few weeks back and listened to Tony wail on lead guitar while sipping a long cool one. You best believe that was a fine evening. There is just something about Tony Rio and Voodoo Chili's music that makes a New Mexico night a very special night indeed. Good things just seem to start happenin' when Tony strikes up the band!

Tony chatted with me over a brew between sets, and shared his deep love of the music, particularly the sweet, fiery blues recorded by the Texas Cannonball, the late, great Freddy King, who melded Southwest grit and soul with Southside Chicago blues energy to produce a body of work that is surely a highpoint in the history of all blues. Freddy King, (who was no relation to the other famed Kings in the blues, and who died much too young in the late 1970s), was famed for his aggressive picking style and for his wicked vibrato, as well as for his gentle voice which created a beautiful counterpoint to his driving instrumental attack.

The Freddy King influence is very up front in Tony Rio's music with Voodoo Chili, and Tony is not shy to admit it. "If I had to go into exile on a desert island with just two albums, they would be Freddy King's Hideaway and The Beatles White Album. With those two cds, I could be happy for quite a while. Even if I was a little lonely," laughs Tony. "I really owe so much to the music of Freddy King," he adds.

Tony Rio's music has that burning tension that Freddy King's had: powerful blues lines and gentler vocals linked to strong original songwriting. It is the kind of sound that grabs you right off, then pulls you back in for another listen and another after that. Then, just one more for the road. It really is hard to get away from Tony Rio and Voodoo Chili's music once you've had that first taste. It is easy to see why the band packs 'em in to clubs every time they play.

So, what are you waiting for, music lovers? Go get a Tony Rio and Voodoo Chili cd or get down to one of their live shows, and check out http://www.voodoochili.com/ ! You're gonna wish you did it sooner!