Antonio Reyna: A Lifetime of Mariachi
Antonio Reyna has spent over 30 years sharing his passion for mariachi music with people in the United States and Mexico. He's performed on many stages, met legendary artists, and recorded seven studio albums. Still, after all these shows, he has one dream left: to fill Albuquerque's Tingley Coliseum with mariachi music and his own voice.
Reyna's path to music started by chance. During a trip, he sang in front of Nelson Martinez, a Channel 7 news anchor and well-known figure, who noticed his talent. Back in the United States, Martinez introduced Reyna to a friend who encouraged him to keep developing his voice.
At first, Reyna still needed to learn about singing techniques like pronunciation, timing, and pitch. He was ready to work hard. In June 1996, he started opening shows for Martinez, performing at fiestas and traveling to different places.
Although his music career began unexpectedly, mariachi music was always part of Reyna's life. He grew up in Gallup and watched the famous Mexican singer Lola Beltrán on TV as a child. Later, he met her backstage at Tingley Coliseum during a Hispanic Heritage Day show.
That meeting became a turning point for him.
"I walked in, and everything was dark but the path to where she was sitting," Reyna recalled. For a boy who had watched Beltrán since he was about two, meeting her in person left a memory he would never forget.
"That moment told me there's nothing that I couldn't do," he said. "I just dreamt it big enough and put enough wings on it and enough power and the hard work behind it."
That meeting showed him how important it is to believe in your dreams and work for them. Since then, Reyna has released seven studio albums and performed hundreds of times. His music has also brought him to Mexico, where audiences have welcomed him.
Reyna knows that performing in another country as an American artist isn't always easy. He's grateful that Mexican audiences have accepted his music and welcomed him when he visits.
Even with all he's achieved, Reyna still has one personal goal. Tingley Coliseum means more to him than just another stage. It ties his career to childhood memories and to family members who traveled from Gallup to see the Hispanic Heritage Day shows at the State Fair.
He remembers watching Beltrán perform in Tucson in 1983, when he was nine. The stage turned so everyone could see the performers from all sides. Those early shows taught him about the power of live music and how a performance can stay with you.
Now, he wants to give others a memory like that.
"I think"I think just to fill the auditorium or the Coliseum once again with mariachi and this time with my voice, I think it's still on the bucket list," Reyna said.al is rooted in gratitude, ambition, and a desire to bring the music that shaped his life to a venue that holds deep personal meaning.
Reyna is also getting ready to go back to the recording studio, even though he admits he doesn't enjoy the process. While some musicians like focusing on every detail, Reyna says he just loves singing good songs.
He plans to travel to Los Angeles with his producer, Diego Casillas, to record three songs they picked out together. He's also been invited to record with Mariachi Estrella de Mexico in Guadalajara, Jalisco. When interviewed, contracts and other details were still being worked out, with hopes to start after the new year.
For Reyna, these projects are another chance to share his voice and his love for mariachi.
Away from the stage, he enjoys keeping things simplOff stage, he likes to keep life simple. He still enjoys his record player, remembers the days of landline phones, and uses Instagram to share moments from his travels, time with family, his grandchildren, and even his baking - a glimpse of the person behind the music: an artist who has traveled widely while staying connected to the people and experiences that matter most.
After more than thirty years in music, Reyna still looks ahead. His story shows that a career can start by surprise, that inspiration can come from one meeting, and that reaching one dream doesn't mean you stop dreaming.
To find out more about Antonio Reyna, his career, and his music, visit antonioreyna.com. He's also active on Instagram and Facebook @antonioreyna.
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