Six decades later, Ramón Ayala is still the king of the accordion

Ramón Ayala knows he’s on borrowed time.

The 79-year-old accordionist and bandleader has been battling a bevy of health issues stemming from diabetes. He’s collapsed onstage multiple times in recent years and has been forced to perform from a chair during concerts.

It’s in the name of his current tour, reportedly his last — “La historia de un final,” which translates to “the story of an ending.” After more than 60 years of recording music, the self-proclaimed “Rey del acordeón” is stepping away from the limelight. His final turn across Mexico and the United States with his band, Los Bravos del Norte, began last summer and will last into the fall. On Saturday, the group played a sold-out show at Intuit Dome in Inglewood.

“I’m not doing well. My legs fall asleep, and I can’t be on my feet much,” he told a small group of reporters that had congregated in his dressing room an hour before he was set to hit the stage, his matter-of-fact voice raspy from a lingering cough. There was no trace of self-pity.

“I’ve been lucky to be able to work each week, and I thank God that it’s gone well for me,” he added. “I feel a lot of satisfaction in what I do.”

When asked by a reporter if he was on a special diet to address his health issues, Ayala pointed to a nearby table full of sandwiches, nachos and other snacks and let out a hearty laugh. “That’s why I don’t get better,” he cackled. “I eat whatever there is.”

It was a fitting reply from a man who sings the lyrics, “Hay que darle gusto al gusto, la vida pronto se acaba.” You have to give in to pleasures. Life ends quickly.

Born in 1945 in Monterrey, Mexico, Ayala started playing the accordion at age 5 —the story goes that his father, himself a musician, sold a pig to buy the instrument. He got his start as a teen in the Mexican bordertown of Reynosa, playing at cantinas for a few pesos a song. It was there that he met Cornelio Reyna, bajo sexto guitarist and songwriter. The two would go on to form Los Relámpagos del Norte, an act that redefined and modernized the Norteño subgenre thanks to Reyna’s unique vocals and Ayala’s dexterous and virtuosic mastery of the squeezebox. In 1971, the duo went their separate ways. Reyna left for Mexico City to try his hand at mariachi music, and Ayala formed Los Bravos del Norte, which went on to have even greater success. It was with Los Bravos del Norte that Ayala recorded his most popular material: “Un Puño de Tierra,” “Un Rinconcito en el Cielo” and “Tragos Amargos” — all songs that have become staples of the Mexican American songbook.

Ayala’s impending retirement will mark the end of an era for música Mexicana. He is a living legend, a legacy act whose prolific output — Ayala says he’s recorded more than 100 albums — and relentless touring across the U.S. have played a major role in laying the foundation for the genre’s newfound mainstream popularity. His accordion style is found in the DNA of acts like Intocable and Grupo Frontera.

“We’ve performed for several generations. The people who came to our shows in the ’60s got married, had kids and they played them our music,” Ayala said. “Then those people had kids themselves and now you have a younger generation listening to Ramón Ayala. Our shows are family-friendly.”

That was certainly the case at Intuit Dome. As I made my way to my seat, I looked around the arena and was struck by the age diversity of the crowd. No sabo kids who had never been near a horse rocked their finest tejana as they sat next to their elders.

As the house lights dimmed, cheers and applause roared throughout the venue. Ayala and his bandmates slowly made his way onto the stage. The bandleader stood in front of a microphone and addressed his adoring audience.

“It gives me such pleasure to greet you all, and I want to tell you to have a good time tonight,” Ayala said.

He then took his seat as a stagehand helped him strap on his accordion. For the next two hours, the band played its biggest hits, songs about love and loss, about living and dying. Complete strangers embraced each other as they sang along at full volume. Couples danced in the aisles and swayed to the likes of “Que Casualidad” and “Mi Piquito de Oro.”

Despite his health issues, Ayala proved that night that he still has it in him to turn a place like Intuit Dome into the world’s largest carne asada. So long as his fingers can move, he will remain the king of the accordion.

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