Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • Page 68

tars in his ey es COVER STORY 16 venue Friday, December 16, 2005 17 venue Friday, December 16, 2005 Tobias Rene is updating his image from leather-wearing New Mexico music singer to country boy for his new CD. By Dan Mayfield JOURNAL STAFF WRITER or some, turning 30 is a big deal. It can make you reevaluate your life, what done and where going. But for New Mexico music singer Tobias Rene, it meant loading up his six-string and giving the big shot a try. Rene recently returned to New Mexico from Nashville, where he recorded a country record.

Called what he hopes will take him from big regional star to national act. reached the top of the market in New Mexico Rene said. could do more of that or try to go for the big But not alone in trying to make the big time in the home of country music. a crap said Pam Lewis of PLA Media. Lewis is Garth former manager and consultant in the record-marketing business.

She met Rene and found he had the three qualities that could make him a star: His voice, his good looks and a good CD. he can parlay what done (in New Mexico), he can be a she said. he has a lot of work to as many stories of country stars going from local stars into national success as there are sequins on a dress at Grand Ole Opry. Brooks, George Strait and even Billy Ray Cyrus did it. advantage (Rene) has is that he has a local audience that hopefully will follow Lewis said.

But as the saying goes, every day a Greyhound bus pulls into Nashville with the next Garth Brooks on it. Ironically, though, it may be Europe that helps Rene hit the big time. Though France is more known for escargot than rodeo, this fall the first single off reached No. 4 on country record charts. a violin- and accordion-tinged ditty about the Rio Grande and badlands that also struck chords with radio listeners in northern Europe.

Overall, Lewis said, sounds as good as anything Nashville has produced. But the market is so competitive that Rene will have to work hard to make a name for himself. were Rene said. could have done international Latin, rock, pop or But of those, country made the most sense. Sure, he can sing in Spanish, and he can turn a rock riff on his guitar as well as anybody, and got the good looks of a pop singer.

But it was country that seduced him. Part of it, he said, is that with age and experience he can now sing country songs with meaning and not have them come off as seeming trite. The other part is that pop and Latin music are so much more youth-driven than country. a bigger he said. But, when not listening to New Mexico music, his radio is tuned to a country station.

New Mexico music In New Mexico, Rene go to the mall without being recognized by fans of all ages. For six years he was known as Al lead guitarist, playing the music that Hurricane helped make a staple of any prom, wedding or graduation party in New Mexico. By mixing traditional New Mexico folk songs with a rock beat, Hurricane and others made an industry out of New Mexico music. Rene also has played with Grammy winners Little Joe La Familia, Ruben Ramos and Flaco Jimenez. a way, that was my musical he said.

On a whim, he cut his first CD, Por Primera Vez in the middle of his junior year of business school at the University of New Mexico. He had a hit right out of the gate. The CD moved 30,000 copies quickly and still sells at a trickle at music stores in the state, along with his other three CDs. was just the money coming in, and the calls, and I finally realized music was my calling. I was booked solid year-round (to he said.

was But it the money that seduced him. When he started solo, he was thrilled to play for $100 a night. make a couple of thousand for the band, it was good he said. Soon, however, he was a regional star playing casinos, state fairs and more to audiences of 20,000 to 30,000. played proms at Grants, Mora and Cuba high schools, too.

cool to be a Hispanic role model, he said with a grin. Blowing minds But when Rene got to Nashville, it his voice or guitar work that blew their minds, it the style either. It was the fact a whole industry and market based around New Mexico music. people making records and doing Rene said. freaked Not only was the music nothing like ever heard before, but big wigs in Nashville record companies get the idea of a regional market based around traditional music like this.

And one of the reasons he went there: They think big. The folks he found himself with, like Lewis, think about national reputations, about national marketing campaigns. Already, Rene said thanks to those contacts, he has gigs lined up in New York City, Idaho, Florida and Michigan for 2006. But first, he said, he has to get signed to a major label. the goal for he said.

Now, on the independent label Aspirion Records Group which is a Nashville-based stepping stone label that also distributes records by Crystal Gayle, T.G. Sheppard and others. Thanking the fans Rene is from Silver City originally, though he claims Santa Fe as his hometown. His family worked in the Phelps Dodge mines in Silver City. His dad went to college and has been a successful State Farm insurance salesman in Santa Fe for decades.

His parents, he said, supported his music throughout his life, signing him up for piano lessons as a kid. parents have always been my biggest he said. Regardless, when he told them he wanted to go into music full time, they were skeptical. Until, that is, when he became a big star. parents were focused on the guaranteed meal ticket of getting a job and he said.

real test was when that first CD hit it. I owe it all to my fans. the people that made that CD a Though known in the state as one of our biggest Latin stars, he want to be branded as the Latino country guy. He was pushed, he said, to do some songs on the record in Spanish. told him, are your Lewis said.

felt he needed a clean break. He fought me to put some Spanish songs on the Rene said. something I wanted to Now, however, looking back he said he feels the three of 17 tracks in Spanish are some of the strongest on the record. Realistically, though, Rene knows that is more of a demo. He knows starting over with a new set of parameters to meet.

But then, also a step ahead of other recent Nashville greats. Singers like Gretchen Wilson were tending bar in Nashville until not long ago. Big Rich was playing for tips in bars on the outskirts of town until it was signed. I sailed into Nashville on a different Rene said. After recording the CD, he came home to a sold-out show at a casino.

many people in Nashville can say that. so lucky and he said. lucky I have to tend TO BIAS RENE WHEN: 11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31 WHERE: Camel Rock Casino north of Santa Fe HOW MUCH: Free.

Visit www.camelrockcasino.com Tobias Rene is looking to hit the big time with his new CD a country album that he recently recorded in Nashville, Tenn. Most in New Mexico know Rene from his New Mexico music, like the songs from his third CD, Times the NASHVILLE BECKONS, AND N.M. ENTERTAINER TOBIAS RENE IS HAPPY TO TRY HIS MUSIC DREAM tars in his eyes COVERSTORY 17 venue Friday, December 16, 2005 Tobias Rene is updating his image from leather-wearing New Mexico music singer to country boy for his new CD. By Dan Mayfield JOURNAL STAFF WRITER or some, turning 30 is a big deal. It can make you reevaluate your life, what done and where going.

But for New Mexico music singer Tobias Rene, it meant loading up his six-string and giving the big shot a try. Rene recently returned to New Mexico from Nashville, where he recorded a country record. Called what he hopes will take him from big regional star to national act. reached the top of the market in New Mexico Rene said. could do more of that or try to go for the big But not alone in trying to make the big time in the home of country music.

a crap said Pam Lewis of PLA Media. Lewis is Garth former manager and consultant in the record-marketing business. She met Rene and found he had the three qualities that could make him a star: His voice, his good looks and a good CD. he can parlay what done (in New Mexico), he can be a she said. he has a lot of work to as many stories of country stars going from local stars into national success as there are sequins on a dress at Grand Ole Opry.

Brooks, George Strait and even Billy Ray Cyrus did it. advantage (Rene) has is that he has a local audience that hopefully will follow Lewis said. But as the saying goes, every day a Greyhound bus pulls into Nashville with the next Garth Brooks on it. Ironically, though, it may be Europe that helps Rene hit the big time. Though France is more known for escargot than rodeo, this fall the first single off reached No.

4 on country record charts. a violin- and accordion-tinged ditty about the Rio Grande and badlands that also struck chords with radio listeners in northern Europe. Overall, Lewis said, sounds as good as anything Nashville has produced. But the market is so competitive that Rene will have to work hard to make a name for himself. were Rene said.

could have done international Latin, rock, pop or But of those, country made the most sense. Sure, he can sing in Spanish, and he can turn a rock riff on his guitar as well as anybody, and got the good looks of a pop singer. But it was country that seduced him. Part of it, he said, is that with age and experience he can now sing country songs with meaning and not have them come off as seeming trite. The other part is that pop and Latin music are so much more youth-driven than country.

a bigger he said. But, when not listening to New Mexico music, his radio is tuned to a country station. New Mexico music In New Mexico, Rene go to the mall without being recognized by fans of all ages. For six years he was known as Al lead guitarist, playing the music that Hurricane helped make a staple of any prom, wedding or graduation party in New Mexico. By mixing traditional New Mexico folk songs with a rock beat, Hurricane and others made an industry out of New Mexico music.

Rene also has played with Grammy winners Little Joe La Familia, Ruben Ramos and Flaco Jimenez. a way, that was my musical he said. On a whim, he cut his first CD, Por Primera Vez in the middle of his junior year of business school at the University of New Mexico. He had a hit right out of the gate. The CD moved 30,000 copies quickly and still sells at a trickle at music stores in the state, along with his other three CDs.

was just the money coming in, and the calls, and I finally realized music was my calling. I was booked solid year-round (to he said. was But it the money that seduced him. When he started solo, he was thrilled to play for $100 a night. make a couple of thousand for the band, it was good he said.

Soon, however, he was a regional star playing casinos, state fairs and more to audiences of 20,000 to 30,000. played proms at Grants, Mora and Cuba high schools, too. cool to be a Hispanic role model, he said with a grin. Blowing minds But when Rene got to Nashville, it his voice or guitar work that blew their minds, it the style either. It was the fact a whole industry and market based around New Mexico music.

people making records and doing Rene said. freaked Not only was the music nothing like ever heard before, but big wigs in Nashville record companies get the idea of a regional market based around traditional music like this. And one of the reasons he went there: They think big. The folks he found himself with, like Lewis, think about national reputations, about national marketing campaigns. Already, Rene said thanks to those contacts, he has gigs lined up in New York City, Idaho, Florida and Michigan for 2006.

But first, he said, he has to get signed to a major label. the goal for he said. Now, on the independent label Aspirion Records Group which is a Nashville-based stepping stone label that also distributes records by Crystal Gayle, T.G. Sheppard and others. Thanking the fans Rene is from Silver City originally, though he claims Santa Fe as his hometown.

His family worked in the Phelps Dodge mines in Silver City. His dad went to college and has been a successful State Farm insurance salesman in Santa Fe for decades. His parents, he said, supported his music throughout his life, signing him up for piano lessons as a kid. parents have always been my biggest he said. Regardless, when he told them he wanted to go into music full time, they were skeptical.

Until, that is, when he became a big star. parents were focused on the guaranteed meal ticket of getting a job and he said. real test was when that first CD hit it. I owe it all to my fans. the people that made that CD a Though known in the state as one of our biggest Latin stars, he want to be branded as the Latino country guy.

He was pushed, he said, to do some songs on the record in Spanish. told him, are your Lewis said. felt he needed a clean break. He fought me to put some Spanish songs on the Rene said. something I wanted to Now, however, looking back he said he feels the three of 17 tracks in Spanish are some of the strongest on the record.

Realistically, though, Rene knows that is more of a demo. He knows starting over with a new set of parameters to meet. But then, also a step ahead of other recent Nashville greats. Singers like Gretchen Wilson were tending bar in Nashville until not long ago. Big Rich was playing for tips in bars on the outskirts of town until it was signed.

I sailed into Nashville on a different Rene said. After recording the CD, he came home to a sold-out show at a casino. many people in Nashville can say that. so lucky and he said. lucky I have to tend TOBIAS RENE WHEN: 11 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 31 WHERE: Camel Rock Casino north of Santa Fe HOW MUCH: Free. Visit www.camelrockcasino.com Tobias Rene is looking to hit the big time with his new CD a country album that he recently recorded in Nashville, Tenn. Most in New Mexico know Rene from his New Mexico music, like the songs from his third CD, Times the NASHVILLE BECKONS, AND N.M. ENTERTAINER TOBIAS RENE IS HAPPY TO TRY HIS MUSIC DREAM.