Where the Music Came From

I was born Victor René Opio in Kenedy, Texas on July fifth nineteen sixty one. I started playing music when I was five years old after my father (Domingo Opio-Opio) bought one of those Sear Roebuck combo packs of claves, bongos, and maracas. My two older brothers Domy and Richard played alto E-flat saxphone and drums. Many years later, my little sister Soria tried her hand at the violin.

My mother (Gladys Opio-Reyes) was the one with the talent. She was a Chicana from Alice, Texas that danced and sang rancheras in her Mexican Mariachi outfit. I guess some of her stage talent rubbed off on me. Her stage name was Chelito Reyes. My father (Domingo) did know a thing or two about the guitar.

As the years progressed, at fifteen years old I started playing the acoustic guitar to the tunes of my Puerto Rican father's stereo. Learning much of my musical knowledge in church while serving mass as an alter boy, I incorporated much of the spiritual music into my compositions.

From the proce