SYNOPSIS

At 85, Tejano legend Ruben Ramos, known as “El Gato Negro,” still walks on stage with the same iconic swagger and soul that made him a household name across generations. Dubbed the “Tony Bennett of Tejano,” Ruben's story is not just one of musical longevity, but a chronicle of cultural resilience. From singing in segregated Texas dance halls as a child to forming his band “The Mexican Revolution” during the Chicano movement, Ruben helped define the orquesta sound and gave voice to a community navigating identity, pride, and struggle in a changing America. Through the ebbs and flows of the Tejano scene, he remains ever-evolving, always performing, and insisting on live horns. Now, as Latin music tops global charts, “El Gato Negro” returns to the studio with acclaimed collaborators Carrie Rodriguez and Sergio Mendoza of Calexico, blending vintage Tejano with bold new sounds.

Told through a dynamic blend of archival footage and photos capturing the rise of Tejano music on the national stage, original interviews of major artists, and intimate vérité scenes of Ruben today, this film is a celebration of a man who may have used most of his nine lives, but never lost his joy for music, his connection to community, or his place in Tejano’s living history.