Ricardo (Canuloko mayor)
Proud Canadian, born and raised Mexican lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, performer, composer, and songwriter. He has extensive live and in studio experience playing with multiple ethnic bands and music genres from Rock, Rock classics, Latin, Cumbia, Bolero, Mariachi, Canadiana, Bluegrass, Tex-Mex, Country and World music in English and Spanish (and some French and Japanese) for more than 30 years in Mexico, Canada, and the U.S.
Mariachi Tabasko, The Texicanos, Aleph (Beatles tribute band),
He has also sang, played, mixed, audio edited, composed music, sound designed and programmed, for Global TV / Corus Entertainment, Red Letter Films (Francophone), Beckett Music, the Vancouver Opera, Sher Vancouver, VSO; multiple Crave, Telus Originals, Telefilm Canada, Tribeca films, CBC films, and other Indie productions always with professionalism which was much appreciated.
“There’s always something new to learn and people to learn from.”, as he always states.
Diego (El Primo)
Diego was Born in Ajijic Mexico, A small lakeside town where he spent his childhood learning to play the guitar and learning to sing in Spanish. At age 10 Diego and his family moved to Canada.
“In Canada I became immersed in North American Music, Jazz, boogie woogie piano and blues guitar. At age fourteen I knew that I wanted to be a musician”. He has never looked back since he has been studying and playing music for over thirty five years.
Diego currently directs and plays piano with his own Latin Orquesta, “Orquesta Tabasko”. “Orquesta Tabasko has been a dream come true for me, I love playing the classic Latin dance music; Mambo, Son, Rumba, Cha-cha, Salsa, Cumbia and Merengue- its such lively and passionate music, I never get tired of playing these styles there is just so much variety in the music that I am forever intrigued”.
“Nothing takes me back to my Mexican roots quite like Mariachi music”. After playing with different Mariachis and performing regularly, in 2018
he decided to form his own group; ‘Mariachi Tabasko’
a long with long time friend and colleague Ricardo Ochoa. The band performs regularly in the Lower Mainland at private parties and festivals. “I’m so proud to be a Mariachi here in Canada and to have a group and to play with great Musicians regularly is such a Blessing,” Diego Kohl.
Marissa (Bonita)
Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Marissa Deans has been a professional violinist and violist since the age of twelve. Classically trained from a young age, her eclectic career path also led her to explore other genres such as rock, jazz, pop, fiddling, blues, bluegrass, and mariachi. As a founding member of the Plastic Acid Orchestra, she also composes and arranges her own music, and her violin playing and singing have been broadcast on local and international radio & television. Marissa holds a Bachelor of Music (with distinction) from the University of Victoria, and has appeared with the Vancouver Island Symphony, the Victoria Symphony, the Kamloops Symphony, the Prince George Symphony, many freelance/pickup orchestras, and smaller ensembles, Dan Mangan, and Mariachi Tabasko. A passionate violin and violist soloist, she can add a touch of panache to any musical event.
Shannon (Juanita Sánchez)
Shannon Saunders is a professional musician, teacher, recording artist and stunt performer. She lives in Vancouver BC where she keeps busy teaching violin and fiddle, performing, recording, and working in the film industry.
Shannon has appeared on numerous recordings and has recorded two solo albums with her bluegrass group, The Splinters.
Her decade of work with The Paperboys earned her a Juno award and two West Coast Music Awards. Other groups include Gaslighter, Rod and the Mods, The Hairfarmers, Rich Hope and the Blue Rich Rangers, and The West Coast Symphony Orchestra. Shannon is also the founder of The Vancouver Fiddle Club, a performance group for young musicians.
Ricardo L. (El Tocayo)
The Real Mariachi deal! Since a very young age, I started my professional music studies having a solid Mariachi background and knowledge taught by my grandfather "Francisco Vázquez" whom, always emphasized the beauty and made me appreciate this genre.
When I was 12 years old, I started performing live as a Mariachi trumpet player and kept learning from talented players until this day.
Mariachi expresses love, love for your homeland, for Mexico, for its culture and traditions, as well as, deep emotions, feelings, freedom, joy and nostalgia.
My love and understanding of Mariachi music is something I want to deeply share with the rest of the world, and I know being part of “Canuloko” I will certainly achieve that goal with my friend and colleague Ricardo Ochoa. I do believe in this Mexican-Canadian fusion Project’s potential and in it’s commercial success.
Kyle (El Hacha)
He is a Canadian singer, songwriter and multi- instrumentalist and has performed locally and internationally from a very young age. He has been writing music for multiple genres for many years, including Orchestral Music, Chamber Music, Rock/Pop, Folk, Wind Ensemble, Choir and Jazz and has one solo album released under Calico Thief (Peasant Songs of Tanager Hill 2010). Kyle was also a Judge for the Juno Awards in 2018. As a trumpet player he has enjoyed performing as a freelance artist in a variety of ways including chamber ensembles, orchestras (Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra, Kamloops Symphony, The Legend Of Zelda: Symphony of the Godesses, Cirque Música, Plastic Acid Orchestra, and the Vancouver Trumpet Consort), pop/rock bands, salsa, mariachi (Mariachi Los Dorados, Mariachi Tabasko) and over a dozen theatre productions (including Into The Woods, Les Miserable, Music Man, Fiddler on the Roof, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, the Wizard of Oz, Bye Bye Birdie, Once Upon a Mattress, and My Fair Lady). Kyle holds a Bachelors in Music Performance (Brandon University B.Mus), an education degree from UBC (B.Ed), and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and pedagogical studies from UBC (M.Ed), and is currently a band/choir director at Burnaby Mountain Secondary School and has been teaching for 16 years.
