The bandleader of Silverbird is Ruben Ortiz (or Reuben Ortiz) who now goes by the name of J. Reuben Silverbird – in fact, almost the entire family now seems to use the Silverbird surname. He has a Facebook page – www.facebook.com/jsilverbird?fref=ts – and also a Facebook “fan club” page – www.facebook.com/groups/73767990708/ .
On his websites, J. Reuben Silverbird says that he is “the son of a Nedhni Apache Wise Man and Cherokee Medicine Woman” and has been a musician since he was 6 years old, performing throughout the Southwest. His father was from Mexico, while his mother has Blair/Sequoia roots and is originally from Colorado. The Ortiz/Silverbird family has been in entertainment for generations, and Ruben Ortiz’s family ran a small traveling circus and vaudeville show in Mexico while he was growing up. Although nothing at all is said about the Silverbird band on any of his websites, J. Reuben Silverbird has performed with Diana Ross and Eartha Kitt and has also given numerous solo performances on Native American flute, guitar and percussive instruments, playing his own compositions.
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After the Ortiz family settled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, their first musical foray was as the Ortiz Trio, evidently consisting of siblings Ruben Ortiz, Anita Ortiz and Steven Ortiz. Ruben described the music as “Ranchero style and Bolero style”.
After they moved East, the band’s name was changed to the Coronados; Ruben changed his name slightly to Reuben Ortiz,
(August 2013)
