Yaqui classical guitarist

Yaqui guitarist's career taking offAyala, 36, was born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas. Enthralled in his youth by the power of music, he went to Texas A&M University where he studied guitar. In 1995, Ayala moved to Tucson, where he pursued his master's degree in the instrument.

He graduated in 1997, and for the next decade he continued to create in the Old Pueblo, releasing two self-produced albums and building a name for himself in local and national guitar circles.

In 2008, Ayala put his best foot forward in the recording studio, releasing two special projects.

His first album, "Tango," served as a collection of Argentine songs composed by greats such as Astor Piazzolla and arranged for guitar.

The release was nominated for best acoustic album and best instrumental album at the 2008 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards in Canada.

The second project, "Portraits," was Ayala's first release on the Phoenix-based Canyon Records, a label that specializes in American Indian artists such as flutist R. Carlos Nakai.

The recording was part of the label's "Explorer" series and gave Ayala a platform to showcase his talents with arrangements of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor and Fernando Sor's variations on "O cara armonia" from Mozart's "The Magic Flute."