KUNM Celebrity/Shows

Ramona King was one of four featured artists at the African American Performing Arts Center in New Mexico.  She has performed at the New Mexico State Capitol Building for African American day and at the White House for the annual Family Easter Event. Among her community benefit performances she performed as the lead storyteller among the Blues and Jazz Divas of New Mexico for the Rape Crisis Center fundraising event, SaVvi Fair. Her stories are both inspirational and entertaining.  The Education Director of the Blaffer Gallery Art Museum at the University of Houston said this, “Ramona King is a master weaver of tales, fantasies and dreams.” 

In reference to Ms. King’s work with the adult residents of St. Jude Worker House in Illinois, staff director Ellen McDowell said this, “…there are no words to describe how very much we enjoyed and appreciated your gift of storytelling.  The experience reminded me again of what a healing and restoring activity storytelling is.” 

She’s conducted workshops for adults to share and document their own stories.  In addition she’s conducted workshops of empowerment to create stories and traditions to honor recently deceased colleagues and loved ones who’ve touched our lives.  The following comments were made by a student and an instructor at the University of New Mexico after Ramona King’s class presentation.

I could feel the rhythm and the passion through the words and movements of your performance.  You showed me today that a story is not just a story, it is something personal, it is your interpretation of life and of yourself.

Kirsten Reisz, UNM Student

…she modeled ways for others to develop diverse, individual approaches for their own storytelling.

Chelsea Fortescue, Instructor, UNM College of Education

Her one-woman-show, Maternal Dreamer was performed at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.  She most recently performed her show at the New Mexico National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Training Conference.  Her performance— along with a collective of actors— in the Tibetan Book of the Dead educated the community about the ancient text under the direction of Scott Sharot at the North 4^th VSA Theater.  Inspiration from the performance ignited her new work on Death and Dying for healing experiences in the family.

 She is both DJ and Show Host for the 4^th Sunday Spoken Word Hour on KUNM 89.9 FM Albuquerque, Santa Fe.  Her show features stories from an eclectic array of storytellers and spoken word artist from various cultures.  Her most recent shows have highlighted the Taos Storytelling Festival and the Poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar. 

She is the narrator for the documentary film “Blue Alchemy: The Story of Indigo” by Mary Lance.  Her voice can also be heard as narrator for Fractal Fridays at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History (www.fractalfoundation.org). She was one of three local artists chosen to conduct a post concert workshop with the Sweet Honey in the Rock a Cappella group.  

In 2010 her article “From the Middle of Me to the Middle of You”, the story on famed story performer Brother Blue was published in the UK magazine Fact n Fiction.  Her story “The Final Trip” was published in The International Guardian newspaper.   She was later interviewed and featured in Parenting Magazine, May 2000 issue.  She is the featured storyteller for the ABQarts Magazine April 2006 issue. A short bio of Ramona King and her work can be found in Albuquerque:  Three Centuries to Remember.  In December of 2007 Ms. King was the recipient of The Links Incorporated Award – an International Philanthropic Organization –for her services to the youth in the Albuquerque area.   Ramona King was acknowledged for her services specifically due to her dedicated and undeterred efforts to teach and perform while concurrently recovering from an injury that severed her ankle. She can be found among fellow storytellers, including Garrison Keillor of the Prairie Home Companion and the late Jackie Torrence, on the award winning CD “Rainbow Tales Too”.  “Tell Me Why: Tales from Africa to America” and “Maternal Dreamer 2: Living the Dream” titles her two most recent DVD recordings.

Ms. King attended Cornell University where she studied Human Development and Family Studies and the University of New Mexico, where she received her degree in Education.  She’s taught in Albuquerque, N.M. and Brooklyn, N.Y.

Her professional memberships include the Storyteller’s of New Mexico, the National Association of Black Storytellers, National Storytelling Network, The Albuquerque Theater Guild, and The National Council of Negro Women: New Mexico Chapter