Ramona King, a former Radio Host of "The Spoken Word Hour" for NPR affiliate KUNM, has had the privilege of interviewing renowned spoken word artists and musical storytellers such as folksinger John McCutcheon and Bluesman Guy Davis.
Her first appearance on CD was with Rainbow Tales Too, produced by Rounder Records, alongside national storytellers including radio celebrity Garrison Keillor. This was followed by her newest storytelling DVD, Coyote Song, featuring a live performance with Samoan beat box artist Zack Freeman at The Word of South Festival of Literature and Music.
In addition to her work in radio and music, Ramona has also had a successful career in film and television, appearing alongside Matthew McConaughey and opposite Morgan Freeman in films directed by award-winning directors such as Ron Shelton, Peter Chelsom, Michael Slovis, and Robert B. Weide.
Her bio and story as Albuquerque's storyteller are featured in Albuquerque: Three Centuries to Remember (A La Harencia Publications, 2005). She co-produced the film _Searching_ (2016),directed by Albert Fry, which was an official selection of three festivals and won the Southern Shorts Award. Ramona is also the recipient of the Southern Shorts Merit Award for Acting.
Ramona grew up in Queens, New York during the 1970s and attended Andrew Jackson High School. She is the oldest of five siblings and her mother worked for a Toy Factory, which provided special moments between mother and children. Ramona's introduction to theater was through her mother's storytelling, which they would later perform in their basement on a makeshift stage.
Her father was a trucker who struggled during union strikes, and eventually, Ramona and her siblings were placed in New York's foster care system. The school was a safe haven for her, where she scored high grades and eventually earned acceptance to Cornell University, where she studied Human Development and Family Studies.
At Cornell, she met her husband-to-be, Tony King, during her first college stage performance of Godspell. They married and moved to New Mexico, where Ramona continued to perform live theater at the University of New Mexico, including productions of Antigone in South Africa, Boesman and Lena, and Young Gifted and Black.
After giving birth to her first child, Ramona began her solo performance career as a storyteller and personal griot. She has since performed across the country, often with her children in tow, and has even performed at the White House for the Annual Easter at the White House Event in 1999. Despite the challenges she faced, Ramona has come full circle, continuing her acting career in film and television.
