Leoncio “Leo” Mejía is a respected trío musician, cultural bearer, and community elder originally from Unión Magdalena Jaltepetongo, Nochistlán, Oaxaca, in Mexico’s Mixteca region. He has lived in Fresno, California, since 1969 and is known as a founding member of Trío Romance Fresno, a longstanding ensemble dedicated to preserving traditional romantic Mexican music. Through nearly three decades of performance, Leoncio has become a vital figure in sustaining the trío tradition—known for its intricate harmonies, guitar work, and emotional storytelling—across California’s Central Valley.

He began playing music in his youth, learning guitar informally from friends and relatives in Mexico. After immigrating to the U.S., he became deeply immersed in Fresno’s musical community, first performing at intimate bohemian gatherings before forming Trío Romance with musicians Toni López and Eric Ramírez. Together, they’ve performed boleros, cumbias, and canciones at community events, weddings, quinceañeras, and public venues including Arte Américas, earning a reputation for their soulful, respectful interpretations of a timeless repertoire.

Leoncio’s musical practice in trío romántico is deeply rooted in emotion, discipline, and heartfelt intention. Trío music, known for its romantic themes and delicate harmonies, has long been used for serenades and to express love, longing, and personal connection. Leoncio describes it as music meant to touch hearts and bring people together. Over the years, he has developed a refined ear for harmony and performance, relying on lived experience and a deep sense of feeling. For him, trío music is a form of cultural stewardship—an act of love and memory that allows him to connect with both older and younger generations.  

He has also participated in church choirs, singing hymns in multiple voice parts, demonstrating his commitment to music as a religious and community-centered practice. Family and music have also been closely intertwined in Leoncio’s life; he recorded songs for his daughter’s quinceañera, which sparked a series of personal recordings dedicated to family members—each one an offering of affection and memory through song.

Outside of music, Leoncio worked for many years in landscape design and is actively engaged in health and wellness outreach, especially within the Mixteco and Oaxacan communities. He views wellness as essential not only for personal longevity but as a way to remain active in cultural transmission and community service.

Leoncio is also featured prominently in the documentary films Oaxacalifornia (1995) and its sequel El Regreso de Oaxacalifornia (2021). These films chronicle the migration and cultural evolution of his family across three generations. Through his presence in these works, Leoncio emerges as a symbol of resilience, dignity, and cultural continuity—offering testimony, music, and wisdom that connect life in the U.S. to deep roots in Oaxaca.

For Leoncio Mejía, music is not a performance—it is a legacy. His life’s work reflects a deep sense of responsibility to tradition, to family, and to the communities he has nurtured on both sides of the border.