El Tri is a
Mexican rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band from
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
fronted by
Alex Lora. It is a spinoff of
Three Souls in My Mind, formed in 1968. The group is regarded as influential in the development of Mexican rock music.
Over the years, El Tri's sound has touched on several different styles including rock,
psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
,
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
, acoustic rock,
blues-rock, and
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
. The group has enjoyed moderate success garnering numerous
gold-certified albums in Mexico.
Band history
Three Souls in My Mind
![Alex Lora](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Alex_Lora.jpg)
The name "Three Souls in My Mind", now commonly noted by its initials TSIMM, was initially chosen as a nod towards conventions for long band names in rock and roll.
Originally composed of Alejandro Lora on
bass, Memo Berea on rhythm guitar and vocals, Ernesto de Leon on lead
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
, and Carlos Hauptvogel on
drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...
s, the band has been accompanied on some albums by Arturo Labastida on
saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...
and Carlos Martinez on
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
. Sergio Mancera also played guitar on some albums. They performed their first public engagement in October, 1968, and released 15 albums on the
RAFF record label before officially changing their name and lineup in 1985.
As rock in Mexico was originally seen as 'inauthentic' when sung in Spanish, Three Souls mostly sang covers of American rock and blues songs in English. However, at the
Festival de Avándaro, often called "Mexico's Woodstock", they crossed over, singing first in English, then in Spanish. From then on they recorded primarily in Spanish, writing most of their own songs. When asked why they switched to Spanish, Lora replied that it was important for the audience to understand the messages of the songs. While Three Souls had a popular following among the younger generation while singing in English, changing attitudes toward rock pushed the band to perform in the 'hoyos fonquis', where the lower classes held semi-chaotic rock shows." Singing in his original language and for a new, energetic, young, and discontented audience, Lora's songs began reflecting more of the reality of the daily lives of average Mexicans.
El Tri
In 1985, TSIMM split into Three Souls in My Mind with
Carlos Hauptvogel and El Tri with Alex Lora. Under Hauptvogel, TSIMM went to record 4 studio albums and one compilation with considerable success and El Tri from Alex Lora became the first Mexican rock band to have a Gold certified record with their album "
Simplemente
Simplemente (Galician or Spanish for "simply") may refer to:
* ''Simplemente'' (Chayanne album), 2001
** "Simplemente", the album's title track
* ''Simplemente'' (El Tri album), 1984
See also
*
{{Disambiguation ...
", which contains their first single: "
Triste Canción". In 1986 their song "
Vicioso del rocanrol" became a hit in Peru, topping radio charts, which opened the way to 2 concerts in
Plaza de Toros Acho, where they returned one year later for a tour in 7 cities. In the same year the band was invited by
Miguel Ríos
Miguel Ríos Campaña (born 7 June 1944) is a Spanish singer, composer, actor. He is one of the pioneers of rock and roll in Spain.
Biography
Ríos was born in La Cartuja, a neighborhood of Granada. The youngest of seven children, he went to wo ...
to participate in the First Iberoamerican Rock Encounter at the Sports Palace of
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
; alongside the most representative bands of countries like
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
,
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
,
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
and
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. By 1992, the band's albums were consistently going Gold in Mexico. In 1993, the band released one of their signature songs,
Pobre Soñador, which became their breakout song for the SouthAmerican market, specifically, Argentina. The promotional video gained heavy rotation on the music channels.
The
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
have also been an important part of their career, since they have had many presentations in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
,
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
,
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, and all around the state of
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, for example at
Fillmore in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
, and mainly in the city of
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, having presentations in places such as
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was a multi-purpose arena at Exposition Park (Los Angeles), Exposition Park, in the University Park, Los Angeles, University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was located next to the Los Angeles Memorial ...
,
The Olympic Auditorium,
Pico Rivera
Pico Rivera is a city located in southeastern Los Angeles County, California. The city is situated approximately southeast of downtown Los Angeles, on the eastern edge of the Los Angeles basin, and on the southern edge of the area known as th ...
, The Palace,
The Hollywood Palladium
The Hollywood Palladium is a theater located at 6215 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It was built in a Streamline Moderne, Art Deco style and includes an dance floor including a mezzanine and a floor level with room for up to 4,000 p ...
, The Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, and more. In
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
their presentations were a success in the "Roseland", with 2 consecutive sold-outs. In 2003, they were nominated for "Best Album" at the
Latin Grammy Awards
The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been r ...
, broadcast from
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
.
In 2004, ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' writer Marla Dickerson noted that the band had "legions of loyal fans" and had "sold tens of millions of albums in Latin America", but that in spite of their success they lost their recording contract because their record label could not compete with
counterfeit
To counterfeit means to imitate something authentic, with the intent to steal, destroy, or replace the original, for use in illegal transactions, or otherwise to deceive individuals into believing that the fake is of equal or greater value tha ...
ers.
Themes
El Tri's songs cover a wide variety of subjects. Many songs are written to reflect the personal experiences of founder Alex Lora, but frequently topics for songs are suggested by fan request.
In an interview with Hispanic music website
batanga.com in 2006, Alex Lora said, "the fans, they tell me, 'Hey, write the song of the Pope! Hey, write the song of Che Guevara! Write the song of truck drivers, write the song of taxi drivers, of how it would be if Mexico won the soccer World Cup, write the song of prostitutes...'" and he complies, so that their audience may "feel they wrote it themselves".
[
Overall, the band is known for a left-wing political viewpoint and critical perspective of ]Partido Revolucionario Institucional
The Institutional Revolutionary Party ( es, Partido Revolucionario Institucional, ; abbr. PRI) is a political party in Mexico that was founded in 1929 and held uninterrupted power in the country for 71 years, from 1929 to 2000, first as the Nati ...
that has been featured on many of its songs and albums. In spite of their political protests, El Tri maintains a steadfast loyalty to Mexico.
Legacy
The 2008 ''Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books.
History Early years
Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 1972, they embarked ...
'' guide to Mexico calls El Tri "the grandfathers of Mexican rock." 2006's ''Rock en Español'' characterizes them as "Mexico's quintessential working-class rock outfit." They have been described in press as "Mexico's answer to the Rolling Stones": "Ancient, raunchy, but still hugely popular."
Discography
Three Souls In My Mind / El Tri
* Abuelo / Me La He Pasado Divagando (1970) Demo
1 Three Souls In My Mind (1970) Renamed Colección Avandaro 1 Versiones en Inglés
2 Three Souls In My Mind II (1971) Renamed Colección Avandaro 2 Versiones en Inglés
3 Three Souls In My Mind III (1975) Renamed Oye Cantinero
4 Chavo de Onda'' (1976) Renamed Adicto al Rock'n'Roll/Three Souls Boogie
5 Es lo Mejor'' (1977)
6 No Hay quinto Malo (1978) Renamed La Devaluación
7 Reclusorio Oriente (En Vivo) (1978)
8 Qué Rico Diablo (1979) Renamed Oye Diablo
9 El Blues del Eje Vial (1979)
10 Bellas de Noche (1980)
11 D'Mentes (1981)
12 Viejas Rolas de Rock (1982) Renamed Ron & Roll
13 Renovación Moral (1983)
14 Simplemente
Simplemente (Galician or Spanish for "simply") may refer to:
* ''Simplemente'' (Chayanne album), 2001
** "Simplemente", the album's title track
* ''Simplemente'' (El Tri album), 1984
See also
*
{{Disambiguation ...
(1985)
15 Hecho en México (1986)
16 El Niño Sin Amor (1987)
17 Otra Tocada Mas (1988)
18 En Vivo!!! En la Cárcel de Santa Martha (1989)
19 21 Años Después, Alex Lora y El Tri (1989)
20 Una Leyenda Viva Llamada El Tri (1990)
21 En Vivo!!! Y a Todo Calor (1991)
22 Indocumentado (1992)
23 25 Años (1993)
24 Una Rola Para los Minusvalidos (1994)
25 Un Cuarto de Siglo (En Vivo) (1995)
26 Hoyos en la Bolsa (1996)
27 Cuando Tú No Estás
''Cuando tú no estás'' (When You Aren't Here) (1997) is the fourteenth studio album by Mexican rock and blues band El Tri. The main single is "Virgen Morena" a hymn to the Mary Virgin with the cooperation of Carlos Santana; also in "Muchacho ...
(1997)
28 Fin de Siglo (1998)
29 Sinfonico (En Vivo) (1999)
30 Lora, Su Lira y Sus Rolas (1999)
31 No Podemos Volar (2000)
32 Sinfónico II (Compilatiòn The Themes With Symphonic) (2001)
33 No Te Olvides de la Banda (2002)
34 Esclavo Del Rocanrol (ODS Compilatiòn The Themes And Interviews) (2003)
35 Alex Lora: 35 Años y lo Que le Falta Todavía (En Vivo) (2004)
36 Unplugged
Unplugged may refer to:
*Acoustic music, music not produced through electronic means
* "Unplugged" (B.A.P song), 2014
* "Unplugged" (''Modern Family''), a 2010 episode of ''Modern Family''
Albums and EPs
* ''Unplugged'' (5'nizza album), 2002
* '' ...
(En Vivo) (2004)
37 Más Allá del Bien y el Mal (2005)
38 En Directo Desde el Otro Lado (En Vivo) (2006)
39 A Talonear (2007)
40 Nada que Perder (2008)
41 De El Three A El Tri (Compilatiòn The Themes Versiòns 2008)
42 4 Decadas (En Vivo) (2009)
43 Libertad Incondicional (En Vivo 2011)
44 Ojo por ojo (2013)
45 45 Años (En Vivo) (2014)
46 Sinfònico III (En Vivo) (2015)
47 Nacimos Para Rodar (2017)
Compilation albums
15 Exitos Three Souls In My Mind (1982)
Tributo (1998)
Los Número Uno (2003)
Tributo (Banda) (2003)
References
External links
Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tri
Mexican musical groups
Mexican rock music groups
Musical groups from Mexico City
Rock en Español music groups