Originally, Trio Los Panchos are a ''

trío romántico A trío romántico is a group of vocalists-guitarists, with origins in Hispanic America, that performs romantic songs, based on rhythms like bolero, vals and pasillo, mostly. The ensemble may be composed of three musicians: first guitar, second ...

'' formed 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 ...

in 1944 by

Alfredo Gil Alfredo Bojalil Gil (August 5, 1915 in Teziutlán, Puebla – October 10, 1999 in Mexico City), also known by his nickname El güero, was a singer and the creator and principal founding member of the musical trio, Trio Los Panchos. As a member of ...

Chucho Navarro José de Jesús Navarro Moreno, (January 20, 1913 – December 23, 1993), better known by his stage name of "Chucho" Navarro, was a Mexican singer and founding member of the Trio Los Panchos. Chucho Navarro was born in Irapuato, Guanajuato on Jan ...

, and Hernando Avilés. The trio became one of the leading exponents of the

bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It has ...

and the romantic ballad in

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

. Its original founding members have long since died and its current members are Chucho Navarro Jr., Eduardo Beristian and Misael Reyes. The group has sold hundreds of millions of records since its creation in the mid 1940s. Some of their best known songs being their interpretations of classic folk songs such as " Besame Mucho", "

Sabor a Mí "Sabor a Mí" ("Taste of Me") is a 1959 bolero by Mexican composer and singer Álvaro Carrillo. It was internationally popularized by Los Panchos, who collaborated on their rendition with Eydie Gormé in 1964. Among the over 300 songs that he crea ...

", "Sin Ti", "

Solamente Una Vez "You Belong to My Heart" is the name of an English-language version of the Mexican Bolero song "Solamente una vez" (''Only Once'', in English). This song was composed by Mexican songwriter Agustín Lara and originally performed by singer Ana Marí ...

", "Contigo", " Quizas, Quizas, Quizas", "Contigo Aprendi", "

Aquellos Ojos Verdes "Green Eyes" is a popular song, originally written in Spanish under the title "Aquellos Ojos Verdes" ("Those Green Eyes") by Adolfo Utrera and Nilo Menéndez in 1929. The English translation was made by Eddie Rivera and Eddie Woods in 1931. Span ...

", " Cuando vuelva a tu lado", " Se te olvida", "

El Reloj "El reloj" () is a song of the bolero genre, with music and lyrics by Mexican composer and singer Roberto Cantoral, then a member of the Los Tres Caballeros trio. History Cantoral composed the song in 1956, in Washington D.C., in front of the ...

", "

Noche de Ronda "Noche de ronda" is a waltz written by Mexican songwriter and composer Agustín Lara and published in 1935. Mexican singer Elvira Ríos sang the song in the 1937 film ''¡Esos hombres!''. It became her signature song and one of the biggest hits of ...

", "Rayito de Luna". Los Panchos are regarded as one of the top musical trios of all time and one of the most influential Latin American artists of all time. They have sold out concerts around the globe for over 70 years and have appeared in more than 50 films. A characteristic instrument of Los Panchos and other Mexican ''tríos románticos'' since the 1950s is the

requinto guitar A requinto guitar is a smaller version of a classical guitar, with a scale length between 52-54cm. It is tuned a fourth higher than a standard classical guitar, to A2-D3-G3-C4-E4-A4. They often, but not always, have a cutout to reach the higher ...

, which is smaller and tuned higher than a standard guitar and was invented by Alfredo Gil. Requinto solos are found in many bolero recordings by Los Panchos.

History

Los Panchos first met in 1944 in New York City. The three original members were

, and

, both from Mexico, and Hernando Avilés from Puerto Rico. All three played guitar and contributed vocally. Los Panchos reached fame with their romantic songs, especially in

where they are still regarded as one of the top trios of all time. They sold millions of records in Latin America and other countries. In the 1940s they collaborated with

Alfredo Antonini Alfredo Antonini (May 31, 1901 – November 3, 1983) was a leading Italian-American symphony conductor and composer who was active on the international concert stage as well as on the CBS radio and television networks from the 1930s through the ea ...

's Viva America Orchestra with the orchestral accordionist

John Serry Sr. John Serry Sr. (born John Serrapica; January 29, 1915 – September 14, 2003) was an American concert accordionist, arranger, composer, organist, and educator. He performed on the CBS Radio and Television networks and contributed to Voic ...

in a recording of "La palma" (a

cueca Cueca () is a family of musical styles and associated dances from Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia. In Chile, the cueca holds the status of national dance, where it was officially declared as such by the Pinochet dictatorship on September 18, 1979 ...

) and "Rosa negra" (a

conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...

) for Pilotone Records (#45 5067, #45 5069). They also appeared in around 50 movies, mostly during the

Golden Age of Mexican cinema The Golden Age of Mexican cinema ( es, Época de Oro del Cine Mexicano) is a period in the history of the Cinema of Mexico between 1930 and 1969 when the Mexican film industry reached high levels of production, quality and economic success of its ...

. Los Panchos began touring internationally in 1946 and would relocate later that same year to

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 ...

. They were welcomed with open arms and ''

XEW-AM XEW-AM is a radio station in Mexico City, Mexico, broadcasting on the AM frequency of 900 kHz; it is branded as ''W Radio''. XEW-AM serves as the originating station for other "W Radio" stations around Mexico that carry some of its program ...

'', the most popular radio station in Mexico City, reserved a time slot for their music. In 1951, Los Panchos launched another international tour across Latin America. Julito Rodríguez joined the group in 1952; he was replaced by

Johnny Albino Johnny Albino (December 9, 1919 – May 7, 2011) was a Puerto Rican bolero singer, born in Yauco, Puerto Rico but lived most of his life in Guayama, Puerto Rico. Biography Johnny Albino played and sang through his youth years. It was not un ...

in 1958. In 1964, CBS proposed to the members of the trio, then made up of the two founding members and Johnny Albino, to accompany a female voice for the first time. It was about the American vocalist of Judeo-Spanish descent

Eydie Gormé Eydie Gormé ( ; born Edith Gormezano; August 16, 1928 – August 10, 2013) was an American singer who had hits on the pop and Latin pop charts. She sang solo and in the duo Steve and Eydie with her husband, Steve Lawrence, on albums and telev ...

, who had several years of recording experience in the United States and who was just beginning to record in Spanish. The collaboration between Gormé and Los Panchos recorded a series of bestselling albums in the 1960s such as Great Love Songs In Spanish (titled Amor, in Spanish). The Albino era was one of the most prosperous ones for Los Panchos whose classic albums are very popular among Los Panchos fans still. His departure in 1968 was a tumultuous one, as he did not leave on good terms with the group's management. In 1971, Ovidio Hernández joined the band as lead vocalist, a part he would fulfill until his untimely passing of complications of

meningitis Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Other symptoms include confusion or ...

in 1976. Following him, Rafael Basurto Lara joined as lead singer. * A very interesting note, and one that not everyone knows about, is that during the illness of Ovidio Hernández and the integration of Rafael Basurto to the trio, Alfredo Gil (the trio’s director) met the Puerto Rican singer, David Ortiz, in New York City, and amazed by the quality of his voice and style, asked him to come to Mexico and sing with Los Panchos. David Ortiz accepted the invitation and was with the Trio Los Panchos for several months. Alfredo Gil considered David to be one of the most exciting and talented voices to ever sing with Los Panchos. However, after fulfilling several commitments with the trio, David Ortiz returned to New York. Alfredo Gil played with Los Panchos until his retirement in 1981; he died in 1999. Chucho Navarro played with the group until his death in 1993. Currently the trio using the Los Panchos name is the Trio Los Panchos de Chucho Navarro Fundador ("Trio Los Panchos of Founder Chucho Navarro") under the direction of Chucho Navarro Jr., the son of original Los Panchos member Chucho Navarro.

Discography

* 1945 – Mexicantos * 1946 - La Palma (Trio Los Panchos and the

Viva América ''Viva América'' was an American musical radio program which was broadcast live over the CBS radio network and to North and South America over the La Cadena de las Américas (Network of the Americas) during the 1940s (1942–1949) in support ...

Orchestra conducted by

with

)''La Palma'' interpreted by Los Panchos Triocirca 1946 on Archive.org
/ref> * 1949 – Ritmos tropicales * 1949 – Boleros selectos, Vol. 1 * 1950 – Los Panchos Favorites * 1955 – Boleros selectos, Vol. 2 * 1955 – Así cantan Los Panchos * 1956 – Canciones para una noche de lluvia * 1956 – Vaya con Dios * 1956 – Canciones del corazón * 1956 – South Of The Border -

Agustín Lara Ángel Agustín María Carlos Fausto Mariano Alfonso del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Lara y Aguirre del Pino (; October 30, 1897 – November 6, 1970), known as Agustín Lara, was a Mexican composer and performer of songs and boleros. He is recogn ...

Hits * 1956 – Mexican Holiday * 1957 –

Eva Garza Eva Garza (May 11, 1917 – November 1, 1966) was a Mexican-American singer and film actress who acquired international recognition in the 1940s and 1950s during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. She collaborated on live radio shows and films wit ...

* 1958 – Un minuto de amor * 1959 – Trío Los Panchos y

Chucho Martínez Gil Chucho is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Chucho Avellanet (born 1941), Puerto Rican singer and comedic actor *Christian Benítez (1986–2013), Ecuadorian footballer nicknamed 'Chucho' * Chucho Castillo (born 1944), former Mex ...

* 1959 – Siete notas de amor * 1960 – Los Panchos con

cantan * 1960 – Canciones del corazón * 1960 – Los favoritos de todo el mundo * 1960 – Los Panchos en Tokyo * 1961 – Ciudadanos del mundo * 1961 – Ambassadors of Song * 1961 – Ceguera de amor * 1961 – Los Panchos en Japón * 1962 – Época de oro * 1962 – Los Panchos cantan tangos * 1962 – El Trío Los Panchos interpreta

Guty Cárdenas Guty Cárdenas (1905–1932; full name Augusto Alejandro Cárdenas Pinelo) was a Mexican composer, singer and guitarist, noted as a representative of the ''cancion yucateca'' style of music. His well-known works include "Nunca", with lyrics by ...

* 1962 – El pecador * 1962 – México canta * 1962 – Favoritos latinos * 1963 – A mi madrecita * 1963 – Cantan a Paraguay * 1963 – Love Songs of the Tropics - Trio Los Panchos Sing the Songs of

Rafael Hernández Marín Rafael Hernández Marín (October 24, 1892 – December 11, 1965) was a Puerto Rican songwriter, author of hundreds of popular songs in the Latin American repertoire. He specialized in Puerto Rican styles such as the canción, bolero and guaracha ...

* 1963 – Romantic Guitars - El Trio Los Panchos Y Las Canciones De Pedro Flores * 1964 – By Special Request Sing Great Love Songs In English * 1964 – Caminemos * 1964 – Amor (Great Love Songs In Spanish) (with

) * 1964 – Los Panchos en el Japón * 1964 – Recuerdos... * 1965 – More Amor / Cuatro vidas (with

) * 1965 – El pescador de estrellas * 1965 – Obsesión * 1965 – Los Panchos en persona * 1965 – Horas nuestras * 1966 – Que no te cuenten cuentos * 1966 – Celoso * 1966 – Blanca Navidad / Navidad Means Christmas (with

) * 1967 – Los Panchos en estéreo, Vol. 1 * 1967 – Con éxitos de

Armando Manzanero Armando Manzanero Canché (7 December 1935 – 28 December 2020) was a Mexican Maya peoples, Mayan musician, singer, composer, actor and music producer, widely considered the premier Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era and one of the ...

* 1967 – En Venezuela * 1967 – Hey, Amigo! The Trío Los Panchos Sing Great Popular Country Hits in Spanish with

The Jordanaires The Jordanaires were an American vocal quartet that formed as a gospel group in 1948. Over the years, they recorded both sacred and secular music for recording companies such as Capitol Records, RCA Victor, Columbia Records, Decca Records, Vocal ...

* 1968 – Los Panchos en estéreo, Vol. 2 * 1968 –

Gigliola Cinquetti Gigliola Cinquetti (; born Giliola Cinquetti on 20 December 1947) is an Italian singer, songwriter, and television presenter. Life and career Gigliola Cinquetti was born into a wealthy family in Verona. From the ages of 9 to 13, she studied and ...

e il Trio Los Panchos in Messico * 1968 – Con mariachi * 1970 – Liliana * 1970 – Los Panchos En Japón, Vol. 2 * 1970 – Los Panchos Cantan a

* 1970 – Trío Los Panchos * 1971 – Volví la espalda * 1971 – Voces internacionales con Los Panchos * 1971 – Basura * 1971 – Háblame * 1972 – Lo dudo * 1972 – Frío en el alma * 1972 – Martha (with

Estela Raval Palma Nicolina Ravallo, (19 May 1929 – 6 June 2012) better known as Estela Raval, was one of the first Argentine singer of pop latino back to the 1950s. She was accompanied by a band named The 5 Latinos. Raval was the lead in the musical Exc ...

) * 1972 – Quiero * 1972 – Cantan al Perú * 1972 – Adulterio * 1972 – La hiedra * 1973 – El tiempo que te quede libre * 1973 – Tú me acostumbraste (with

) * 1974 – Gil, Navarro y Hernández * 1974 – Yo lo comprendo * 1976 – Cantan a Latinoamérica * 1976 – Sabor a mí * 1977 – Si tú me dices ven (Lodo) * 1981 – España en la voz de Los Panchos * 1982 – Los Panchos en Brasil * 1985 – Homenaje a

Carlos Gardel Carlos Gardel (born Charles Romuald Gardès; 11 December 1890 – 24 June 1935) was a French-born Argentine singer, songwriter, composer and actor, and the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He was one of the most influential inte ...

* 1985 – La nave del olvido * 1989 – Esencia romántica * 1991 – Siglo veinte * 1991 – Triunfamos * 1991 – Hoy

References

External links

Official blog of Trio Los Panchos de Chucho Navarro Fundador
{{DEFAULTSORT:Panchos, Los Mexican musical groups Mexican musical trios Musical groups established in 1944 Columbia Records artists