El Tri (band)
El Tri is a Mexican rock band from Mexico City 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.
El Tri
Three Souls in My Mind
Rock, rock and roll, psychedelic rock, hard rock, acoustic rock, blues-rock, blues
1968–present
Discos Cisne/Raff, WEA International
Alex Lora
Chela Lora
Eduardo Chico
Oscar Zarate
Rafael Salgado
Ramon Perez
Over the years, El Tri's sound has touched on several different styles including rock, psychedelic rock, hard rock, acoustic rock, blues-rock, and blues. The group has enjoyed moderate success, garnering numerous gold-certified albums in Mexico.
Themes[edit]
El Tri's songs cover a wide variety of subjects. Many songs reflect the personal experiences of founder Alex Lora, but frequently topics for songs are suggested by fans.[7] 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".[7]
Overall, the band is known for a left-wing political stance and a critical perspective of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional, which has been featured on many of its songs and albums.[8] In spite of their political protests, El Tri maintains a steadfast loyalty to Mexico.[9]
Legacy[edit]
The 2008 Lonely Planet guide to Mexico calls El Tri "the grandfathers of Mexican rock."[10] 2006's Rock en Español characterizes them as "Mexico's quintessential working-class rock outfit."[11] They have been described in press as "Mexico's answer to the Rolling Stones": "Ancient, raunchy, but still hugely popular."[12]