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Gloria Trevi Mexico's white-hot,
controversial rock phenomenon, burst into the
spotlight just three years ago and hasn't stopped. A
glamorous, uninhibited Latin dynamo, she tears up
the stage performing her own popular tunes as well
as songs by Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and The Doors.
This multi-talented sensation not only sings, dances
and plays piano, but literally sets the stage on
fire with her African drum riffs--her drumsticks are
set ablaze. With her mane of dark hair, husky voice
and torn stockings, she is a sex kitten one minute,
an innocent street urchin the next and now a rock
'n' roll feminist.
La Trevi is a heroine worshiped by millions of
children, teens and adults for daring to speak out
honestly on volatile topics from sex, drugs and
unwed motherhood to Third World politics. Her ideas
challenge longstanding sexual/social taboos and are
debated by the Hispanic intelligentsia. Her
outrageous exploits on stage and off are not unlike
a certain material girl in the United States and
have earned her the nickname "La Atrevida"
(The Bold, Insolent One). Fans imitate, besiege and
venerate her. The conservative protectors of the
public good are continually shocked and outraged at
her behavior and the moral changes she represents.
Trevi's first three records have sold more than five
million copies combined, and her first film broke
all box office records in Mexico and is the biggest
moneymaker in Mexican motion-picture history. Her
tongue-in cheek pinup calendars sold over half a
million copies. She regularly plays to crowds of
20,000 to 30,000 in Mexico and 10,000 to 15,000 in
the United States. She has been featured in People
Magazine, The New Yorker, Los Angeles Times,
Billboard, The Wall Street journal, Village Voice
and on MTV.
A cross-cultural icon and a true musical phenomenon
driven by burning ambition, Ms. Trevi promises great
things to come.
Talent and Street Life Combined to Create a Star
Gloria Trevi was born in 1970 in Monterrey, an
industrial city in northern Mexico. She grew up in
poverty in a troubled home filled with violence and
too many children. There was often too little food
to go around, and survival preoccupied little
Gloria's days. Even so, her talent became apparent
early. She wrote poetry at the age of five and
learned to play the piano and dance ballet. Her
parents finally divorced when Gloria was 10 years
old, and she lived unhappily with her mother, who
treated her badly and discouraged her dreams and
creativity. Against her mother's will Gloria left
home for Mexico City to pursue her dream of a career
as an actress of dancer.
Doors did not open immediately for Gloria Trevi.
Life in the streets was lonely and difficult for
several years. She survived by singing on street
corners and buses for change, selling tacos from a
makeshift stand and teaching aerobics 12 hours a
day. All the while, she studied music and dancing
and held tight to her dreams. In 1985, she worked
briefly with an all-girl musical group, Boquitas
Pintadas (Little Colored Mouths). Finally, Sergio
Andrade, a well-known producer, was so impressed
with her that he helped her record an album of songs
she had written.
First Hit Single Ignited a Non-stop String of
Recording Successes
In 1989, Ms. Trevi persuaded a Mexican record label
to release that album, "Que Hago Aqui?"
("What Am I Doing Here?"). Her first
single, "Dr. Psiquiatra" ("Dr.
Psychiatrist"), rose to No. 1 on the charts
seven days after its release and stayed there for 11
weeks. Four other songs quickly moved to the top of
the Hit Parade.
Television and live performances increased her
popularity. She became known for defying cultural
stereotypes of female submissiveness by playing the
aggressor on stage and undressing hapless males from
the audience. A tremendous hit with young people,
Ms. Trevi's behavior drew scathing barbs from the
conservative press and public.
Her second album, "Tu Angel de la Guardia"
("Your Guardian Angel"), was released in
1991 and became an instant hit among young and old
in Latin American countries as well as the Hispanic
population in the United States. A single from that
album, "Pelo Suelto" ("Loose
Hair"), turned into an anthem of freedom and
joy for Hispanic youth everywhere.
Two Blockbuster Films and Wildly Successful
Calendars Follow
Pelo Suelto, a movie named after her hit song and
somewhat autobiographical, broke all box-office
records in 1992 and took the Latin film industry by
storm. The film's success drew invitations to
perform outside Mexico. The response from audiences
was overwhelming as thousands rushed to see their
"loose hair" idol, even as the
conservative public and press raged against her
irreverence.
She once again astonished the Latin world with
Gloria Trevi's '92 Calendar. Fourteen big
photographs portrayed Ms. Trevi semi-nude with her
signature style--funny, provocative and yet subtly
feminist. More than 300,000 copies sold out quickly
in newsstands all over Latin America.
Now a major international star, Ms. Trevi launched
another successful tour throughout the U.S., Mexico,
South America and the Caribbean in 1992. Her first
nightclub act was booked solid for three consecutive
weeks, and stadium performances regularly packed in
audiences of 20,000 to 30,000. A crowd of 38,000 at
the Vina Del Mar Festival in Chile applauded wildly
to vote her the title "Lady of the
Monster" in honor of her popularity.
A third album, "Me Siento Tan Sola"
("I Feel So Lonely"), was recorded in Los
Angeles in April of 1992. Top musicians Vinnie
Colaiuta, Sting's drummer; Jimie Glaser, guitarist
for Jean Luc Pointer and Chic Corea; and Jimmy
Johnson, Allan Jollsworth's bass guitarist joined
Ms. Trevi in the studio. The music conveyed the
feeling of rock pioneers and themes dealt with
current social and political issues. The album was
released in June and has sold 800,000 copies to
date. A single, "Zapatos Viejos"
("Old Shoes") shot to the top of the
charts.
Following the song's success, Zapatos Viejos, a
comedy-drama co authored by its star, became Ms.
Trevi's second smash film. More than 30 million
adoring fans crowded cinemas to watch their favorite
star.
Gloria Trevi's '93 Calendar, more suggestive than
the first, sold 100,000 copies the first week. Over
500,000 calendars have been distributed in the U.S.
alone.
Trevimania Sweeps Across Cultural and
International Boundaries
The dreams of a girl rising from obscurity three
years ago have materialized into the international
phenomenon of Trevimania. Gloria Trevi is the top
rock star in the Latin world and an authentic
cross-over artist for the English speaking music
industry. Her talent and popularity won Ms. Trevi
the prestigious "Calendario Azteca de Oro"
from the Mexican Association of Press, Radio and
Television, the "Galardon a los Grandes,"
the "Antorcha de Plata" from Chile's Vina
Del Mar Festival and over 70 other international
awards.
The future holds no bounds for this extraordinarily
talented, iconoclastic artist
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