LOS TRES

“Llueven pétalos negros en la ciudad,

Mojan lo más seco de mi soledad,

Me duele muy profundo no volver a verte más,

Se apagó tu voz para mí, la mía para ti”

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

“D+”

Main Decade: 90’s

Main Eras:

90s Rock En Ñ: The Golden Age

​

Key Members:

Álvaro Henríquez: Guitar and Vocals

Ángel Parra: Lead Guitar

Bass: Rodolfo "Titae" Lindl

Drums: Francisco “Pancho” Molina

​

Key Songs:

Déjate Caer, La Espada y La Pared, Tírate, No Sabes Qué Desperdicio Tengo en el Alma, Caudillos Congrios, La Torre de Babel, Bolsa de Mareo, El Sueño de la Hora Más Oscura, Un Amor Violento, La Respuesta, Feliz de Perder, Ruina, Traje Desastre, Olor a Gas, Dos en Uno, Viento, Gato por Liebre, Terrible, La Primera vez

​​

​

Why the hell would a quartet call itself Los Tres (The Three)? This question tormented me for many nights during my adolescence. In late 1996, the Chilean band Los Tres came to my city, and it turned out they were going to play at Le Dome, a few blocks from my house, a very small venue that I think hosted the biggest concert it ever had the honor of hosting before it folded. Los Tres weren't very well known in Mexico yet, but I was fascinated by them because of "Déjate Caer" and "La Espada y La Pared," so I applied myself and won a trivia contest on a radio station that was giving away tickets. I was very excited to go pick them up two hours before the event when, to my great disappointment, I discovered I had to be of legal age. It's the closest I've ever come to going to a Los Tres concert, but that day I realized a couple of things: First, that I was one of the few fans of the band in Mexico (their fame wouldn't take off until their breakup and the Café Tacuba tribute). In fact, the radio station was promoting them as if they were bigger than La Ley in their home country, a comparison that always seemed ridiculous to me… because it was so obvious! And second, chatting with the announcer (Mercedes Altamirano, I think…) who patiently explained why I couldn't get in, I learned that the group had indeed started as a trio, and Ángel later joined to round out the sound, but the name stuck. I suppose the smile I gave when the truth finally came to light left Mercedes bewildered, and I would run into her again more than once.

​

Los Tres was one of those key bands of the 90s, whose relevance, at least in these parts, went largely unnoticed until after they broke up. Unlike Aterciopelados, who seem to have no international presence in their home country, Los Tres come from a country with a rich musical and rock tradition, making it difficult to choose just one band. It seems more like a generational shift has been brewing in Chile, from Violeta Parra and the legacy and influence she left for singer-songwriters and troubadours, to Los Jaivas in the 70s, Los Prisioneros in the 80s, Los Tres in the 90s, and Los Bunkers, who seem to have taken up the mantle in the new millennium. The key point is that Los Tres emerged during the most prolific era of Chilean rock, shining in their own unique way, perhaps overshadowed by Soda Stereo, Héroes del Silencio, Aterciopelados, Cafeta Blanca, and other more prominent groups, but leaving behind a legacy of incredible albums and songs that would later influence many of these heavyweights. Their style is a fusion of various genres, featuring highly melodic tracks, cryptic lyrics with recurring political jabs, and sounds that range from rockabilly, surf, grunge, alternative, jazz, cueca, ballads, nueva canción chilena (Chilean New Song), and Andean influences. They go from the densest and darkest songs to the simplest, catchiest, and most explosive rock and roll tunes. And all of this is woven together by Ángel Parra's virtuoso guitar, which lends a touch of cool elegance, with "Pancho" Molina's drums and Titae's bass forming a jazzy rhythm section that creates complex and precise embellishments, and Álvaro Henríquez's voice, so distinctive, melodic, and full of hooks.

​

The story of these three, who are actually four, begins in 1982 in the city of Concepción, Chile, where three friends from the Charles de Gaulle school, Álvaro Henríquez, Roberto "Titae" Lindl, and Francisco Molina, decided to form the band "Dick Stones." Later, they would collaborate with other musicians such as Gilles Marie, Rodolfo Lindl, and Fernando Saavedra, performing in bars, universities, and parties where they covered songs by Elvis, Chuck Berry, and Gene Vincent, which would influence the Rockabilly touch that distinguishes them. Later, Henríquez and Titae joined drummer Andrés Valdovinos to form Los Escalímetros, and in 1984 the band reinvented itself as Los Ilegales with the addition of guitarist Jorge "Yogui" Alvarado.

​

The definitive lineup came together in 1987 after Titae returned from Austria, where he had spent a year and a half studying music. He came back with a deeper understanding of jazz, which he showcased in his mastery of the bass and double bass. Henríquez, Lindl, and Molina formed their first band and renamed it Los Tres, because, indeed, there were only three of them! Eureka! They debuted at the Lord Cochrane Gymnasium in Concepción, and shortly afterward moved to Santiago. There, in addition to their work with the band, they were able to pursue other projects… Álvaro Henríquez participated in the play “La Negra Ester,” while Titae joined the Youth Symphony Orchestra as a double bassist. This gave them experience that they would later bring to the band. In 1988, another crucial point arrived when they added guitarist Ángel Parra. Ángel had studied in Paris and California, but above all, he brought with him the entire musical legacy of his family (grandson of Violeta Parra herself!). He practically threw the guitar and it was born, which is why he has a very fast, yet always elegant and intelligent style. Despite becoming a quartet, they decided to keep the band's original name, unaware that this would cause subsequent sleepless nights in Mexico. :P

​

Their fame began to grow in Santiago's bars, and they soon signed with the local label Alerce. In 1991, Los Tres released their self-titled debut album, featuring 10 tracks dominated by carefree rockabilly, with standouts like "Un Amor Violento" and "La Primera Vez." The band garnered praise from Chilean critics, earning the titles of "Best Rock Group" and "Revelation of 1991." However, the album had little to no impact outside of Chile, and they even struggled to get airplay outside of university or underground radio stations. It wasn't until after their international success that the debut was reevaluated, even being named by Rolling Stone as one of the essential albums of Chilean rock.

​

In 1993, now with Sony Music and a much larger budget, they released their second album, Se Remata El Siglo, produced by the Argentinian Mario Breuer. On this album, they took a turn, moving away from Rockabilly and adopting a much heavier sound, with a notable influence from the Grunge that dominated the era. Tracks like “No Sabes Qué Desperdicio Tengo en el Alma” (You Don't Know What Waste I Have in My Soul) and “Feliz de Perder” (Happy to Lose) sounded unlike anything else in the country. Although this album propelled Los Tres to massive success in Chile, they would later say they were never satisfied with Breuer's production: “It felt very strange working with a guy who was trying to create a middle ground between us and La Ley.” Success and recognition came quickly, and consequently, they earned a platinum record for selling 25,000 copies of the album, effectively making them The Band of Chile.

​

Los Tres quickly became one of the most successful bands on the local scene and also began to gain a foothold in Argentina, Mexico, and the United States. But they didn't truly break through until 1995, with the release of what many consider the quartet's greatest album, "La Espada & La Pared" (The Sword & The Wall). The album's merit lies in finally achieving a unique sound, blending all their influences. Tracks like "Déjate caer" (Let Yourself Fall), "La Espada y La Pared" (The Sword and the Wall), and "Tírate" (Throw Yourself) became instant classics. Furthermore, it managed to unite generations with their rock version of "Tu Cariño Se Me Va" (Your Love Is Leaving Me), an old Buddy Richard song, which the band re-recorded with a rock emphasis and with the author himself (who had been absent from the media for years) sharing the microphone with Henríquez. The experiment worked perfectly. According to Rolling Stone, this album is the tenth best Chilean album of all time, achieving gold status just 25 days after its release and platinum in less than two months.

​

That same year, they made their big international leap, becoming the first Chilean band invited by MTV to record their Unplugged in Miami. This album was released in 1996 under the name "Los Tres MTV Unplugged," and in my opinion, it's one of the best Unplugged albums in Spanish, truly contributing with the reworked tracks and new songs. For the recording, musicians Antonio Restucci and Cuti Aste were invited to participate. They presented the previously unreleased song "Traje Desastre" and three tribute tracks to Roberto Parra, who had passed away a few months earlier and to whose memory the acoustic performance was dedicated. The album was a resounding commercial success, reaching quadruple platinum status in three months and catapulting the band to stardom.

​

Towards the end of 1996, they decided to open a fonda (a traditional Chilean bar or restaurant) to play and invite other Chilean musicians, an experience captured on the album "La Yein Fonda" (a clever name for their little bar!). Later, they released another live album from their fonda, El Peineta, featuring cuecas and more traditional songs that showcased the group's versatility and sense of humor.

​

"Fome" is Los Tres' fourth studio album, recorded in early 1997 at Bearsville Studios in New York, with producer Joe Blaney. The album received very good reviews, but the public reception wasn't very enthusiastic, as it's denser and more experimental, and people were expecting a continuation of the sound of La Espada y la Pared or their Unplugged album. In my opinion, it's one of the most underrated albums in Spanish-language rock, with killer tracks like "Bolsa de Mareo," "La Torre de Babel," and "Olor a Gas." It's not an easy album; it's a kind of very serious joke that wasn't quite taken with the audience, but I think it's a gem that would end up influencing the sound of other groups, like Café Tacuba in their work during the 2000s.

​

During the recording sessions for the album "La Sangre En El Cuerpo," released in 1999, the first internal tensions within the group began to surface. The album, while not bad, already showed signs of creative stagnation, although it should be noted that they didn't succumb to the electronic trend that was universally prevalent at the time. It was Álvaro Henríquez who decided on the first split of Los Tres, a decision reached jointly and announced on April 4, 2000, through a press release that preferred to speak of an "indefinite hiatus," although we all know what that usually means. There were no apparent fights or crises, but rather the members' need to take some time away from the all-consuming dynamic that had imposed pressure on them for commercial success. The band never seemed entirely convinced of the price to pay for continental fame, like the kind La Ley was pursuing at the time: "We would never move to Mexico. The thought of leaving Chile just because it's a small country never crossed our minds." And, with your permission, I stand up and take off my hat.

​

Los Tres performed a series of farewell shows, which resulted in the live album "Freno de Mano" in 2000. After the breakup, the band members embarked on other projects: Henríquez formed the band Los Petinellis; Ángel Parra and Titae joined Moncho Pérez to form "Ángel Parra Trío"; while Pancho Molina formed his jazz band, "Los Titulares." Los Tres later achieved surprising recognition in Mexico, which had almost ignored them, until Café Tacuba released the tribute EP, Vale Callampa, in 2002, featuring Los Tres covers, turning them into a kind of cult band.

​

In 2006, Los Tres were offered an exorbitant sum to perform at the Viña del Mar Festival. They declined the invitation, but something must have resonated with them, as they announced a reunion with three-quarters of their original lineup, with Manuel Basualto replacing Francisco Molina on drums. That same year, they released the album "Hágalo Usted Mismo" (Do It Yourself), which, like "Fome," was recorded at Bearsville Studios in New York and produced by Emmanuel del Real, keyboardist for Café Tacuba (a well-known fan of the band and, in part, instrumental in their return). The album was chosen by the Daily News as the best Latin album of 2006.

​

After the announcement of their reunion, Los Tres gave their first concert, not in Chile, but in Mexico City, when on May 14th they closed the Vive Latino festival with a concert full of their old classics, sung along to by 100,000 voices, and which also featured two members of Café Tacuba as guests. The long-awaited launch in Chile didn't come until the first week of July, when the group finally presented the album Hágalo Usted Mismo (Do It Yourself), and gave a series of concerts that confirmed their return. At the end of 2010, they released Coliumo, their seventh studio album, which was named after one of the regions most devastated by the earthquake of February 27th of that year. In 2013, Manuel Basualto left his position as drummer, being replaced by Boris Ramírez. Shortly after, Ángel Parra also announced his departure after 23 years with the group, being replaced by Sebastián Cabib, although we all know that Parra's style is unique and inimitable. Currently, there are rumors that they will be releasing a new album this year.

​

To say that Los Tres is the best Chilean rock band is perhaps too bold. But without a doubt, they are the great symbol of Chilean rock in the 90s, with apologies to Beto Cuevas and his pop-driven thirst for fame. Although their sound began as that of a rock band with rockabilly and surf influences, they expanded their sound, taking interesting and daring turns, fusing various rock genres, as well as traditional Latin American music. Despite their great melodic quality and relative fame, I get the impression that they never enjoyed the privileged position they deserved, at least not at the time. Perhaps because they themselves never sought it, never got involved in scandals, and rather seemed uncomfortable in the spotlight. They simply dedicated themselves to making good music, sometimes taking it very seriously, sometimes as a misunderstood joke, but almost always of high quality, innovating, and leaving us with a long list of essential classics.

​

If you don't believe me, "Then open the window... and jump away!"

​

​

By Corvan  

Jan/22/2015

​

​

​

​

​