Gloria Trevi biography

Synopsis

Pop Stardom

Born Gloria de Los Angeles Trevino Ruiz, on February 15, 1968, in Monterrey, Mexico, she was the eldest of five siblings.

Her dreams of being an entertainer began young. Trevi started learning poetry recital at age five, followed by ballet and piano lessons, and later learned to play the drums. Her parents divorced when she was 10 and she left home at age 12, against her mother's wishes.

In 1980 Trevi went alone to Mexico City, with no money, to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. She earned money in any way she could, including singing and dancing in the street, teaching aerobics and working at a taco stand.

In 1984 the 16-year-old Trevi met Sergio Andrade, 28, who became her mentor. In 1985, she briefly joined a girl band called Boquitas Pintadas (Little Mouths with Lipstick). Heavily influenced by British and American rock, as well as by Latin music, Trevi decided to become a solo artist. With Sergio Andrade as her manager, Trevi released her debut album Que Hago Aqui? (What Am I Doing Here?) (1989), which was an instant chart success.

Between 1991 and 1996, Trevi released five albums and starred in three Mexican box-office hit films. In 1992 she toured the Caribbean and South America, playing to audiences in the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Chile and Puerto Rico. Her music was provocative and political, with lyrics dripping in sexual innuendo, but her aim was always to expose hypocrites.

The outspoken Trevi addressed issues such as religion, prostitution, drug trafficking, hunger, the upper class, and war deaths. She challenged Mexican machismo and often turned the tables on men, by bringing them up on stage during her sensual performances, and stripping them down to their underwear. Trevi also made numerous racy calendars during this period.

Despite her more raunchy side, or perhaps because of it, Trevi was adored by young Mexican and Latin American girls, who dressed like her, buying clothes in the Trevi boutiques that emerged. In short, Trevi was soon known as the Mexican Madonna. She even turned her talents to public speaking, covering subjects such as AIDS, abortion, drugs, sex, prostitution, and panhandling. She graced the covers of numerous magazines, was featured in television specials, and inspired Trevi comic books.

Running From the Law

In 1998, not long after she and manager Sergio Andrade were married, Trevi's fame and success came crashing down around her.