Tierra (band)

{{Short description|American Latin R&B band}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2016}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Tierra | image = | image_size = | landscape =  | alt = | caption = | background = group_or_band | alias = | origin = | genre = | years_active = 1972–present | label = | associated_acts = El Chicano | website =  | current_members = | past_members = Steve Salas Rudy Salas Kenny Roman David Torres Bobby Navarette Bobby Loya Steve Falomir Andre Baeza Rudy Villa | module = | module2 = | module3 = }}

'''Tierra''' is an American Latin R&B band, originally from Los Angeles, California, United States, that was first established in 1972 by former El Chicano members Rudy Salas (guitar) and his brother Steve Salas (vocals).<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=2494}}</ref> The other original members were Bobby Loya, Bobby Navarrete (reeds), Joey Guerra (keyboards), Steve Falomir (bass guitar), Philip Madayag (drums), and Andre Baeza (percussion).<ref name="LarkinGE"/> Their biggest hit was the 1980 remake of The Intruders' 1967 hit "Together", written by Gamble & Huff, which reached No. 18 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and No. 9 on the US ''Billboard'' R&B chart.<ref name="auto2">{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=580}}</ref> It was a number one record on Los Angeles radio.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.las-solanas.com/arsa//survey.php?sv=97834|title=KRLA 1110|website=las-solanas.com|access-date=June 15, 2025}}</ref>

==Background== Tierra has the distinction of being the first Latino band to have four songs on the national chart, with two of them in the Top 100 at the same time.<ref name="auto3">{{Cite web |url=http://947thewave.cbslocal.com/2015/05/22/tierras-rudy-salas-talks-music-performing-more/ |title=Tierra's Rudy Salas Talks Music, Performing & More « 94.7 the WAVE |access-date=November 26, 2015 |archive-date=November 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151127034155/http://947thewave.cbslocal.com/2015/05/22/tierras-rudy-salas-talks-music-performing-more/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1972, Rudy and Steve Salas formed Tierra and their self-titled debut album was recorded. By the mid-1970s the band consisted of the Salas brothers, Rudy Villa on reeds, Kenny Román on drums and Latin-percussion, Conrad Lozano on bass, Aaron Ballesteros on drums and vocals, Alfred Rubalcava on bass and Leon Bisquera on keyboards. Around that time they recorded the album ''Stranded'' for the Salsoul records label.<ref>''Barrio Rhythm: Mexican American Music in Los Angeles'' Steven Loza [https://archive.org/details/barriorhythmmexi00loza/page/104  104 ''Part I: History'' ''Tierra'']</ref>

In 1980, they had a platinum hit with "Together", a remake of the 1967 song by The Intruders.<ref>''Postnational Musical Identities: Cultural Production, Distribution, and Consumption in a Globalized Scenario'' Edited by Ignacio Corona and Alejandro L. Madrid [https://books.google.com/books?id=c2tu6oXxmkYC&dq=tierra+together+hit&pg=PA141 Page 141 ''Assimilation, Reclamation, and Rejection'']</ref> The song, written by Gamble & Huff, reached No. 18 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, reached No.9 on Billboard’s R&B chart, No. 23 on the US ''Cash Box'' Top 100 and No. 30 on the US Adult Contemporary chart. In 1981, they charted with "Memories" and "La-La Means I Love You", both entered the Billboard Top 100.<ref>{{cite book|title=Top Pop Singles 1955-2010|year=2011|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|author-link=Joel Whitburn|publisher=Record Research}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Cash Box Pop Hits: 1952-1996|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|author-link=Joel Whitburn|year=2014|publisher=Record Research}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Top Adult Songs:1961–2006|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|author-link=Joel Whitburn|year=2007|publisher=Record Research}}</ref>

In 1981, in an interview with the ''Los Angeles Times'' Rudy Salas was quoted as saying "Sometimes I couldn't feed my family, I'm going out to get a legitimate job." At those bleak moments, his then wife Martha Salas would intervene. "She would talk me out of it," Salas said. "She knows how I love music. She would tell me, 'No way you're gonna quit, you'd just take it out on me and the kids and we'd all be miserable.' She was right".<ref>''The Los Angeles Times'', Sunday November 8, 1981</ref><ref>''The Pantagraph'', Saturday, November 21, 1981 - [https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/69271598/ Page 45 Mexican-American bands struggle to make it]</ref>

In 1995, they released their ''A New Beginning'' album.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-new-beginning-mw0000993653|title=A New Beginning - Tierra | Songs, Reviews, Credits |website=AllMusic|access-date=October 15, 2021}}</ref>

Around 1997, younger brother Steve supposedly quit the band after disputes over leadership of the band, money and management. In an interview he claimed that he was fired by his brother Rudy. He formed his own band and for a period of time there were two bands bearing the name Tierra. The Tierra band led by Steve Salas was booked for one night at the Conga Room. Rudy’s second wife called the booking manager and asserted that the band led by her husband was the real Tierra. This led to the club's booking manager Robert Vargas getting into negotiations and mediating between the two brothers, Ultimately Mr Vargas recognized both Steve and Rudy had equal rights to the name. He had a plan to have a band consisting of the two brothers and as many members as possible from their successful years in the early 1980s. An argument developed over the line up, and Steve Salas backed out two weeks before the concert was to take place. He then apologized, and in January 2002, they were booked to play the Conga Room.<ref>''Los Angeles Times'' January 16, 2002 [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jan-16-et-gurza16-story.html A Band (or Two) of Brothers - Augustin Gurza]</ref>

===Recent years=== Their album ''On Solid Ground'' was released in 2013. They appeared on Kid Frost's 2001 CD, ''Still Up in This Shit!'', performing a new version of The Notations' "I'm Still Here".

Band member Isaac Avila died at age 49 of a brain hemorrhage on August 30, 2009.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thedeadrockstarsclub.com/2009b.html|title=The Dead Rock Stars Club - 2009 July to December|website=Thedeadrockstarsclub.com|access-date=October 15, 2021}}</ref> Johnny "The Stick" Valenzuela died some time between 2010 and 2013.<ref>¡LatinoLA! April 25, 2013 [http://latinola.com/story.php?story=11838 Chicano Music Legend Rudy Salas of Tierra The lead guitarist and songwriter for East L.A.'s legacy band speaks up about his new music, his politics, and his family By Belinda Quesada, Contributing Writer]</ref> Bassist Steve Falomir died due to a stroke on January 21, 2012 <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thedeadrockstarsclub.com/2012.html|title=The Dead Rock Stars Club - 2012 January To June|website=Thedeadrockstarsclub.com|access-date=October 15, 2021}}</ref> in Los Angeles. Rudy Salas died from COVID-19 on December 29, 2020, at age 71.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Long|first=Trish|date=30 December 2020|title=Rudy Salas, Tierra band leader and cofounder, dies at 71 of Covid-19|url=https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/entertainment/music/2020/12/30/rudy-salas-tierra-music-band-leader-and-cofounder-dies/4093495001/|website=El Paso Times}}</ref> Steve Salas died on February 10, 2022, at age 69, after a two-year battle with myeloma, also contracting COVID-19 .<ref>{{cite news |title=Steve Salas, co-founder of the pioneering Eastside Chicano rock band Tierra, dies at 69 |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-02-16/singer-percussionist-steve-salas-co-founder-of-tierra-dies-at-69 |access-date=17 February 2022 |newspaper=LA Times |date=16 February 2022}}</ref><ref name="obiSteve">{{cite web |url=https://www.rosehills.com/obituaries/whittier-ca/steve-salas-10581749|title=Obituary Steve Laurence Salas September 20, 1951 - February 10, 2022|date=|accessdate=June 27, 2022|publisher=Rose Hills Memorial Park & Mortuary}}</ref>

The Salas family has been embroiled in a legal battle for their inheritance rights to the band's trademark.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Trademark Status & Document Retrieval |url=https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=87637209&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch |access-date=2023-11-19 |website=tsdr.uspto.gov}}</ref> The ownership of Tierra, the Tierra band, and its intellectual property rights have become the subject of litigation in the Los Angeles Superior Court (Case No. 21 STCV 25207). The lawsuit was initiated by the Salas family against Joanna Salas, Rudy's second wife at the time of his death.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Trademark Issue – TIERRA |url=https://tierramusic.com/trademark-issue/ |access-date=2023-11-19 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==== Associated acts ==== Tierra Legacy, run by David Salas, son of Rudy Salas' and nephew of Steve Salas. Also includes Rudy and Steve's brother Richard; J.P. Hurtado and Jonathan Lacayo are the lead singers; with some original ''City Nights'' members, and former members of Tierra .<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-18 |title=Artist Tierra Legacy Is On Air! |url=https://www.blogtalkradio.com/entertainu/2023/02/18/artist-tierra-legacy-is-on-air |access-date=2023-11-19 |website=BlogTalkRadio}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-02 |title=Legendary Band, Tierra, Continues its Legacy with Tierra Legacy After The Loss of Their Founders now|url=https://www.westernslopenow.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/631375551/legendary-band-tierra-continues-its-legacy-with-tierra-legacy-after-the-loss-of-their-founders/ |access-date=2023-11-19 |publisher=EIN Presswire |language=en-US |via=WesternSlopeNow.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=HOME |url=https://tierralegacy.band/ |access-date=2023-11-19 |website=Tierra Legacy |language=en-US}}</ref>

DW3 (aka Down With Three), that consists of Billy Mondragon (former lead singer of Tierra for over 25 years), Damon Montelongo, and Eric Mondragon.<ref name="auto3" /><ref>''The Electronic Urban Report'' July 23, 11 [http://www.eurweb.com/2011/07/dw3-reintroduces-latin-soul-music-with-their-hot-new-release-on-the-floor/ DW3 Reintroduces Latin Soul Music with their Hot New Release ‘On the Floor’]</ref>

==Band members==

=== 1973 lineup === Source:<ref>{{Citation |title=Tierra - Tierra |date=1973 |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/2614875-Tierra-Tierra |access-date=2023-11-19 |language=en}}</ref> * Rudy Salas - Leader & Co-Founder, guitar, vocals * Steve Salas - Co-Leader & Co-Founder, lead vocals * Rudy Villa - saxophone, flute * David Torres - keyboards, trumpet, flute * Kenny Roman - drums * Conrad Lozano - bass

===1981 lineup=== Source:<ref>{{Citation |title=Tierra - Together Again |date=1981 |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/927926-Tierra-Together-Again |access-date=2023-11-19 |language=en}}</ref> * Rudy Salas - Leader & Co-Founder, Guitar, vocals * Steve Salas - Co-Leader & Co-Founder, Lead vocals, trombone, timbales * Andre Baeza - congas, percussion * Joey Guerra - keyboards, backing vocals * Steve Falomir - bass * Philip Madayag - drums * Bobby Navarrete - saxophones, backing vocals * Bobby Loya - trumpet

===Other past members=== Source:<ref>{{Cite web |title=About us – TIERRA |url=https://tierramusic.com/about-us/ |access-date=2023-11-19 |language=en-US}}</ref> * Isaac Campos Avila - lead vocals, guitar<ref name="auto" /> * Mike Jimenez - lead vocals * Billy Mondragon - lead vocals * Tino Melendez - lead vocals * Conrad Lozano - bass * David Torres - keyboards<ref name="auto1">Lowrider website January 1, 2010 [http://www.lowrider.com/lifestyle/entertainment/1001-lrmp-tierra-of-east-los-angeles/ Lifestyle / Entertainment, Tierra of East Los Angeles ''by Steve Gonzales and Mike Landers'']</ref> * Aaron Ballesteros - drums * Johnny "The Stick" Valenzuela - percussion<ref>''JazzTimes January / February 1998 [http://jazztimes.com/articles/8391-latin-legends-live-various-artists Various Artists, Latin Legends Live By Marcela Breton ]''</ref> * Danny Santillan - drums * Leon Bisquera - keyboards<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bisquera|first=Leon|date=2018|title=Bio|url=https://www.leonbisquera.com/|website=Leonbisquera.com}}</ref> * Christopher Trujillo - drums * Joey Navarro - keyboards, background vocals * Dale Villavicencio - percussion

==Discography== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Title ! colspan="1"| Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2"| Label |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="40"| US |- | 1973 | ''Tierra'' | - |20th Century Records |- | 1975 | ''Stranded'' | - | Salsoul Records |- | 1980 | ''City Nights'' | 38 | ASI Records; Boardwalk Records |- | 1981 | ''Together Again'' | - | Boardwalk Records |- | 1982 | ''Bad City Boys'' | - | Boardwalk Records |- | 1989 | ''A New Beginning'' | - | Fiesta Records |- | 1993 | ''Tonight'' | - | Thump Records |- | 1995 | ''Street Corner Gold'' | - | Thump Records |- | 1997 | ''Latin Legends Live'' | - | Thump Records |- | 2000 | ''Greatest Hits'' | - | Thump Records |- | 2001 | ''Two Worlds - Dos Mundos'' | - |Thump Records |- | 2005 | ''Welcome to Cafe East L.A.'' | - | Thump Records |- | 2005 | ''The Rare Collection'' | - |I.T.P. Records |- | 2007 | ''Greatest Love Songs'' | - | Thump Records |- | 2008 | ''On the Right Track'' | - | M & M Records |- | 2013 | ''On Solid Ground'' | - | M & M Records |- | 2017 | ''Ya Llego'' | - | Music Access Inc. |- | 2021 | ''Keep It Going'' | - | Thump Records |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.tierramusic.com Official website] * {{Discogs artist|Tierra}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tierra (group)}} Category:1973 establishments in California Category:American musicians of Mexican descent Category:American rhythm and blues musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 1973 Category:Chicano rock musicians Category:Musical groups from Los Angeles Category:Rock music groups from California