PROFILPELAJAR.COM

Tierra
Tierra
Years active	1972–present
Past members	Steve Salas; Rudy Salas; Kenny Roman; David Torres; Bobby Navarette; Bobby Loya; Steve Falomir; Andre Baeza; Rudy Villa

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).^[1] The other original members were Bobby Loya , Bobby Navarrete (reeds), Joey Guerra (keyboards), Steve Falomir (bass guitar), Philip Madayag (drums), and Andre Baeza (percussion).^[1] 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.^[2] It was a number one record on Los Angeles radio.^[3]^[4]

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.^[5]

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.^[6]

In 1980, they had a platinum hit with their version of "Together" which was a remake of the 1967 song by The Intruders.^[7] The song which was written by Gamble & Huff, reached No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 30 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and No. 9 on the US Billboard R&B chart.^[2] A few months later they had another chart hit with "Memories".^[1] Later in the year they charted again with "La La Means I Love You".^[8]

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".^[9]^[10]

In 1995, they released their A New Beginning album.^[11]

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 three nights at the Conga Room. Rudy Salas's wife Joanna Alvarado Salas contacted the club to inform them that the real Tierra was the one fronted by her husband. This led to the club's booking manager Robert Vargas getting into negotiations and mediating between the two brothers, with 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.^[12]

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.^[13] Johnny "The Stick" Valenzuela died some time between 2010 and 2013.^[14] Bassist Steve Falomir died due to a stroke on January 21, 2012 ^[15] in Los Angeles. Rudy Salas died from COVID-19 on December 29, 2020, at age 72.^[16] Steve Salas died on February 10, 2022, at the age of 70 after a two-year battle myeloma and also contracting COVID-19 in the time leading up to his death.^[17]^[18]

In the aftermath of passing of Rudy Salas and later Steve Salas, the Salas family has been embroiled in a legal battle for their inheritance rights to the band's trademark.^[19] Since the founders' deaths, 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 demise.^[20]

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.^[21]^[22]^[23]

DW3 aka Down With Three, that consists of (former lead singer of Tierra), Damon Montelongo, and Eric Mondragon.^[5]^[24]

Band members

1973 Lineup^[25]

Rudy Salas - Co-founder, band leader, guitar
Steve Salas - Co-founder, co-leader, vocals
Rudy Villa - saxophone, flute
David Torres - keyboards, trumpet, flute
Kenny Roman - drums
Conrad Lozano - Bass

1981 lineup^[26]

Rudy Salas - Leader & Co-Founder, Guitar & vocals
Steve Salas - Co-Leader & Co-Founder, Lead Singer, Trombone, Timbales
Andre Baeza - congas, percussion
Joey Guerra - keyboards, backing vocals
Steve Falomir - bass
Philip Madayag - drums
Bobby Navarrete - sax, reeds, backing vocals
Trumpet – Bobby Loya
Steve Salas - lead singer

Other Past Members^[27]

Isaac Campos Avila - lead vocals, guitar^[13]
Mike Jimenez - lead vocals
Billy Mondragon - lead vocals
Tino Melendez
Conrad Lozano - bass
David Torres - keyboards^[28]
Aaron Ballesteros - drums
Johnny "The Stick" Valenzuela - percussion^[29]
Danny Santillan - drums
Leon Bisquera - keyboards^[30]
Christopher Trujillo - drums
Joey Navarro, keyboards, background vocals)
Dale Villavicencio - percussion

Discography

Year	Title	Peak chart positions	Label
Year	Title	US	Label
1973	Tierra	-	20th Century Records
1975	Stranded	-	Salsoul Records
1980	City Nights	38	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
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

^ ^a ^b ^c Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2494. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
^ ^a ^b Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 580.
^ "KRLA 1110 Los Angeles Survey 11/28/80". Las-solanas.com. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
^ Radio & Records (November 14, 1980). "Parallel One Playlists". Surveys for both K-EARTH and KRLA have "Together" at number one.
^ ^a ^b "Tierra's Rudy Salas Talks Music, Performing & More « 94.7 the WAVE". Archived from the original on November 27, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
^ Barrio Rhythm: Mexican American Music in Los Angeles Steven Loza 104 Part I: History Tierra
^ Postnational Musical Identities: Cultural Production, Distribution, and Consumption in a Globalized Scenario Edited by Ignacio Corona and Alejandro L. Madrid Page 141 Assimilation, Reclamation, and Rejection
^ "Tierra - Chart history | Billboard". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 12, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
^ The Los Angeles Times, Sunday November 8, 1981
^ The Pantagraph, Saturday, November 21, 1981 - Page 45 Mexican-American bands struggle to make it
^ "A New Beginning - Tierra | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
^ Los Angeles Times January 16, 2002 A Band (or Two) of Brothers - Augustin Gurza
^ ^a ^b "The Dead Rock Stars Club - 2009 July to December". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
^ ¡LatinoLA! April 25, 2013 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
^ "The Dead Rock Stars Club - 2012 January To June". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
^ Long, Trish (December 30, 2020). "Rudy Salas, Tierra band leader and cofounder, dies at 71 of Covid-19". El Paso Times.
^ "Steve Salas, co-founder of the pioneering Eastside Chicano rock band Tierra, dies at 69". LA Times. February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
^ "Obituary Steve Laurence Salas September 20, 1951 - February 10, 2022". Rose Hills Memorial Park & Mortuary. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
^ "Trademark Status & Document Retrieval". tsdr.uspto.gov. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
^ "Trademark Issue – TIERRA". Retrieved November 19, 2023.
^ "Artist Tierra Legacy Is On Air!". BlogTalkRadio. February 18, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
^ "Legendary Band, Tierra, Continues its Legacy with Tierra Legacy After The Loss of Their Founders". EIN Presswire. May 2, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023 – via WesternSlopeNow.com.
^ "HOME". Tierra Legacy. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
^ The Electronic Urban Report July 23, 11 DW3 Reintroduces Latin Soul Music with their Hot New Release ‘On the Floor’
^ Tierra - Tierra, 1973, retrieved November 19, 2023
^ Tierra - Together Again, 1981, retrieved November 19, 2023
^ "About us – TIERRA". Retrieved November 19, 2023.
^ Lowrider website January 1, 2010 Lifestyle / Entertainment, Tierra of East Los Angeles by Steve Gonzales and Mike Landers
^ JazzTimes January / February 1998 Various Artists, Latin Legends Live By Marcela Breton
^ Bisquera, Leon (2018). "Bio". Leonbisquera.com.

External links

Official website
Tierra discography at Discogs

[LarkinGE-1] Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2494. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.

[auto2-2] Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 580.

[3] "KRLA 1110 Los Angeles Survey 11/28/80". Las-solanas.com. Retrieved October 15, 2021.

[4] Radio & Records (November 14, 1980). "Parallel One Playlists". Surveys for both K-EARTH and KRLA have "Together" at number one.

[auto3-5] "Tierra's Rudy Salas Talks Music, Performing & More « 94.7 the WAVE". Archived from the original on November 27, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2015.

[6] Barrio Rhythm: Mexican American Music in Los Angeles Steven Loza 104 Part I: History Tierra

[7] Postnational Musical Identities: Cultural Production, Distribution, and Consumption in a Globalized Scenario Edited by Ignacio Corona and Alejandro L. Madrid Page 141 Assimilation, Reclamation, and Rejection

[8] "Tierra - Chart history | Billboard". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 12, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2015.

[9] The Los Angeles Times, Sunday November 8, 1981

[10] The Pantagraph, Saturday, November 21, 1981 - Page 45 Mexican-American bands struggle to make it

[11] "A New Beginning - Tierra | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved October 15, 2021.

[12] Los Angeles Times January 16, 2002 A Band (or Two) of Brothers - Augustin Gurza

[auto-13] "The Dead Rock Stars Club - 2009 July to December". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved October 15, 2021.

[14] ¡LatinoLA! April 25, 2013 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

[15] "The Dead Rock Stars Club - 2012 January To June". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved October 15, 2021.

[16] Long, Trish (December 30, 2020). "Rudy Salas, Tierra band leader and cofounder, dies at 71 of Covid-19". El Paso Times.

[17] "Steve Salas, co-founder of the pioneering Eastside Chicano rock band Tierra, dies at 69". LA Times. February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2022.

[obiSteve-18] "Obituary Steve Laurence Salas September 20, 1951 - February 10, 2022". Rose Hills Memorial Park & Mortuary. Retrieved June 27, 2022.

[19] "Trademark Status & Document Retrieval". tsdr.uspto.gov. Retrieved November 19, 2023.

[20] "Trademark Issue – TIERRA". Retrieved November 19, 2023.

[21] "Artist Tierra Legacy Is On Air!". BlogTalkRadio. February 18, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.

[22] "Legendary Band, Tierra, Continues its Legacy with Tierra Legacy After The Loss of Their Founders". EIN Presswire. May 2, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023 – via WesternSlopeNow.com.

[23] "HOME". Tierra Legacy. Retrieved November 19, 2023.

[24] The Electronic Urban Report July 23, 11 DW3 Reintroduces Latin Soul Music with their Hot New Release ‘On the Floor’

[25] Tierra - Tierra, 1973, retrieved November 19, 2023

[26] Tierra - Together Again, 1981, retrieved November 19, 2023

[27] "About us – TIERRA". Retrieved November 19, 2023.

[auto1-28] Lowrider website January 1, 2010 Lifestyle / Entertainment, Tierra of East Los Angeles by Steve Gonzales and Mike Landers

[29] JazzTimes January / February 1998 Various Artists, Latin Legends Live By Marcela Breton

[30] Bisquera, Leon (2018). "Bio". Leonbisquera.com.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

PROFILPELAJAR.COM

Tierra (band)