When Mexico's scandalous pop diva GloriaTrevi—once the country's highest-paid performer and known as ''Mexico's Madonna''—left jail, she handed out fliers to promote herself.
The hard work is paying off: Two years later, Trevi has shot to worldwide superstardom.
Her comeback album, Como nace el universo, or How the Universe Was Born, went platinum in the United States and received a Latin Billboard award nomination for best album.
The single ''Todos me miran,'' or ''Everyone Is Looking at Me,'' whose video depicts a gay man coming out, hit number 1 on the Mexican Billboard chart. These days, Trevi has become an icon for gay men on both sides of the border, dubbed the ''Gay Queen.''
''Conservatives criticize [gays], but then they wear the clothes they design, listen to the music that they have made so popular, and use the makeup that they create,'' Trevi told the Associated Press in a recent interview.
Trevi rose to stardom in the 1990s when her songs about sexual independence won over thousands of teenage fans, making her one of Latin America's biggest stars.
Then the bottom fell out: In 2000, Trevi, along with her manager, Sergio Andrade, and backup singer Maria Raquenel Portillo were arrested and accused of luring young girls into their entourage with promises of stardom and then sexually abusing them.
The three were detained in Brazil, where all had fled to avoid prosecution. They were extradited to Mexico, where a second backup singer was already being held.
After almost five years in Brazilian and Mexican prisons, Trevi was acquitted of charges of kidnapping, rape, and corruption of minors.
The 38-year-old singer, who has always maintained her innocence, left jail with her son, Angel Gabriel, now 4, and the memory of losing a baby girl who died shortly after being born there. Last year she gave birth to her second son, Miguel Armando, and says she may have more children.
Trevi no longer talks about her time in jail, but the experience transformed her from a Mexican teen idol into an international star with fans in their 20s and 30s. And although she has tamed her wild lioness mane and toned down her raunchy image—doing away with ripped tights—Trevi hasn't lost her spunk. She still lets loose on stage, grabbing her crotch and cracking whips.
''My fans like the rebel in me,'' she said in a recent interview.
She's even managed to strike a fine balance between her rebel girl image and her new life as an activist mother, broadening her appeal.
Trevi also started a foundation, named Ana Dalai after her baby who died, to provide money and support to jailed mothers, saying she has firsthand knowledge of their difficulties. On Monday she returned to the Chihuahua prison where she was held and handed out toys and medicine to inmate mothers.
She has become a vocal defender of the gay community. The song ''Everyone Is Looking at Me,'' which she said is based on a friend's experience, was a favorite at sold-out shows during Trevi's recent tour of major gay clubs from New York to Los Angeles.
Her album How the Universe Was Born is a testament to Trevi's and her fans' fight against social taboos and not being influenced by others, and she has said ''Everyone Is Looking at Me'' also relates her own feelings of being rejected by certain sectors of society. She said she hopes her music inspires people to stay true to themselves.
''Artists and, above all, 'La Trevi' teach us, especially women, about all the sides of ourselves: the sexy one, the showoff, the passionate one, the mother, the superhero,'' she said, adding, ''My rebelliousness more than anything has a cause.... I never have been an anarchist, I've always had goals and always have acted out of love.'' (Istra Pacheco, AP)
These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.
Be the first to comment on this story.
If you would like to submit a comment for posting, please fill out the form above.
All comments submitted via this form are subject to posting or publication. (To send a private letter to an Advocate editor or writer, please use the e-mail button at the top of the page, or use snail mail.) If you would like your comment considered for publication in The Advocate magazine, please include your full name, your city of residence, and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours so that we can confirm your identity. Your e-mail address and telephone number are strictly confidential and will not be shared or used for any purpose other than to contact you about your comment.
See the Contact page for sending comments for reasons other than responding to Advocate editorial and news stories.
Please note that comments sent by fax or snail mail are unlikely to be posted, although they will be considered for publication along with all letters received via e-mail or via this Web page. Comments that chiefly concern Advocate.com content will be considered for posting only on the Web site. The Advocate reserves the right to edit submitted comments for grammar, spelling, obscenities, or libel; we will, however, do our best to preserve the original comment's style and intent. Comments considered for publication in The Advocate magazine may also be edited for length.
Home | Contact | Current Issue | LGBT Community Partners | Staff
Jobs | Help
Subscribe: Print Edition Digital Edition | Subscriber Services: Print Edition Digital Edition
Visit our Websites
Out.com | OutTraveler.com | HIVPlusMag.com | Alyson.com | HereTV.com | GayWired.com | SheWired.com
Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Community Guidelines | Legal Notice
Advocate.com © 2009 Regent Entertainment Media Inc. All Rights Reserved.
