Trio Los Tres Reyes - Odiame (MP3)
Trio Los Tres Reyes - Yo Tengo Una Novia (MP3)

The year was 1998. I was at the peak of my fascination with hip-hop music and had begun experimenting in the art of music production (or beat making, to be a little more exact.) I understood the structure of a modern hip-hop beat, including the necessity to find a good sample. Interested in making something different, rare, and of course appetizing to the ears, I had snuck into my mother's closet to dig out a couple of her CDs. (My mother's music collection was extensive and quite varied.) "18 Boleros Romanticos," read the first CD that I had popped into the CD player. The opening high-pitched guitar notes instantly attracted me. The tempo was perfect for a hip-hop beat - the sample was easy to cut - the loop could easily be created - and best of all, it sounded great.

Little did I know, I was about to stumble upon "trio" music - a music genre popular throughout Latin America during my grandparents' generations. Many of these songs were written in the 1800s and are still interpreted by modern artists. The amounts of CDs, downloadable songs, and LPs were infinite. Soon I began loving the music for what it was and not for what I could turn it into. One of the bands that instantly caught my attention was "Trio Los Tres Reyes," who never seized to stun me with their voice and esoteric guitar playing.

While "Odiame" is a song that attracted me due to its complex guitar playing, "Yo Tengo Una Novia" is a song that caught my attention due to its witty lyrics.

De un mundo de santos
Dios quiso legarme
un angel divino
virtuoso y amado,
un angel hermoso
para que me guie.
Por que sere bueno?
Por que sere malo?
Lo cierto es que llevo
su imagen bendita
jugando dulzona
en mi pensamiento,
tan solo un instante
de mi no se aparta.
Su voz cariñosa
por doquier la siento...

Yo tengo una novia
eterna y sincera.
Si son de sus labios,
no hay besos más grandes!
Si tardo en la cita,
sonriente me espera...
besando mi frente

porque llegue tarde!
Yo tengo una novia,
no hay otra más buena,
mas noble y más pura.
Jamás va a engañarme!
Por ella gustoso
daria mi vida
porque ella no miente
porque ella es mi madre!... Tangos y Milongas