Gloria Trevi

Setting alight the conservative Latin pop world of the early 1990s with her racy teenage rebellion, Gloria Trevi was nicknamed the Madonna of Mexico and sold over 20 million records before becoming the centre of a huge scandal and spending four years in prison.

Born in the city of Monterrey, Trevi's father was an architect and she enjoyed a traditional middle class upbringing until her parents divorced when she was ten. Throwing herself into piano lessons as well as Led Zeppelin and Janis Joplin records, she won a major national talent contest in Mexico City when she was 13 and instead of returning home she went in search of fame and fortune. Trevi claims to have lived on the streets, singing in the subways, before getting her first break when she successfully auditioned for girl group Boquitas Pintada. They didn't last long together, but Trevi returned three years later as a rebellious 19-year-old solo act under the guidance of producer Sergio Andrade and released her debut solo album 'Que Hago Aqui?' in 1989.

At a time when Mexican pop culture was centred strictly around Catholic family values and soundtracked by romantic ballads, Trevi took on a rock and roll attitude and broke the rules with provocative photo shoots, raunchy dance moves and opinions on everything from drugs to abortion and homosexuality. Thriving on controversy, her wit, glamour and huge personality led to Trevi topping the Mexican album charts five times, starring in a trio of popular films and scoring big hits with tracks such as 'Pelo Suelto', 'El Recuento de los Danos' and 'La Papa Sin Catsup'. At a time of social change in the country there was even talk of Trevi making a presidential run, but in 1996 she announced that her mentor Andrade was suffering with cancer and that she was retiring to care for him. The pair promptly disappeared, but allegations of child abuse, kidnapping and human trafficking emerged in an explosive book, and in 2000 Trevi, Andrade and singer Mary Boquitas were arrested in Rio de Janiero on charges of corrupting a minor. Trevi spent over four years in prison, firstly in Brazil and later in Mexico, during which time she gave birth to Andrade's baby, but after going on hunger strike, she was released in 2004 when charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence. She relaunched her career the same year with album 'Como Nace el Universo' and topped the Latin Billboard Charts for the first time with 'Gloria' in 2010, before writing songs and touring with fellow Mexican pop icon Alejandra Guzman in 2017.