Los Tres Caballeros

Popular Mexican trío formed in 1952 by composer Roberto Cantoral (guitar and third voice), Benjamín "Chamín" Correa (requinto guitar and second voice), and Leonel Gálvez (guitar and lead singer). The musical union soon attracted the attention of RCA Victor and their first recordings were released between 1953 and 1955 with lukewarm success. The trio struck gold when they switched to Discos Musart in 1956 and recorded "El reloj" and "La barca", both written by Cantoral, which quickly turned into number one hits in Mexico, Latin America, and Spain. Los Tres Caballeros would go on to record many other tunes by Cantoral that cemented their popularity as romantic bolero superstars. They became much in demand on television and stage in Mexico as well as all over the world. Due to the constant world tours, Musart set up recording sessions for them in Spain, Italy and Japan. During a South American tour, and after a dizzying successful four years of hit making, Los Tres Caballeros decided to disband in 1960 during performances in Chile. By then Roberto Cantoral could not keep up with the trio's hectic schedule and was enjoying a much rewarding career as one of Mexico's top composers, a position he maintained until his death in 2011. Leonel Gálvez went on singing as a solo artist and also as the lead voice in other popular trios such as "Los Calaveras" and "Los Tres Reyes" until his passing in 2009. Benjamín "Chamín" Correa continued in different incarnations of Los Tres Caballeros with other talented musicians and singers, including Raúl Shaw Moreno, Raúl Solis, and Raúl García. As "Chamín Correa" he also recorded and performed as a solo act for many years. The unforgettable recordings of Los Tres Caballeros are now considered timeless classics and remain an important part of the Latin American Songbook.