Trilogy (group)
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Founder | Carlos "CNR" Rivera, Duran Ramos, J.R. Mansanet |
| Headquarters | Bronx , United States |
| Products | Freestyle and hip hop music |
Trilogy is a Bronx-based American group specializing in freestyle and hip hop, established in 1984 by Carlos "CNR" Rivera alongside original members Duran Ramos and J.R. Mansanet. As pioneers in the freestyle genre, they gained acclaim with tracks such as "Latin Love," "Red Hot," "Love Me Forever or Love Me Not," "Good Time," and "Do You Wanna Get Funky."
History
Carlos “Ceanar” Rivera, a singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, brought together J.R. Mansanet, who then introduced him to Duran Ramos in the Bronx, leading to the formation of Trilogy in 1985. The group secured a deal with Jackie Jack Records in 1986 and launched their first single, "Red Hot," which quickly became popular on freestyle radio stations and within New York City club scenes. Their 1987 release "Latin Love" further boosted their profile, followed by the 1988 single "Gotta Be Free." After Rivera departed due to personal reasons, Angel DeLeon stepped in as his replacement. In 1989, Kenny Diaz took over from Mansanet and facilitated the group's collaboration with producers Robert Clivillés and David Cole. Diaz later exited over disagreements concerning production contracts and was replaced by Darrin Henson.
Robert Clivillés offered Trilogy the opportunity to record what would become the hit "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)," which they declined; however, Ramos contributed backing vocals on C+C Music Factory’s album Gonna Make You Sweat. In 1991, Trilogy released "Love Me Forever Or Love Me Not," produced by Clivillés and Cole, which reached number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The lineup of Ramos, DeLeon, and Henson followed up with "Good Time" in 1992. When Henson left in 1994, Joey Kid joined as his successor. That same year, Trilogy provided the primary male vocals for C+C Music Factory’s album Anything Goes!, featuring singles like "Do You Wanna Get Funky" and "Take a Toke." The group also toured with C+C Music Factory during 1995.
The group disbanded in June 1995. Post-breakup, Ramos continued collaborating with Clivillés and Cole as well as other artists including Busta Rhymes, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, and New Kids on the Block. Rivera embarked on a solo career under the name CNR of Trilogy. Mansanet transitioned into a career in video engineering outside of music. Joey Kid pursued solo projects while Angel DeLeon shifted to television hosting from 1998 onward, including an appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1999.
The founding members briefly reunited for a performance at Mohegan Sun Arena in 2007. In 2014, Ramos and Rivera were honored with a Freestyle Honor Award recognizing their impact on freestyle music and performed their hit "Latin Love." Rivera resumed performing under the Trilogy name with new vocalists, while Ramos and DeLeon reunited for shows beginning in 2017. DeLeon initiated an online talk show titled Angel In The City in 2018. In 2019, Rivera toured alongside other freestyle artists on the "I Love Freestyle Music Tour," with Joey Kid also performing independently.
In 2021, Trilogy officially reunited with members Rivera, Ramos, Mansanet, and DeLeon releasing the single "Sound of Thunder" through Kenny Diaz’s Londinium The Label. The following year featured interviews with all seven members for the documentary Freestyle Music: The Legacy, which remains in production.
Carlos "CNR" Rivera passed away on July 28, 2022; fellow members honored his memory via social media platforms. The documentary included previously unseen photographs of Rivera captured during filming sessions.
Band members
Current
- Duran Ramos (1985–1995), (2007), (2014), (2017), (2021–present)
- J.R. Mansanet (1985–1989), (2007), (2021–present)
- Angel DeLeon (1988–1995), (2017), (2021–present)
- Joey Kid (1994–1995), (2021–present)
Former
- Carlos "CNR" Rivera (1985–1988), (2007), (2014), (2019), (2021)
- Kenny Diaz (1989–1990)
- Darrin Henson (1990–1994)
Singles
| Single | Year | Highest chart rankings | Album | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 |
US Dance Club Songs |
AUS | GER | NED | NZ | SWE | UK | |||
| "Red Hot" | 1986 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | rowspan="5" Template:N/A |
| "Latin Love" | 1987 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Gotta Be Free" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Love Me Forever Or Love Me Not" | 1991 | 82 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Good Time" | 1992 | 118 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Do You Wanna Get Funky" (C+C Music Factory featuring Martha Wash, Zelma Davis, and Trilogy) |
1994 | 40 | 1 | 11 | 41 | 18 | 2 | 37 | 27 | Anything Goes! |
| "Take a Toke" (C+C Music Factory featuring Trilogy) |
— | 23 | — | 88 | — | — | — | 26 | ||
| "Sound of Thunder" | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
External links
- American dance music groups
- American freestyle music groups
- American pop music groups
- American singers of Dominican Republic descent
- Atco Records artists
- C+C Music Factory members
- Electronic music groups from New York (state)
- Freestyle musicians
- Latin music songwriters
- Latin pop singers
- Musical groups disestablished in 1995
- Musical groups established in 1985
- Musical groups from New York City
- Musical trios from New York (state)
- Pop-rap groups
- Spanish dance musicians
- Teen pop groups
- Vocal trios