Tierra Legacy

The brass sounds, the syncopated rhythms of the keyboard, the cutting, striking, and quavering sounds of the percussion… the drums, the melodic and rhythmic voices, and the resonant and expressive guitars! All of these alluring instruments come together and slowly pull one into an almost hypnotic state.

The Latin music ripples through the veins. The ripples build up. They become a powerful tidal wave. Almost instantaneously, we feel the music slam into the hearts… bull’s-eye! Then it explodes and spreads its infectious incantations to every portion of being. The starving spirit feasts upon this warm and compelling nourishment.

The passage of music thrusting us forward into a rationalization of the family we belong to, of where we come from. The lyrics cause a stir in the mind and a gyration of the soul. This is a sacred tribal dance, and it convokes our ancestors and us to this special place. We are caught up between our current existence and another time and place in history. We can’t turn back. Its power has a will of its own and it selects you, it selects me. Now, we are away in that region of the mind reserved as furlough from the day-to-day affairs.

There are no other words to describe the music of this band. Tierra has always held a special place in my heart. The band, their music, a staple. –CM Gray

Tierra, a pioneering Chicano band founded in 1972 by Rudy and Steve Salas, achieved national fame in 1981 with their hit song “Together,” reaching #14 on Billboard Magazine’s Hot 100. Rudy and Steve’s tragic passing due to Covid in 2020 and 2022, respectively, has left a void in the music industry, but the Salas family has made the decision to keep their music alive through “Tierra Legacy.”

Tierra has had a remarkable career spanning generations and includes chart-topping hits. The band was named “Best R&B Vocal Group” by four leading magazines, including Billboard, in the early 1980s. They began their career in East Los Angeles with a unique blend of rock, pop, jazz, R&B, and salsa, creating an infectious Latin/R&B rhythm that produced classics such as “Together,” “Gonna Find Her” and “Memories,” Tierra was also the first Latino/American band to have four songs on national charts and two simultaneously in the Top 100.

Tierra’s legacy lives on through the band’s new iteration, “Tierra Legacy”, wholly owned by the Salas family. The band includes David Salas (Rudy’s son), Richard Salas (Rudy and Steve’s brother), original and longtime members who created the hit songs for Tierra, and two fresh and exciting new lead singers. Tierra Legacy continues to captivate fans with a strong social media presence, extraordinary live shows and new music, keeping the dynamic and unforgettable band alive.

“Just a Groove Thing” (New Original Music)

The Tierra Legacy is:
David Salas (Guitar and vocals – son of Rudy Salas and co-producer of Tierra music and musical Director for Musical Youth, Chi-Lites and Eddie Holman)
Bobby Navarrette (Original saxophonist and zoot suit of Tierra and member of Thee Midniters)
Bobby Loya (Original trumpet for Tierra and member of Thee Midniters)
Richard Salas (Brother of Rudy and Steve and acoustic guitar)
Joey Navarro (Keyboardist for Tierra since 2006)
Chris Trujillo (Drummer for Tierra since 2017)
Ray Carrion (Lead guitar for Tierra and El Chicano)
Rocky Padilla (Member of Tierra and Joe Bataan)
John Burolla (Sax for Tierra since 1988)
Jonathan Lacayo (Lead vocalist for Tierra Legacy)
John Hurtado (Lead vocalist and former lead singer for Vinyl Soul)
Dale Villaviscencio (Percussionist for Tierra since 2001)