El Trio Fulminante: Reviving the forgotten genre of the pasillo

Retrieving the element of live instruments, and rescuing Ecuadorian musical identity through pasillos, pasacalles y albazos, Israel Maldonado, Stanley Parker and Lucas Napolitano, gambled everything to prove that traditional music of Ecuador is beautiful and challenging.

Maldonado, Parker and Napolitano are currently promoting “Ecuador Vol. 1”, their second album, formed by 11 tracks 100% Ecuadorian, played alongside great artists.

This group integrated by three musicians from Guayaquil is not afraid to propose to this kind of music to new generations. On the contrary, they are proud and excited about the work they have been doing, which is bearing fruit.

The Beginning of El Trio Fulminante

In 2011, Israel and Stanley started this project along with Francisco Savinovich, who months later had to quit the project. Together they produced “Festival del Pasillo Romántico,” honored in the local market.

Later, Lucas, 18, joined the group as a replacement for Savinovich. As an interpreter of blues Lucas, learned quickly this “pasillo” style.

After months of work, tests, studies and presentations, they released their album “Ecuador Vol. 1”, produced by Maldonado, which was assisted by incredible local artists such as Roberto Bolaños, Sofia Nietto, Yilda Banchón, Joel Alleguez, Veronica Guadalupe, Roy Maruri, Hugo Idrovo, and especially the peculiar and beloved Hector Napolitano, Lucas’ father.

ECUADOR VOL 1

trio-fulminante

“Ecuador Vol. 1” achieved something that had never been achieved by other Ecuadorian groups; they managed to add the pasillo their own colors and shapes. In the song “Sendas distintas,” sung by Sofia Nietto, which they added a reggaeton based in the Peruvian Cajon without losing the original essence of Ecuadorian music. And it happened again with the songs “Chulla Quiteño,” “Guayaquileño, Madera de guerrero” and “Chola Cuencana,” because they added the merengue.

This second album, unlike the first, has one more song in its repertoire and as mentioned before, has different musical collaboration of renowned Ecuadorian artists.

It is not easy to play and sing “pasillos” and neither re-create a musical culture in order to make people listen and appreciate this kind of music; even more when the market is saturated with robotic sounds and the abuse of loops or pro-tools.

El Trio Fulminante kept the essence to this traditional genre, but knew how to add an extra value with rhythms and musical nuances, without losing the unique nature of the Ecuadorian Pasillo.