Toni Cruz, always on the crest of success

Toni Cruz's is a success story. The man known as the handsome man of La Trinca was born in Girona but spent most of his youth in Canet de Mar. It was there that he met Josep Maria Mainat, with whom he quickly became good friends. In the early 1960s, the two made their first musical forays, first as a duo under the name The Blue Cabrits, and then, together with Miquel Àngel Pascual, they founded other groups, such as The Vikings and Enfants Terribles, to perform at parties, hotels, and clubs, where Toni played the banjo in addition to singing. With the folk boom, they decided to offer their services to the Grup de Folk and the Als 4 Vents label, but without success. However, now christened La Trinca, they had better luck with Salvador Escamilla, who launched them through his program on Radio Barcelona . From there, they were signed by Edigsa.

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Their humorous songs soon achieved great success, but their initial popularity was torpedoed by critics who found their satires somewhat inconsequential. This did not prevent them from publishing their first album, Tots som pops (1969), although their definitive consecration would come with Festa Major (1970), considered their masterpiece, in which their collaborator Jaume Picas played a decisive role. The following year they published Trincar i riure (Trincar i riure ), in which they mixed satire with anti-war and sexual liberation songs. But crude humor was their strong suit, although they remained connected to current events. Thus, the album Xauxa (1972) is a musical inspired by Hair hippy with songs such as Fes l'amor i no la guerra (Love and no war ) and Lulu (Lulu), in which Rosa Maria Sardà collaborated. That same year they produced the show Bestiari (Bestiari ), with texts by Pere Quart, whose transformation into an album served to launch the Pebrots de Edigsa brand.

La Trinca's prolific career continued in 1973 with Ca Barret! and Mort de gana , the latter in collaboration with Terenci Moix, with songs such as Mollerussa, mon amour or Tango , a parody of the Marlon Brando film, with the bad habit of signing songs that were not as their own. In 1974 the group organized the Sis Hores de Cançó a Canet, a festival with which they would be linked until 1978. They would also be linked to the first two editions of Canet Rock. Their popularity was going from strength to strength and in full sail, which allowed them to release Trincameron (1975), inspired by the stories of Bocaccio, and Opus 10 (1976) with the anthem Botifarra de pagès and other pearls of political satire ( La faixa ) and sexual satire ( La patata ) to the rhythm of pasodoble, bolero or cha-cha-chá. This marked the end of her relationship with Edigsa, which released the compilation Vestits de milionaris (1977) without her consent. As revenge, La Trinca re-recorded the best tracks from her repertoire for her new label, Ariola, on the double album 7 anys i un dia de cançons (7 anys i un dia de cançons) .

Their first original work was Trempera matinera , with a humorous and scatological retelling of Beethoven in Oda al paper de wáter . Its follow-up was Don Jaume el Conquistador (1978), a rock zarzuela that was over the top. The machinery didn't stop and their new album and show, Pel broc gros (1979), contained No ve d'un pam, which became a classic of their live shows with their costumes of plump ladies. But the greatest triumph of their shows was Nou de Trinca (1981), with El baró de bidet and all the controversy; a lawsuit by Antonio Machín's heirs forced them to change the title from Corasón loco to Tocats de l'ala .

The message from his children

“Today, with a mixture of sadness, disbelief, and a bit of fun—because he wouldn't have wanted it any other way—we announce that Toni Cruz has gone on an indefinite tour. We don't know exactly whether it's to heaven, hell, or straight to a studio, but we do know that, wherever he is, he's already putting things in order. Toni Cruz, known for his wit and his ability to sing outrageous things to the rhythm of a pasodoble without being arrested, has decided to hang up his microphone and sarcastic humor for good. He leaves us an unforgettable legacy of songs and sketches that, today, wouldn't pass muster. Founder of that trio that brought down Franco's regime with guitars and double (or triple) meaning rhymes, Toni showed that you could make criticism, laughter, and music while still being loved by the people and feared by certain ministers. Toni didn't want tears (well, maybe a little, which always boost ratings), but songs, smiles, and the occasional well-placed joke. He died surrounded by his children. and those closest to him. Toni, you have been a great father, friend, and brother. Rest in peace, and put on a show in the other neighborhood—we'll see when we get there. We love you very much.”

Their decision to sing in Spanish caused a great stir, but ¿Quesquesé se merdé? (1983) opened the doors to a new market, fostered by their appearances on the TVE program Un, dos, tres . A larger audience meant a decrease in quality, as evidenced in És que m'han dit què… (1985) and Trinca, sexe i rocanrol (1986). Their last album, Marro! (1987), was premiered on their TV3 comedy show No passa res! . It was produced by their own production company, Gestmusic, with which they made highly successful programs for various television channels. So much so that in the 1990s they became one of the main providers of content for Spanish television, taking advantage of the boom in private channels. Their greatest hits include Crónicas Marcianas and Operación Triunfo .

In 2002, the Dutch production company Endemol acquired 100% of Gestmusic's capital, but Cruz and Mainat remained as executive directors. Cruz was also the creative director of the Barcelona Wax Museum, in the new phase that began in 2021. FC Barcelona hired him in 2022 as an external consultant to lead the transformation of Barça TV. He passed away at the age of 78 after suffering from a serious illness in recent months.