Tres Chicas' Sweetwater Offers Country Fans Alternative Root

By Katherine Cole
Tres Chicas is a rarity on the music charts: A vocal¹ group in which all three singers are frontwomen in their own right. And don't get ready to rumba, because despite their Latin name, Tres Chicas is a trio with a rootsy alternative country sound.
(Music)
Tres Chicas was formed in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1999, but their first CD, Sweetwater, wasn't released until this year. Why? Because each "Chica" was too busy with other band commitments. The three friends wanted to sing together, but Caitlin Cary was busy touring in support of her two solo² albums. Tonya Lamm had her hands full with a baby and the band Hazeldine, and Lynn Blakey was busy with her group, Glory Fountain. So Tres Chicas was considered just a parttime, once-in-a-while fun thing to do. Caitlin Cary explains the trio never thought of themselves as a "real group" until Sweetwater was released.
"Once the record came out, we all rallied³ around it. And got way more serious and devoted⁴ to Tres Chicas than we had been, or maybe than we ever thought we were going to be. For a long time, this was just something that we had done, and knew we might do again. But it's been really fun to realize we love being together and doing this together."
(Music)
Seven of the 10 songs on Sweetwater are Tres Chicas' originals. All the women wrote songs for the CD. And while some say it's a very difficult job, Lynn Blakey says that, for her, writing is not a matter of easy or hard.
"I don't think of songs as being difficult or easy to write. I just think the process feels good, so I don't think of it as being hard. Sometimes it's easier to start than it is to finish, however. I think finishing is the hardest thing. But generally they start out incredibly easy. Like this song. I hate to say that though, because it sounds like I didn't work on it. But it did just sort of 'flow.' They seem to write themselves. But then you do have to work on them, a little bit, to make them the best that they can be."
(Music)
Although the Chicas say they intend to record again as a band, their other musical obligations⁵ mean it will be some time before the next Tres Chicas' release. The trio plans to tour the United States during the remainder⁶ of this year, and travel overseas in 2005.
I am Katherine Cole.
(Music)

注释：
rarity 稀有
frontwomen 女主唱
rumba 伦巴舞
commitment 工作，委托事项
remainder 剩余（时间）

1 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

2 solo   

n.独奏，独唱；adj.单独的；adv.单独地；v.放单飞，单独表演

参考例句：

• Tara is currently working on a solo album.塔拉眼下正忙着制作个人专辑。
• There's wonderfully lyrical flute solo in the middle of this symphony.在交响乐中间有一段奇妙的抒情长笛独奏。

3 rallied   

恢复( rally的过去式和过去分词 )； 价格回升； 集合起来； 嘲笑

参考例句：

• Has the child rallied from her high fever yet? 这个女孩的高烧退了吗？
• The enemy's forces rallied, and made a fresh attack on the town. 敌军重新调集兵力，对该城发动了又一次进攻。

4 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

5 obligations   

n.债务( obligation的名词复数 )；义务；[法律]债券；合约

参考例句：

• Belgium replied that she had always been faithful to her international obligations. 比利时政府答复说，比利时一贯忠实履行其国际义务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It would never do to neglect official obligations. 玩忽职守是绝对不行的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 remainder   

n.余下的部分，剩下的人数

参考例句：

• They joined up with us to spend the remainder of the holiday.他们来跟我们一起共度余下的假期。
• He spent the remainder of his years in Japan.他在日本度过了余生。