Eduardo Rodríguez Rodway, Last Original Member of Triana, Dies at 81
The founding guitarist of the Spanish flamenco-rock band Triana, who outlived his two bandmates, died in Cádiz, according to family statements and multiple Spanish outlets.
Eduardo Rodríguez Rodway, last surviving founder of Spanish band Triana, died at 81 in Cádiz.
- Died 26 September at Hospital Universitario de Puerto Real, Cádiz
- Last surviving member of Triana's original 1974 line-up
- Bandmates Jesús de la Rosa and Juan José Palacios died in 1983, 2002
- Triana released six albums, blending rock with flamenco
- Supreme Court this year ruled he did not own the band's name
What's new
- Family confirmed death on 26 September at Hospital Universitario de Puerto Real, Cádiz
- Statement was distributed through biographer Pablo Selma Luna
- Tributes from the band's official page and film director Gonzalo García-Pelayo followed
- Death comes months after a Supreme Court ruling this year on ownership of Triana's name and songs
Eduardo Rodríguez Rodway, founding guitarist of the Sevillian flamenco-rock group Triana and the last surviving member of its original line-up, died on 26 September at age 81 at the Hospital Universitario de Puerto Real in Cádiz, according to a family statement reported by several Spanish outlets.123
A pioneer of Andalusian rock
Rodríguez Rodway was born on 10 June 1945 in Seville and took his first steps in music at age 16, according to La Voz del Sur. Before Triana, he played in groups including Flexor's, Los Payos and Tabaca, El Mira reported.26
Triana was formed in Seville in 1974 by Rodríguez Rodway together with Jesús de la Rosa and Juan José Palacios, known as 'Tele'. The band fused progressive rock with flamenco and Andalusian musical elements, becoming, according to multiple accounts, one of the principal references of Andalusian rock, or rock andaluz.1356
The group released six studio albums between 1975 and 1983, beginning with its debut, El Patio, released in 1975. Rodríguez Rodway took part in composing every Triana album apart from that debut, according to La Voz del Sur.3514
Triana dissolved in 1983, the year Jesús de la Rosa died in a traffic accident. Juan José Palacios died in 2002, leaving Rodríguez Rodway as the sole survivor of the original formation.2135
After the band's end, Rodríguez Rodway released two solo works, Velo de amor in 1986 and Noche y día in 1987, according to La Voz del Sur.2
Family statement and tributes
The family, identified as the Rodríguez Ordóñez family, announced the death through a statement distributed by writer Pablo Selma Luna, author of the biography Triana. A través del aire.261
The family's statement described him as "el último del mítico grupo musical sevillano en dejarnos" and said his death left "un tremendo vacío artístico y emocional".31
Triana Original Sevilla, the page that preserves the band's legacy, wrote: "Hoy emprendes el vuelo, libre, a través del aire que tanto te definía", and added: "Triana ha muerto, pero hoy, más que nunca, ¡viva Triana!"1
Film director Gonzalo García-Pelayo, who made a documentary about the band, said Triana were Spain's Beatles, according to elDiario.es. The same outlet reported that Rodríguez Rodway had said the group reinvented Andalusian rock outside stereotypes.4
A legal dispute over the band's name
According to elDiario.es, the Supreme Court ruled this year that Rodríguez Rodway was not the owner of Triana's songs or name, a decision the outlet said favoured other parties seeking to use the Triana name with new, younger artists.4
Why it matters
Triana is regarded by Spanish outlets as one of the most influential groups in the history of Andalusian rock, a genre that blended progressive rock with flamenco. Rodríguez Rodway's death closes the chapter of the band's original members and revives interest in a musical movement that shaped Spain's rock scene from the mid-1970s.356
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