In the early ’90s, a tempestuous mélange of controversy, searing passion and entangled perm tresses ripped through Mexico’s music scene, shaking the ecclesiastical foundation of the country from asunder. This cyclonic force, also known as pop icon Gloria Trevi, took Mexico by its Catholic cajones, challenging the constraints of the female gender role with her prurient onstage antics and politically charged lyrics.

Now, nearly 18 years after her 1989 solo debut album, Que Hago Aqui?, Trevi continues to propound her anti-puritanical philosophy through songs like “Todos Me Miran,” one of four newly released tracks on her 2006 redux CD, La Trayectoria.

With her doe eyes, fair skin and relatively diminutive stature, Trevi’s otherwise contemptuous image is mollified when viewed with the naked eye, veiling the heartbreak of a once indigent girl from Monterrey, Mexico (naturally, we must begin with the telling of her childhood). Born in 1970 to impoverished and allegedly abusive parents, Trevi’s demonstrable talent was honed through ballet class and piano lessons during her prepubescent years. But then the 12-year-old Trevi fled from home, leaving behind a divorcé mother.

While clutching painful memories of a broken home, Trevi was resourceful following her arrival in the populous epicenter of Mexico City. Determined to jumpstart her singing career, she made a living on the streets selling tacos and singing for anyone who would listen.

Trevi soon met Sergio Andrade, a man who would later serve as the Achilles heel of her career. The two met in 1984, after which 28-year-old Andrade became instrumental in launching 14-year-old Trevi’s singing career as her manager, mentor and husband. If the late Aaliyah taught us anything, it’s that age ain’t nothin’ but a number.

From 1989 to 1999, the “Mexican Madonna” doled out hits like “Dr. Psiquiatra” and “Borrego” until her career reached a screeching halt with accusations she and Andrade had, under the ruse of teaching voice lessons, were kidnapping and enslaving underage girls for Andrade’s sexual pleasure.

In an effort to avoid prosecution, Trevi and Andrade flew to Brazil but were eventually found and incarcerated in 2000. During her incarceration, Trevi became pregnant with Andrade’s baby. No, this wasn’t an immaculate conception. Initially, Trevi decried rape by a guard but later revealed that Andrade was, in fact, the father. They were then extradited back to Mexico, where Trevi remained behind bars until she was released in 2004 due to lack of evidence.

The scathing case brought against both Trevi and Andrade quickly became a cause célèbre for the Latin world, infamously comparable to the O.J. Simpson and the more recent Michael Jackson trials stateside. But according to Trevi’s press representative, Sara Soto, “That issue is already out of Gloria’s life….”

Indeed, just a few short months following her release from an undisclosed Mexican prison, Trevi showed resilience in the face of adversity, dropping her sixth album, Como Nace El Universo. That March, she also embarked on a 23-city American tour called “Trevolucion,” and has just released another album titled La Trayectoria. However, only four of the 19 tracks on the album are new.

In anticipation of her Jan. 20 performance at Club Papi at Club Montage, Trevi granted Rocket magazine an introspective interview via e-mail, gabbing about everything from her presidential aspirations to her GLBT following.

Visit www.clubpapi.com for details about the event.

Rocket: How does it feel to be compared with American music legends like Madonna and Sinead O’Connor? Do you ever get used to that?

Gloria Trevi: I think that for them, it’s a positive thing too. I don’t get used to it, I simply do my job and I don’t pay attention to what others do. Maybe that’s the reason I’ve been compared to unique people.

Rocket: Do you have an interest in crossing over into the English market in the future?

GT: Of course. I have plans to make my music in English, Portuguese and Italian. I want to make my music as universal as possible.

Rocket: Why have you named your most recently released album La Trayectoria [The Trajectory]? Is the title reflective of your life?

GT: My record company, Univision Music, named my album. I want the trajectory of my life to continue on even after death, like Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Pedro Infante.

Rocket: Why do you think the gay and lesbian community is your most loyal fan base?

GT: I have fans all over. My fans are children, intellectuals and, of course, the gay community. My fans are very honest. They’re not tied down to conventionalism. They aren’t hypocrites. I have fans of all ages, genders and sexual preferences.

Rocket: What are your feelings on the Mexican legislature’s move to legally recognize gay civil unions in Mexico City?

GT: I feel happy that they are getting the rights that all human beings deserve. I’ve always been against racism, sexism and classism. So of course this was good news.

Rocket: You mentioned once in an interview that you would like to run for president of Mexico some day. Do you still retain that aspiration? Do you think your legal troubles may obstruct that dream?

GT: Thanks to God, right now I don’t have any legal trouble. I have only the scandal, which is already behind me. But legally, it was a victory. My aspiration is to have power to help the needy, not impunity or the power to control. Now if some day I decide that I want to run for president, I think I would be great for my country. If Ronald Regan made it, I think I can make it.

Rocket: Is your music different now than it was 10 years ago? If so, what and/or who do you think is most responsible for that shift?

GT: Life and reality made me write and compose my songs over the years. Society, its problems and/or defects are responsible for my inspiration. I love the craziness of love, for the good and for the worse. My music is different now than it was 10 years ago because society has changed and my life has changed. But with my next album, I am ready to go ahead of my time.

Rocket: What political changes would you like to see occur in the future for Mexico?

GT: I would love to have a political leader with character and intelligence who brings all Mexicans together; someone who can bring out the riches of Mexico that the people deserve.

Rocket: What songs do you plan to perform at Club Papi on Jan. 20?

GT: “Todos Me Miran,” “Pelo Suelto,” “Con Los Ojos Cerrados” and some more surprises.

Rocket: Do you still keep in touch with Sergio Andrade?

GT: [Refused to answer.]

Rocket: Can you tell readers what inspired you to write your new single, “Todos Me Miran?”

GT: I got inspired by my drive to be a better person. The song makes me feel empowered; helps my self-esteem. The song is about the triumph you feel after defeating the oppressor. It’s about loving yourself again despite those who reject you. I chose to make this a dance song, not a rock song, because I consider dance more celebratory of the energy of that triumph.

Rocket: What’s in the future, professionally and personally, for the great Gloria Trevi?

GT: I know and I feel that my best moments in life are still to come. In the future, I know that my destiny is going to happen. I know that my destiny has something big because I was made for that and I work hard at it.