Much before New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, 98 Degrees and One Direction were even a thought in the minds of their creators, Menudo exploded onto the pop music scene, capturing the hearts of music fans across generations in the US and Latin America and ranked as one of the biggest boy bands of all time – and the only Latin group on the list – in Billboard, US Weekly, Seventeen, Teen Vogue magazines among other influential publications.
Formed in Puerto Rico in 1977, Menudo became one of the most popular teenage music groups of the 1980s and 1990s, selling over 20 million records and releasing 34 albums and 24 singles from their inception until 2009. As older members reached a certain age, new ones would join the group, and along the way, the group opened the doors to future Grammy and Latin Grammy-winning superstars Ricky Martin and Draco Rosa, both members in the mid-1980s.
Now, thanks to a passionate team that includes veteran music industry executive Paul Tarnopol (President of Menudo Productions, based in Miami) and a television personality (and huge Menudo fan since childhood!) Mario Lopez, Menudo is back with a more dynamic lineup of five singers, dancers, performers and multifaceted personalities.
After an extensive audition process that began with 600 video submissions of performances from boys and in-person auditions in Puerto Rico (briefly interrupted by Hurricane Irene), Los Angeles and Miami, it’s time to meet Gabriel Rossell (15), Andrés Emilio (15), Alejandro Querales (16), Ezra Gilmore (14) and Nicolás Calero (12), who collectively form the new generation of Menudo. Although the original open call for online video submissions requested an age range of 12-16, the team was so impressed by Nicolas’s abundance of talent that they made an exception. The five were chosen from the Miami auditions, and Lopez was personally the one to give each boy the good news.
Menudo has been an inescapable and exciting presence in pop culture since “The Big Reveal” on March 20, when the group performed their infectious, energetic and highly danceable single in English and Spanish “Mi Amore” (released that same day) on Good Morning America on the ABC network after an introduction by Lopez.
They followed up with LIVE performances on Kelly and Ryan, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Access Hollywood and various shows on the Hispanic networks Univision and Telemundo including Despierta America, HOYDIA, En Casa con Telemundo among others.
“Deciding between the five finalists was harder than we imagined because there was so much talent to choose from,” says Lopez. “The five boys we selected have bonded instantly, and the music they’ve created has exceeded all our expectations. I believe we have several massive hits on our hands, and I was honored and beyond excited to introduce these boys to the world.”
The members of Menudo have insightful thoughts on what makes the chemistry between them work so well. Nicolas says, “Our friendship has had a lot of opportunities to grow because we’re together having fun and working four to six hours every day.” Andrés adds, “We all have a great work ethic and are dedicated to improving our singing, dancing and acting skills every day. All of this is valuable to us because we all want to have long careers making music.”
Ezra points out that, “We’re all very different, and opposites attract. We’re not the same, but we all like the same things. We realize that we wouldn’t have met if it wasn’t for Menudo. Like all brothers, we sometimes get along and sometimes fight, but it all comes from a spirit of love and commitment to our passion for music.” Alejandro adds that “in addition to the incredible camaraderie with the others, one of the most special aspects of having the honor of continuing the Menudo legacy is meeting so many wonderful and talented people who are committed to helping us grow as artists.” Gabriel is “very excited about our future, not only for the great music we’re making, but for the opportunity to perform and share these experiences with my wonderful new friends and fans.”
**Paul Tarnopol has been at the forefront of music marketing, distribution, technology and record label management for nearly three decades, rescuing and resurrecting his father Nat Tarnopol’s classic soul label of the 1960s and 1970s, Brunswick Records, in the 1990s and releasing a series of classic compilations and novelty music products through his companies Mars Entertainment and Spy Music Group. His history of innovative successes, his continued interest in the cultural phenomena of boy bands, and his ability to capture millions of fans across multiple generations gave him the confidence in 2016 to take over the Menudo brand and form Menudo International, LLC with the purpose of buying the rights to the Menudo brand and reviving the massively popular group concept.
