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Menudo (group) facts for kids

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Menudo
Menudo members.jpg
Menudo ca. 1981. (top) Miguel, Johnny and Xavier, (bottom) René and Ricky
Background information
Origin Puerto Rico
Genres
Years active
  • 1977–2009
  • 2015–present
Labels
McGillis Records
Associated acts MDO
Members
  • Ricky Meléndez
  • Johnny Lozada
  • René Farrait
  • Robert Avellanet
Past members
  • Nefty Sallaberry
  • Carlos Meléndez
  • Fernando Sallaberry
  • Óscar Meléndez
  • Charlie Masso
  • Ricky Martin
  • Ray Reyes (deceased)

Menudo (Spanish for "little", and in Puerto Rican Spanish, for "loose change") is a Puerto Rican-based, Latino boy band that was formed in 1977 by producer Edgardo Díaz. Menudo was one of the biggest Latin boy bands in history, releasing their first album in 1977. The band achieved much success, especially during the 1980s, becoming the most popular Latin American teen musical group of the era and selling some 20 million records worldwide. They are regarded as the Most Iconic Latino Pop Music Band.

They also had several radio hits during its course. Their success led them to also release one television film (1979's Leyenda de Amor) and two feature films: Una aventura llamada Menudo and Menudo: La Película as well as to act in a telenovela named "Quiero Ser" and a television mini-series named Panchito y Arturo.

The band was a starting point for both Ricky Martin (1984–89) and Draco Rosa (1984–87), who were members around the mid-1980s during their youth.

Menudo's original line-up consisted of two sets of brothers: Fernando and Nefty Sallaberry (12 and 13), from Ponce, Puerto Rico (Fernando was born in Spain); and the Melendez brothers, Carlos Meléndez, (12), Óscar Meléndez, (11), and Ricky Meléndez, (9); the latter three are Diaz's cousins.

The band's golden-era lineup consisted of members Ricky Meléndez, Johnny Lozada, René Farrait, Miguel Cancel, Xavier Serbiá, Charlie Massó and Ray Reyes.

The group disbanded in 2009 with a brief comeback in 2015. In 2019 Meléndez, Lozada, Farrait, Cancel and Reyes, came back for the "Súbete a Mi Moto Tour".

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Menudo (banda) para niños

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