Menudo Celebrates 50 Years with a Tour Featuring Seven of Its Former Members
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
MIAMI – Seven former members of Menudo will reunite for a tour to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary Puerto Rican group, kicking off in October in California and concluding in December in Puerto Rico. Their songs will be adapted to the adult voices of the former members, but they assure in an interview with EFE that they maintain the signature sound that characterized the group. Founded in 1977 by producer Edgardo Díaz, Menudo became one of the biggest phenomena in Latin American popular music, especially during the 1980s. Notable artists like Ricky Martin joined the group in 1984 along with Draco Rosa, although neither will participate in this tour. Ralphy Rodríguez, a member from 1986 to 1987, recalled that the band had 'a repertoire of hundreds of songs' between 1979 and 1991, leading to many meetings to first choose which songs to perform and then who would sing each one. According to Raymond Acevedo (1985-1988), the selection was based 'on feeling' and the era of each member in the group. Among the must-perform songs, Roy Rosselló (1983-1986) mentioned 'Súbete a mi moto,' sung by René Farrait (1979-1982), and added 'Claridad,' which he considers 'the classic' of the group. 'The songs are adapted to our tones now as men,' Acevedo explained. 'It sounds like Menudo because they are the same voices,' said the 54-year-old singer. 'Not all Menudo songs were very high melodies... we just lowered them a bit,' Rodríguez clarified. Meanwhile, Robert Avellanet (1988-1991) noted that the only member who sings in the same key as before is Sergio Blass (1986-1990), because 'his voice didn't change.' The group followed a model that required members in their early teens to leave when their voices changed.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
