By Ayala Ben-Yehuda, L.A.
Billboard Magazine
In its heyday, Menudo caused stampedes, played stadiums around the world and sold millions of records. In the process, the Puerto Rican boy band, whose alumni include Ricky Martin, became an instantly recognizable mainstream brand -- one that Epic Records, MTV and producer Ben Silverman ("Ugly Betty," "The Office") are reincarnating for the digital age.
In a model Epic Records president Charlie Walk called "the future of our business," the company has an equity stake in the Menudo brand, which investment group Menudo Entertainment acquired in 2003.
Epic will sign a new bilingual version of the Latin pop phenomenon, with its first album slated for release in late 2007. Meanwhile, MTV and Silverman's company Reveille will co-produce 10 episodes of a reality show documenting the band's development. The show will debut on MTV in the fall of 2007...
For the complete article click
here.
