Akron Beacon Journal
If you're over 30, you may recall the rise and fade of Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, which in the late '70s and '80s was a huge star in the Latin music world, cutting 35 albums that sold more than 60 million worldwide. The band started the careers of heartthrobs Ricky Martin and Robby 'Draco' Rosa.
The group, whose members were booted once they reached 16 years old, still holds the record for the largest crowd ever gathered for a live performance.
Menudo didn't have too many hits in the American mainstream but did briefly have a Saturday morning show and recorded the theme song Like a Cannonball for the egregious Burt Reynolds vehicle, Cannonball Run II.
If you're under 30 and watch way too much MTV, you may know that the Menudo concept recently was revived through a reality show (of course) called Making Menudo to mark the group's 30th anniversary. Another purpose may be to make pop music impresario Johnny Wright, who managed and worked with N*SYNC, Backstreet Boys, Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson and the Jonas Brothers, more money.
The current group has a new pop single called Lost that is a contemporized version of the synth-heavy bubblegum pop of yore, with a light R&B flavor.
Menudo may bring the new single to Cleveland as part of the Bandemonium Tour at the Cambridge Room at the House of Blues, along with three other boy bands: NLT, V-Factory and Glowb, all of which Wright is throwing at the proverbial pop music wall in the hope that something sticks with the 'tween/teen market.
OK, I'll admit that I'm not all that interested in the new Menudo, but photos of the old band are awesomely bad. Shiny, skintight spandex pants are due for a revival, aren't they?
