Teen Band Menudo Being Revived
NEW YORK - Menudo, the popular Puerto Rican teen pop band of the '70s and '80s, is being revived.
Menudo Entertainment bought all the merchandising and property rights about a month ago from Latin record executive Oscar Lloyd, and is working with talent agencies and radio stations in its search for band members, company spokeswoman Cathy Callegari said Wednesday.
"Our aim is to target the `tween market," Callegari told The Associated Press. "We feel there's a void there. What happens is, artists start young like Britney Spears (news) and they get old really quick and move into a new age of fans."
Auditions for boys ages 10 to 16 are planned for this summer in the United States and Latin America. Plans are for finalists to be nationally televised and judged by a celebrity panel with worldwide viewer voting.
Five band members and two alternates will be selected.
Menudo was formed in 1977. The boys were booted when they turned 16, and the group had about 30 different members, including Ricky Martin.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...9&e=13&u=/ap/20040429/ap_en_mu/music_menudo_1
NEW YORK - Menudo, the popular Puerto Rican teen pop band of the '70s and '80s, is being revived.
Menudo Entertainment bought all the merchandising and property rights about a month ago from Latin record executive Oscar Lloyd, and is working with talent agencies and radio stations in its search for band members, company spokeswoman Cathy Callegari said Wednesday.
"Our aim is to target the `tween market," Callegari told The Associated Press. "We feel there's a void there. What happens is, artists start young like Britney Spears (news) and they get old really quick and move into a new age of fans."
Auditions for boys ages 10 to 16 are planned for this summer in the United States and Latin America. Plans are for finalists to be nationally televised and judged by a celebrity panel with worldwide viewer voting.
Five band members and two alternates will be selected.
Menudo was formed in 1977. The boys were booted when they turned 16, and the group had about 30 different members, including Ricky Martin.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...9&e=13&u=/ap/20040429/ap_en_mu/music_menudo_1