SERIES "DO YOU REMEMBER?" · MEMORY
What happened to Menudo? The band that made idols
If you grew up in the 80s or 90s, you remember: girls crying at the hotel door, posters on the bedroom wall, and "Súbete a mi moto" stuck in your head for weeks. That was Menudomania.
Wondering what happened to Menudo? Here's the answer first: it was the Puerto Rican boy band that invented the Latin teen-band model. It started in 1977, more than 40 boys passed through it, Ricky Martin and Draco Rosa came out of it, and it sold an estimated 20 million albums. And this isn't ancient history: on Saturday, October 10, 2026, the band's first official reunion tour kicked off at YouTube Theater in Inglewood — the Menudo 50th Anniversary Tour. The full story, with verified facts, is below.
How it started: one producer, two sets of brothers, and one brutal rule
In 1977, producer Edgardo Díaz put together an experiment in Puerto Rico that ran like a factory: a band of kids that would never grow up, because when a member turned 16, he was out and a new one came in. The original lineup was two sets of brothers: Fernando and Nefty Sallaberry, plus Carlos, Óscar and Ricky Meléndez. They signed with Padosa and released their first album, Los Fantasmas, that same year.
The age-16 rule sounded cold, but it was the business: there would always be new kids to scream for. In the early 80s came the songs everyone knows: "Sube a mi motora" (1981), "Ella A-A", "Fuego", "Quiero Ser", "Claridad", plus Spanish-language covers of ABBA. Two feature films: Una aventura llamada Menudo and Menudo: La Película.
The phenomenon even had its own medically named disease: Menuditis. The term entered the dictionary to describe fans who needed medical attention after a concert, from pure excitement. The press compared it to Beatlemania. And one fact to drop at your next cookout: they were the world's first boy band with their own private jet, a Cessna that had previously belonged to Richard Nixon and the Shah of Iran, with the Menudo name painted on its sides.
The golden era and the ones who became famous
Between 1979 and the late 80s, the lineup everyone remembers passed through the band: René Farrait, Johnny Lozada, Xavier Serbiá, Miguel Cancel, Ray Reyes (1983–85) and, above all, two boys the band shot to the top: Ricky Martin, who joined in 1984 at age 12 and left in 1989, and Robi Rosa, better known as Draco Rosa, a member from 1984 to 1987.
Ricky needs no introduction: he left Menudo straight into a career that made him a global star. Draco became a singer-songwriter and producer with a top-tier career of his own. Several golden-era members still perform on stage today, as you'll see.
The 90s fall and the endings that weren't endings
In the 90s the popularity faded: in 1997 the rights and the Menudo name were sold, and those who remained continued as MDO until 2002. In 2007 a new lineup was formed and lasted until 2009. But nostalgia never let go of the band: in 1998 the golden era reunited as El Reencuentro, and in 2019 Ricky Meléndez, René Farrait, Johnny Lozada, Miguel Cancel and Ray Reyes came back for the "Súbete a Mi Moto Tour," which toured the United States and Latin America.
The band also lost two of its own: Anthony Galindo in October 2020, and Ray Reyes on April 30, 2021, at age 51, of a heart attack.
The new attempt: the 2023 Menudo
In 2022 the reboot was announced: "Menudo: A New Beginning," with auditions led by actor Mario Lopez and businessman Paul Tarnopol, the current owner of the brand. On March 20, 2023, the five chosen boys debuted on Good Morning America: Alejandro Querales, Ezra Gilmore, Gabriel Rossell, Andrés Emilio Pirela and Nicolas Calero, all between 12 and 16 years old. They released their first single, "Mi Amore," and in 2024 competed in Season 19 of America's Got Talent. After that, Ezra Gilmore and Nicolas Calero left and Janvier Flores and Zaulo Enchautegui joined.
And now: the 50th anniversary tour, the first official reunion
This is what makes 2026 special. Though there had been reunions before, this is the first official reunion tour under the Menudo brand: seven former members from different eras together on stage. Tarnopol himself chose the lineup: René Farrait (1979–82), Roy Rosselló (1983–86), Raymond Acevedo (1985–88), Sergio "Blass" González (1986–90), Ralphy Rodríguez (1987), Rubén Gómez (1987–90) and Robert Avellanet (1988–91).
The dates, per the Live Nation announcement:
October 10 — YouTube Theater, Inglewood (Los Angeles)
October 23 — Rosemont Theatre, Chicago
November 7 — United Palace, New York
November 28 — Teatro Metropólitan, Mexico City
December 4 — Hard Rock Live, Hollywood (Florida)
December 12 — Coca-Cola Music Hall, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Tickets are on sale at LiveNation.com. In an interview with the AP, the band wouldn't spoil the setlist, but dropped one hint honoring the 1981 single: "There's going to be motorcycles in the production, for sure." And Robert Avellanet summed it up: "It's going to be hits."
If nostalgia hit you, turn it into a plan
Menudo taught us that memories are sung in a crowd, with family together and at the top of your lungs. If you want something like that in person —live music, free festivals, people singing together—, check the Honda Center concerts guide or the Latino Carnaval 2026, free concert. Nostalgia is better in good company.
SOURCES CHECKED ON OCTOBER 7, 2026Menudo history: 1977 formation, members, albums and tours (English Wikipedia) →
Menudo biography: 20 million albums, golden era (Last.fm) →
50th anniversary tour: dates, venues and lineup (Pollstar, Jun 2026) →
AP interview with the reunited seven: motorcycles in the show (AP, Sep 2026) →
Ray Reyes died April 30, 2021 at age 51 (Entertainment Tonight) →
2023 new generation: the five chosen boys and "Mi Amore" single (Music Times) →
Menudo on America's Got Talent 2024 (NBC) →
50th anniversary tour in Spanish: dates and ticket sales (En Todo Music) →
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