‘There was a price to pay for that magic’: Menudo's successful, turbulent and tragic story

In addition to music, Menudo also ventured into other fields such as film, with the movies, 'Menudo: la película', produced in 1981, and 'Una aventura llamada Menudo', filmed a year later in the band members’ native Puerto Rico. On television, the boy band participated in a show called 'La gente joven de Menudo'. Later came the soap operas. They made two in Venezuela for Radio Caracas Television: 'Quiero ser', in 1981, and 'Por Amor', in 1982, taking advantage of the launching of their homonymous album. In addition to the songbooks, in several Latin American countries the photo novel 'Menudo' was published, a publication that showed the quintet in embarrassing and at the same time funny situations.

The Puerto Rican band was formed in 1977, with the initiative of producer and manager Edgardo Díaz. The group was made up of teenagers, who upon reaching the age of 16 were immediately replaced by younger ones. A strategy that made the group more profitable and not perishable. The most recognized singer who was part of the phenomenon is Ricky Martin, who achieved great international success after his seven-year stint with the boyband. Throughout its history, Menudo had a total of 30 members.

The name of the quintet came basically by chance, after an amusing incident during a second rehearsal, when Díaz's sister entered the house where they were staying and, disconcerted to find five young people dancing and singing in the garage, exclaimed aloud "How much ‘menudo’ is here!", which could mean something like ‘how many little/younger persons here’, as ‘menudo’ means little in Spanish. They liked the phrase and so the group was called Menudo.

In addition to their catchy tunes that everyone loved, another reason for the group's rapid rise to fame was that it came at a time when the Latino community had little or no representation on U.S. television. By breaking stereotypes and singing in Spanish, Menudo generated a sense of pride and belonging, especially among Puerto Ricans in New York.

Menudo's popularity was such that the group sold out Madison Square Garden on multiple occasions and sold 20 million records worldwide. However, not all that glittered was gold; at least that is what the documentary 'Menudo: Forever Young' has shown.

Menudo's unprecedented success also led to the development of a strong image marketing strategy around the group: in addition to the albums, it was common to find posters, stickers, key chains, songbook magazines, T-shirts, water tattoos, photos to be printed on T-shirts, among other objects. In Colombia, a local company manufactured, under license, clothing based on the outfits worn by the quintet in their presentations.

Due to the band's success in the 1980s, Menudo was the first youth group to have its own private jet. But it wasn't just any plane. Producer and manager Edgardo Díaz acquired a Lockheed Jetstar aircraft that had belonged to U.S. President Richard Nixon and the Shah of Iran and placed the band's name on both sides of the fuselage.

The sympathy, talent and vocal capacity of its members made the group very popular in all of the Hispanic speaking countries, from Mexico to Argentina including Brazil, being the latter a region not very familiar with Spanish pop music at that time. Menudo even recorded songs in Portuguese, English, Italian and Tagalog, tried their luck in Europe and even conquered Japan.

Behind the glitz, success and glamour behind the phenomenon, some former band members recently claimed they were exploitation victims during their time in Menudo. The HBO documentary includes interviews with Johnny Lozada, Ash Ruiz, Angelo García, Andy Blázquez and Ralphy Rodríguez, among others, who how talk about how their extravagant and glamorous façade did actually hide physical and psychological issues, affecting the integrity of the members.

'Menudo: Forever Young' is directed by Puerto Rican producer and screenwriter Ángel Manuel Soto, as well as by NYC based journalist Kristofer Ríos. The controversial four-episode production features statements from personalities such as Ralphy Rodríguez, who has said: "There were many good things that came out of Menudo, but there was a price to pay for that magic.” Ash Ruiz also stated: "I remember being in Brazil and finding myself in a room with some older men, asking me if I already liked sex.” 'Menudo: Forever Young' premiered in mid-June at the Tribeca Film Festival and is now available on HBO Max.