Abel Talamántez Mendoza (born October 16, 1979 in
Pecos, Texas
Pecos ( ) is the largest city in and the county seat of Reeves County, Texas, Reeves County, Texas, United States. It is in the valley on the west bank of the Pecos River at the eastern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert, in the Trans-Pecos region of W ...
), is an American singer,
songwriter
A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...
and
record producer
A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
. He is currently a vocalist for the bands Cruz Martínez Y
Los Super Reyes
Los Super Reyes are an American musical group from Corpus Christi, Texas who play Mexican cumbia. The group was created by Cruz Martínez after he and A.B. Quintanilla had arguments over Martínez selling the group they were both in at the time, ...
and
Los EnVivo Kings. He is also a former member of the bands
Menudo,
MDO, and A.B. Quintanilla Y Los
Kumbia Kings
The Kumbia Kings were a Mexican-American cumbia group from Corpus Christi, Texas, created by A.B. Quintanilla. Their music encompasses the styles of cumbia (hence their name), hip hop, and R&B. They produce songs in both Spanish and English. ...
. Talamántez was the second member of Mexican origin in Menudo.
Biography
Abel Talamántez Mendoza was born in
Pecos, Texas
Pecos ( ) is the largest city in and the county seat of Reeves County, Texas, Reeves County, Texas, United States. It is in the valley on the west bank of the Pecos River at the eastern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert, in the Trans-Pecos region of W ...
, to Mexican parents. Talamántez grew up playing
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
with his elder brother (who would join
La Sombra
La Sombra de Chicago or La Sombra de Tony Guerrero or even the Windy City Boys is a Tejano band founded by Tony Guerrero. Originally from the Chicago suburb of Aurora, Illinois, the group gained national acclaim and success after moving to Corp ...
, with
Cruz Martínez
Cruz Martínez (born June 21, 1972) is an American record producer and musician. He is a former member of the Tejano band La Sombra. In 1999, he joined the cumbia music group Los Kumbia Kings, created by A.B. Quintanilla. In 2007, he created ...
, owner and founder of international groups
Kumbia Kings
The Kumbia Kings were a Mexican-American cumbia group from Corpus Christi, Texas, created by A.B. Quintanilla. Their music encompasses the styles of cumbia (hence their name), hip hop, and R&B. They produce songs in both Spanish and English. ...
and
Los Super Reyes
Los Super Reyes are an American musical group from Corpus Christi, Texas who play Mexican cumbia. The group was created by Cruz Martínez after he and A.B. Quintanilla had arguments over Martínez selling the group they were both in at the time, ...
) and three sisters (who would form
Esmi Talamántez Y Viento Loco). He became a member of the famous
Puerto Rican music group,
Menudo, in 1992, after several group members had left the group in the middle of a scandal that had threatened to break up the band.
Edgardo Díaz
Edgardo Díaz (born 1947) is a Puerto Rican music producer. He is the creator of the "boy band" Menudo.
Early life
Díaz was born in Panama City, Panama to Puerto Rican parents "Nacho" Diaz and his wife "Panchi", Díaz grew up in Miami, F ...
held auditions and Talamántez, among others, were chosen as the new members of Menudo. In Menudo, Abel got to share the stage with the only member of the group who stayed through the scandal,
Mexican
Mexican may refer to:
Mexico and its culture
*Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America
** People
*** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants
*** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
singer
Adrián Olivares, who was the first non-Puerto Rican member of Menudo. For a short period, Talamántez moved to
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
with the rest of the band.
Although the often called ''golden age'' of Menudo (1980 - 1985) had already passed, the group still had vast fame across
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
and among
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
communities in the United States. It was due to this that Abel became a teen idol among Hispanic girls during his first few years with Menudo.
In 1996, now with
Didier Hernández among Menudo's members, the group changed its name to
MDO. Talamántez kept being a member of the group, which, by then, approached a more mature audience, allowing its members to stay in the group past the age of 16. Along with the other members, Abel moved to
Miami, Florida
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
.
During the 2000s, MDO kept on touring across Latin America and, particularly, in the Southwestern states of the United States.
In 2003, Abel officially ended his relationship with the organization when MDO stopped performing and Díaz started a teen-based group in 2005 named
Tick Tock.
Soon after, he was contacted by
A.B. Quintanilla
Abraham Quintanilla III (born December 13, 1963), known professionally as A.B. Quintanilla III or A.B. Quintanilla, is an American record producer, songwriter and musician, and the older brother of singer Selena, known as " The Queen of Tejano ...
, brother of slain
Tejano music
Tejano music ( es, música tejana), also known as Tex-Mex music, is a popular music style fusing Mexican and US influences. Typically, Tejano combines Mexican Spanish vocal styles with dance rhythms from Czech and German genres – particular ...
star
Selena
Selena Quintanilla Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995), known mononymously as Selena, was an American Tejano singer. Called the " Queen of Tejano music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mex ...
and founding leader of Los
Kumbia Kings
The Kumbia Kings were a Mexican-American cumbia group from Corpus Christi, Texas, created by A.B. Quintanilla. Their music encompasses the styles of cumbia (hence their name), hip hop, and R&B. They produce songs in both Spanish and English. ...
. Talamántez quickly accepted Quintanilla's offer to become a member of the famed band. One of the major hits the band has had since Abel became a member was a remake of a 1984 Menudo hit, "
Sabes a Chocolate" ("You Taste Like Chocolate").
In 2005, Talamántez was touring with Los
Kumbia Kings
The Kumbia Kings were a Mexican-American cumbia group from Corpus Christi, Texas, created by A.B. Quintanilla. Their music encompasses the styles of cumbia (hence their name), hip hop, and R&B. They produce songs in both Spanish and English. ...
. Now he's in a group called
Los Super Reyes
Los Super Reyes are an American musical group from Corpus Christi, Texas who play Mexican cumbia. The group was created by Cruz Martínez after he and A.B. Quintanilla had arguments over Martínez selling the group they were both in at the time, ...
. The entire album ''
El Regreso de los Reyes'' was produced, arranged and mixed by
Cruz Martínez
Cruz Martínez (born June 21, 1972) is an American record producer and musician. He is a former member of the Tejano band La Sombra. In 1999, he joined the cumbia music group Los Kumbia Kings, created by A.B. Quintanilla. In 2007, he created ...
, which due to the huge success has received platinum and gold records for its sales in the United States and Mexico. Rumor had it that Los Super Reyes were themselves working in Martínez's studio on another very anticipated album which was scheduled for an early 2009 release.
In late 2011 and early 2012, Abel reunited with his former MDO bandmates
Alexis Grullon,
Anthony Galindo
Edgar Antonio Galindo Ibarra (14 December 1978 – 3 October 2020), also known as Anthony Galindo and popularly known as El PapiJoe, was a Venezuelan singer, model, and entertainer.
Career
Since 1995, Galindo was part of the last stage of Lati ...
,
Didier Hernandez, and embarked on an MDO reunion tour, visiting countries like Peru, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Panama, etc.
Abel currently resides in Mexico City, has his own record label "Abel'z Label" and works as a producer; having produced
Marile Andrade album and is currently working on her second album. He recently launched his new project
Chicodelicos, working with the nephew of the late Mexican Comedian-singer, Chico Che. They are rendering Che's tribute to the new generation by bringing in new sound fuses.
In December 2018, the
MDO band, including Talamántez released a single titled .
Discography
Albums With La Sombra de Chicago
*1988: "Strikes Again"
*1988: "
Chicago's Wild Side"
*1989: "One of a Kind"
*1989: "
The Chi-Town Boys R Back"
*1990: "
Good Boys Wear White"
*1991: "
Porque Te Quiero"
*1992: "Intocable"
Albums With Menudo
*1991: Detrás de tu mirada
*1992: ''
Dancin', Movin', Shakin'''
*1992: ''
15 Años''
*1993: ''
Vem Pra Mim''
*1993: ''
Cosmopolitan Girl''
*1994: ''
Imagínate...''
*1994: ''If You're Not Here''
*1996: ''
Tiempo De Amar
Menudo is a Puerto Rican boy band that was formed in Puerto Rico by producer Edgardo Díaz. Referred to as the "Most Iconic Latino Pop Music Band", Menudo has been ranked as one of the Biggest Boy Bands of All Time by several publications, inclu ...
''
Albums With MDO
*1997: ''
MDO''
*1999: ''
Un Poco Más''
*2000: ''
Subir Al Cielo''
*2001: ''Little Piece of Heaven''
*2002: ''Greatest Hits''
Albums With Los Kumbia Kings
*2004: ''
Los Remixes 2.0''
*2004: ''
Fuego''
*2005: ''
Duetos''
*2006: ''
Kumbia Kings Live
''Kumbia Kings Live'' is a live album and tenth album by Mexican-American cumbia group A.B. Quintanilla y Los Kumbia Kings and the first live album by Mexican-American musician A.B. Quintanilla. It was released on April 4, 2006, by EMI Latin. The ...
''
Albums With Los Super Reyes
*2007: ''
El Regreso de los Reyes''
*2009: ''
Cumbia con Soul
''Cumbia con Soul'' (English: ''Cumbia with Soul'') is the second studio album by Mexican-American cumbia group Cruz Martínez y Los Super Reyes. It was released on June 30, 2009 by Warner Music Latina
Warner Music Latina (formerly WEA Latina) ...
''
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Talamantez, Abel
1978 births
21st-century American singers
American male singers
American musicians of Mexican descent
Kumbia Kings members
Living people
Los Super Reyes members
Menudo (band) members
People from Pecos, Texas
Singers from Texas