Carlos Javier Rivera Masso (born June 13, 1969 in

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jur ...

), better known as Charlie Masso, is a Puerto Rican singer and actor. Masso is a former member of Menudo, joining the band at the height of Menudo's worldwide fame. He replaced Rene Farrait and quickly became a fan favorite with his participation on the albums of ''Por Amor'' and ''

Una Aventura Llamada Menudo ''Una aventura llamada Menudo'' is a 1982 film featuring teen boy band Menudo and Puerto Rican actress Gladys Rodríguez. The film's soundtrack received a nomination for a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album. Synopsis In ''Una aventura llama ...

'', which was the soundtrack of Menudo's second movie. Charlie recorded 14 albums with Menudo, two were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album in 1984 and 85.

Career

Masso began his life as a Menudo the very moment that one of Menudo's members of the group's "golden era," Farrait, left the group. However, Masso's presence helped extend the golden era an additional three years, and when he left the group in 1987, he was the last member of the group's golden years to leave. Masso was a member of Menudo during their most commercially successful period in the States, which included the group's highest-charting U.S. single, "Hold Me" (#62 on the Billboard Hot 100.) Masso's bandmates included

Xavier Serbia Xavier or Xabier may refer to: Place * Xavier, Spain People * Xavier (surname) * Xavier (given name) * Francis Xavier (1506–1552), Catholic saint ** St. Francis Xavier (disambiguation) * St. Xavier (disambiguation) * Xavier (footballer, born ...

Johnny Lozada Johnny Lozada Correa (born December 21, 1967 in Caguas, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican singer, actor, host, and television personality. Lozada was a member of Puerto Rican boy band Menudo during its golden years, joining the group in 1980 and ...

Ricky Melendez Ricky may refer to: Places *Říčky (Brno-Country District), a village and municipality in the Czech Republic *Říčky v Orlických horách, a village in the north of the Czech Republic *Rickmansworth, a town in England sometimes called "Ricky" ...

Miguel Cancel Miguel Ángel Cancel Vázquez (born June 28, 1968) is an American singer, actor and retired police officer of Puerto Rican descent who began his career with the Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico-based boy band Menudo (band), Menudo. Career Menudo Born i ...

Ray Reyes Ray Reyes León (March 13, 1970 – April 30, 2021) was a Puerto Rican singer who was a member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo. Career He was born in New York City and was raised in Levittown, a neighborhood in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. He ...

Roy Rosselló Roy Stephan Roselló Diaz (born May 1, 1970) is a Puerto Rican pop and gospel singer, businessman, and former member of the popular Puerto Rican group Menudo. Roy currently lives in Brazil, where he focused his musical career and built a fami ...

Robby Rosa Draco Cornelius Rosa Suárez (; born Robert Edward Rosa Suárez, June 27, 1969), also known as Draco Rosa, Robi Draco Rosa or simply Robi or Draco, is a Puerto Rican singer, musician, songwriter and entrepreneur. Rosa originally garnered fame ...

and

Ricky Martin Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography spanning ...

, among others. He returned to Menudo to complete a tour in Brazil, their 1987 Summer in the Streets tour, after Robby Rosa quit the group, to introduce new member Ruben Gomez and for their last tour in the Philippines when Ralphy Rodriguez was pulled out of the group by his parents late that year. In 1985 Menudo visited Manila, Philippines twice for their concert at the Folk Arts Theater, with several guest appearances on Eat Bulaga, Vilma in Person & GMA Supershow. Menudo's popularity in Philippines was helped with their fluency in many languages. This was expressed in Spanish, English and Filipino songs. In 1986, Charlie sang " Di Na Natuto", a Tagalog song to serenade a young Filipina. Charlie's duet with

Lea Salonga Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga (; born February 22, 1971), known professionally as Lea Salonga, is a Filipino singer, actress, and columnist. Nicknamed "Pride of the Philippines," she is best known for her roles in musical theatre, for supplyin ...

, "I Still Believe" was a big hit in 1988-89. After he left the band, Masso moved to

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

for many years, where he showcased his acting in soap operas. He became married and had a family. In 1998 he was recruited by bandmate Ray Reyes while singing with a merengue orquesta,

Grupo KAOS Grupo KAOS was a Puerto Rican merengue music band of the 1990s. The band enjoyed some success in Puerto Rico, Central and South America and the Dominican Republic. Members KAOS' line-up always consisted of four members, but the band went through ...

, and joined Melendez, Farrait, Lozada, Reyes and Cancel in touring many of the places where they had acquired millions of fans as Menudos, with

El Reencuentro El Reencuentro was the name that six ex-members of musical group Menudo used for their comeback project remembering Menudo's golden era. Ricky Melendez, Rene Farrait, Miguel Cancel, Johnny Lozada, Ray Reyes, and Charlie Masso re-joined to c ...

. In 2001 he appeared in '' 12 Horas'', a Puerto Rican movie written and directed by Raúl Marchand Sánchez. Masso quit El Reencuentro during 2015 and joined Farrait, Cancel and Reyes in another Menudo-reunion band they named "Menudomania Forever".

Songs

1982

*"La Chispa De La Vida" *"Coqui"

1983

*"Indianapolis" (in Spanish) *"Piel De Manzana" *"Todo Va Bien" *"No Te Reprimas"

1984

*"Heavenly Angel" (English version of "Piel de Manzana") *"Nao Se Reprima" (Portuguese version of "No Te Reprimas") *"Tudo Vai Bem" (Portuguese version of "Todo Va Bien") *"Indianapolis" (in Portuguese) *"Yo Sere Tu Bailarin" *"Amor Primero" *"Agua De Limon"

1985

*"Come Home" (duet with

Robi Rosa Draco Cornelius Rosa Suárez (; born Robert Edward Rosa Suárez, June 27, 1969), also known as Draco Rosa, Robi Draco Rosa or simply Robi or Draco, is a Puerto Rican singer, musician, songwriter and entrepreneur. Rosa originally garnered fame ...

), *"When I Dance With You" (English version of "Yo Sere Tu Bailarin") *"Acercate" *"Viva! Bravo!" (in Spanish) *"Viva! Bravo!" (in Portuguese) *"Vem Por Favor" (Portuguese version of "Acercate")

1986

*"Viva! Bravo!" (in Italian) *"Il Primo Amore" (Italian version of "Amor Primero") *"Vivi La Vita" (Italian version of "No Te Reprimas") *"Vicino A Te" (Italian version of "Acercate") *"Salta La Valla" *"A Cara O Cruz" (duet with Robi Rosa) *"Jumpin' Over" (English version of "Salta La Valla") *"Cara ou Coroa" (Portuguese version of "A Cara O Cruz") *"Alegria" (Portuguese version only 1988-89 with

"I Still Believe"

El Reencuentro 1998

*El Recuentro (live concert album with ex-Menudo members)

Solo career

*1988 Charlie Masso *1989 Sin Ti *1994 Inevitable

Personal

Masso has two sons, Charlie Jr. and Angel.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Masso, Charlie 1969 births Living people People from San Juan, Puerto Rico Menudo (band) members Puerto Rican expatriates in Mexico 20th-century Puerto Rican male singers