La Pandilla was a teen music group of the 1970s, founded in 1970 by
Pepa Aguirre. The group had members of both sexes, unlike most pop groups at the time.
Aguirre's son, daughter, and niece formed the band; later, 2 boys were added. Their first album, ''Villancicos'', was released in late 1970.
''La Pandilla'' had initially a big impact in their home country of
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. After a personnel change as some of the original members grew up, they experienced some backlash in the country for their song ''"El Alacrán"'' ("The Scorpion"), an innocent pop tune that made a coincidental reference to a clandestine group that was one of
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War ...
's staunchest opponents. Franco's censors objected to the group, so they started touring
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 ...
more frequently.
Their appeal to youth in some Latin American countries bordered in
collective hysteria
Mass psychogenic illness (MPI), also called mass sociogenic illness, mass psychogenic disorder, epidemic hysteria, or mass hysteria, involves the spread of illness symptoms through a population where there is no infectious agent responsible for c ...
, a reaction that evoked that of
Beatlemania
Beatlemania was the fanaticism surrounding the English rock band the Beatles in the 1960s. The group's popularity grew in the United Kingdom throughout 1963, propelled by the singles "Please Please Me", "From Me to You" and "She Loves You". By ...
in the mid-1960s. During the 1970s, it was common to see ''La Pandilla''-related items such as notebooks, posters, magazines, notebook covers, rulers, and dolls at department stores all over the
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
-speaking countries. There were also two movies which were primarily centered around the band, named "Operacion Alacran" and "
La Pandilla en Apuros
La Pandilla en Apuros ("La Pandilla is in Trouble") is a 1976 musical teen-comedy film featuring the well known teenage musical group from Spain, La Pandilla.
The film, which was produced by Alfred D. Herger, was recorded at the Condado Beach ...
" (La Pandilla is in Trouble"). La Pandilla's film debut took place in 1971's "Un Mundo Nuevo" ("A New World") but in the 1971 film, the band played secondary roles.
''La Pandilla'' was chiefly instrumental in the later success and development of one of history's most legendary boy bands:
Menudo. In 1973, the future founder of Menudo,
Edgardo Diaz, who was a medical student in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
and lived next door to the Aguirreses, joined the band's entourage as a sound expert. Diaz turned out to be the bridge between ''La Pandilla'' and
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 ...
, the country where La Pandilla's success was longest-lived. Thanks in part to him,
Alfred D. Herger—who became known as ''the biggest pandillero'' in Puerto Rico—and
Felix Santiesteban, the group became a teen favorite in the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
island. Diaz became manager in 1974. In 1975, the band was received by a huge crowd of
Puerto Rican fans at the
Iberia Airlines
Iberia (), legally incorporated as ''Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España, S.A. Operadora, Sociedad Unipersonal'', is the flag carrier airline of Spain. Founded in 1927 and based in Madrid, it operates an international network of services from i ...
terminal at
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport ( es, link=no, Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín) is a joint civil-military international airport located in suburban Carolina, Puerto Rico, southeast of San Juan. It is named for Luis Muño ...
at
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to:
Places Argentina
* San Juan Province, Argentina
* San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province
* San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province
* San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...
. Similar receptions took place in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Panama, Venezuela and other countries.
The definitive lineup of close-knit group La Pandilla literally grew up together, along with their fans. This eventually became a liability, as the youngest members' voices matured which made their original sound difficult to produce. Another liability, at least in Diaz's view, was that of having a female singer, Mari Blanca, for whom separate lodging, security, and chaperone arrangements were always necessary. This prompted Díaz to leave the management of the group and set up yet another, this time in his native Puerto Rico, in which only young males under age 15 would be used, to be replaced as they aged. After Diaz left and formed Menudo, La Pandilla's popularity slowly declined.
Discography
*1970 Villancicos
riginal Members: Santi and Nieves Martinez, Blanca Ruiz, and Carlos and Javier Martinez*1970 Capitan de Madera (Single)
riginal Members*1970 La Pandilla va al Teatro
riginal Members*1970 A-Chi-Li-Pu
riginal Members*1971 ¡Oh Mamá!
riginal Members*1972 Amarillo
riginal Members*1972 Cantemos con....La Pandilla en Navidad
riginal Members*1973 Nuestra Pandilla (Single)
riginal Members*1973 Chiripitiflautico (Single)
riginal Members*1973 Walt Disney (Single)
riginal Members*1974 El Alacran
ew Members: Ruben and Javi Lopez, and Gaby Jimenez*1975 Tomame o Dejame
ame as above*1976 Bakala Nanu Meme
ame as above*1976 Puerto Rico
ame as above*1977 Gaby, Ruben, Javi, Blanca, Javier
ame as above
Band members
*
Santi Martinez (1970-1974), son of Pepa Aguirre, now married to famous singer
Maria Caneda, executive for
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
music in Spain. Became a member of Tradición after leaving La Pandilla. Tradición included all Aguirre brothers and sisters, including Nieves. Became a member of La Pequeña Compañía in the early 1980s, representing Spain in the 1982 OTI Festival with them.
*
Nieves Martinez (1970-1974), daughter of
Pepa Aguirre, married with an
Iberia Airlines executive. Was a member of Tradición with her brother Santiago.
*
Mari Blanca Ruiz Martinez (1970-1977), niece of Pepa Aguirre, now a veterinarian.
*
Juan Carlos Martinez (1970-1974), no relation to Santi and Nieves, lived in
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 ...
many years, has since returned to Spain and works at a professional marketing firm.
*
Francisco Javier Martinez (1970-1977), brother of Juan Carlos, now works in finance and investments
*Francisco Javier López, Javi (1974-1977), twin brother of Rubén López, now a surgeon
*
Ruben Lopez (1974-1977), never married, now a surgeon like his twin brother
*
Gabriel Jiménez González (1974-1977), Gaby, now an actor, and voice dubbing talent in his native country.
Television Series
Puerto Rican actor and singer
Juan Carlos Morales, who himself was once accepted by Menudo but who had to pull out of the group because his mother did not allow him to join it, announced in 2016, that he and Spaniard producing company ''El Trampolin'' are developing a television series largely based on both La Pandilla and Menudo's hits, about a male homosexual couple who adopt four boys and one girl and form a tribute band named ''#La Pandilla''. The series, a sitcom named
#La Pandilla, was tentatively set to debut on Spanish television during 2017.
[http://elvocero.com/desarrolla-serie-con-canciones-de-la-pandilla-y-menudo/]
References
*http://www.lapandillafanclub.com/cantaconlapandilla13.htm (La Pandilla Discography - page is in Spanish)
*http://www.discogs.com/artist/La+Pandilla Partial singles discography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pandilla, La
Spanish musical groups
Menudo (band)
1970 establishments in Puerto Rico