Angelo Garcia
Encyclopedia
Angelo Garcia was a member of Puerto Rican
boy band Menudo
from 1988 to 1990. A native New Yorker, he barely spoke Spanish
when he auditioned for a spot in the band after seeing a television commercial in Puerto Rico
during a family vacation.
After two years with Menudo, Garcia parted with the band and signed on with World Wide Entertainment as a solo artist he recorded several songs including "Magic", "Yours So Completely", and a remake of singer Tiffany
's hit song "Could've Been
" but it was his single "Don't Keep Me Holding On" (written and produced by Lewis Martineé
of Exposé
fame) that became a success. In 1992, World Wide Entertainment sold Garcia's recording contract to Warner Bros. Records
for an undisclosed amount.
After parting with his former label, he released one semi-successful Spanish album for Warner simply titled Angelo. After completing his secondary education and some music projects, he put his recording career on hold after he moved to Orlando
, Florida
, where he earned a communications degree from the University of Central Florida
. After completing his studies, he helped in the launch of a women's gym franchise in Miami called Elements, before returning to New York City
to restart his musical career.
Since 2004, Garcia has written a number of original songs in both Spanish and English
. During 2005 he participated in a reunion tour of former Menudo members Sergio Blass, Rawy Torres
, and Robert Avellanet
, performing under the name "Los Ultimos Heroes
." In order to preserve his artistic independence and avoid a clichéd reworking of the Menudo sound, Garcia instead decided to record a solo album, using music he had personally written or collaborated on.
In 2006, Garcia released a Spanish-language pop album titled, for which he wrote or co-wrote every song. One of the singles from Cool, a ballad entitled "Entregare" (also known as "Si Es Asi"), which Garcia co-wrote with songwriter Roy Tavare, was featured in the 2006 motion picture Yellow starring Roselyn Sanchez
.
In 2010, Garcia began recording material for an English-language album, which is expected to be released in early 2011.
In May 2010, Garcia posed for a series of nude photographs for Paragon Men, a gay erotica website. In the interview which accompanied his photo shoot, Garcia openly discussed his homosexuality
and his years of sexual self-exploration after leaving Menudo, even working briefly as a stripper
and erotic dancer and performing at the now defunct Gaiety Theatre
in New York City. He also refused to "out
" his former bandmate Ricky Martin
, who publicly disclosed his homosexuality a few weeks after Garcia's interview.
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
boy band Menudo
Menudo (band)
Menudo was a Puerto Rican boy band that was formed in the 1970s by producer Edgardo Díaz, releasing their first album in 1977. The band achieved much success, especially during the 1980s, becoming the most popular Latin American teen musical group of the era....
from 1988 to 1990. A native New Yorker, he barely spoke Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
when he auditioned for a spot in the band after seeing a television commercial in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
during a family vacation.
After two years with Menudo, Garcia parted with the band and signed on with World Wide Entertainment as a solo artist he recorded several songs including "Magic", "Yours So Completely", and a remake of singer Tiffany
Tiffany (singer)
Tiffany Renee Darwish , known popularly as Tiffany, is an American singer and former teen icon. She is most notable for her 1987 cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now", originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Released as the second single from her eponymous album, Tiffany,...
's hit song "Could've Been
Could've Been
"Could've Been" is the third single released from Tiffany, the debut album of American teen-pop singer Tiffany.-Song information:The song was discovered by Music Industry Insiders Don McGovern and Brad Schmidt when they stumbled into a Hungry Tiger Restaurant in Thousand Oaks, California and heard...
" but it was his single "Don't Keep Me Holding On" (written and produced by Lewis Martineé
Lewis Martineé
Lewis Antonio Martineé is a freestyle music producer and former DJ based in Miami, Florida. In addition to founding the girl group Exposé in 1984, he also wrote and produced all of the songs on its first two albums, Exposure and What You Don't Know . He also contributed to the group's third...
of Exposé
Exposé (band)
Exposé is an American vocal group. Primarily consisting of lead vocalists Ann Curless, Jeanette Jurado, and Gioia Bruno, the group achieved much of their success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, becoming the first group to have four top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart from their debut...
fame) that became a success. In 1992, World Wide Entertainment sold Garcia's recording contract to Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
for an undisclosed amount.
After parting with his former label, he released one semi-successful Spanish album for Warner simply titled Angelo. After completing his secondary education and some music projects, he put his recording career on hold after he moved to Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, where he earned a communications degree from the University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
. After completing his studies, he helped in the launch of a women's gym franchise in Miami called Elements, before returning to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to restart his musical career.
Since 2004, Garcia has written a number of original songs in both Spanish and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. During 2005 he participated in a reunion tour of former Menudo members Sergio Blass, Rawy Torres
Rawy Torres
Wilson "Rawy" Torres is a Puerto Rican singer, composer, and guitarist, who was a member of the well known boy band, Menudo.-Biography:...
, and Robert Avellanet
Robert Avellanet
Robert Avellanet , also known as Roberto Avellanet, is a singer who was a member of Menudo.-Biography:Robert Avellanet is the nephew of well known pop and ballad singer Chucho Avellanet...
, performing under the name "Los Ultimos Heroes
Los Ultimos Heroes
Los Ultimos Heroes is Menudo's 26th album .It features Sergio Gonzalez, Ruben Gomez, Angelo Garcia, Robert Avellanet, and new member Rawy Torres replacing Ricky Martin...
." In order to preserve his artistic independence and avoid a clichéd reworking of the Menudo sound, Garcia instead decided to record a solo album, using music he had personally written or collaborated on.
In 2006, Garcia released a Spanish-language pop album titled, for which he wrote or co-wrote every song. One of the singles from Cool, a ballad entitled "Entregare" (also known as "Si Es Asi"), which Garcia co-wrote with songwriter Roy Tavare, was featured in the 2006 motion picture Yellow starring Roselyn Sanchez
Roselyn Sanchez
Roselyn Sánchez is a Puerto Rican singer-songwriter, model, actress, producer and writer of film and television.-Early life:...
.
In 2010, Garcia began recording material for an English-language album, which is expected to be released in early 2011.
In May 2010, Garcia posed for a series of nude photographs for Paragon Men, a gay erotica website. In the interview which accompanied his photo shoot, Garcia openly discussed his homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
and his years of sexual self-exploration after leaving Menudo, even working briefly as a stripper
Stripper
A stripper is a professional erotic dancer who performs a contemporary form of striptease at strip club establishments, public exhibitions, and private engagements. Unlike in burlesque, the performer in the modern Americanized form of stripping minimizes the interaction of customer and dancer,...
and erotic dancer and performing at the now defunct Gaiety Theatre
Gaiety Theatre, New York (Male Burlesque)
The Gaiety Theatre was a gay male burlesque theater in Times Square, New York City for almost 30 years until it closed on March 17, 2005. The name on the awning over the entrance was Gaiety Theatre, but it was also called the Gaiety Male Burlesque or the Gaiety Male Theatre in advertisements...
in New York City. He also refused to "out
Outing
Outing is the act of disclosing a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person's true sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. Outing gives rise to issues of privacy, choice, hypocrisy, and harm in addition to sparking debate on what constitutes common good in efforts...
" his former bandmate Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
, who publicly disclosed his homosexuality a few weeks after Garcia's interview.
External links
- Official Website (Spanish-language music)
- Official Website (English-language music)
- Angelo Garcia on TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
- Angelo Garcia on MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Profile from University of Central FloridaUniversity of Central FloridaThe University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
website
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans