Los Chicos (Puerto Rican boy band)

{{Short description|Puerto Rican boy band}} {{For|the 2000s Spanish band|Los Chicos (Spanish band)}} {{More citations needed|date=September 2014}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist  | name = Los Chicos de Puerto Rico | image = | caption = | image_size =  | background = group_or_band | alias = Los Chicos de Puerto Rico | origin = Puerto Rico | genre = Pop rock | years_active = 1978–mid 1980s | label = | associated_acts = {{flatlist| * Chayanne * Giro * Sergio Blass }} | website = | current_members = | past_members = }} '''Los Chicos''' (also known as Los Chicos de Puerto Rico) were a Puerto Rican boy band that was popular in Puerto Rico, and in South and Central America during the early to mid 1980s, which was created to rival Menudo's success.

The band was created by Eric Laboy in 1978, with the name Encuentro. Due to the chosen name also being used as a political campaign slogan, the name was soon changed to Los Chicos, which translates to ''The Kids'', by Carlos Alfonso Ramirez, who took ownership and managed the boy band.

A movie (''Conexión Caribe'') was filmed and a television show was hosted weekly on Puerto Rico's WAPA-TV.<ref name="García77"/> It continued a trend of boy bands starring in movies.<ref name="García77">{{Harvnb|García|2014|pp=77}}</ref> Many songs, including "Puerto Rico son Los Chicos", "Vuelve", "Ave María", "Para Amar" and "Mamma Mia" sung by Jorge Lopez a.k.a. Giro Lopez or Giro became radio favorites, and memorabilia items like posters were mass-produced.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/fCcTKDXWPmg Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20160309152233/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCcTKDXWPmg Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCcTKDXWPmg|title=Tema: "PARA AMAR" Los chicos de Puerto Rico 1982, Costa Rica|last=LOSCHICOSPR|date=3 January 2014|publisher=|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Los Chicos became national sponsors for Malta Corona and Mahones Savage (Savage Jeans).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://plus.google.com/+JerryRodr%C3%ADguezInc/posts/63psfGm1Qfr|title=Ese break comercial y ese espacio en el que Luis Roberto Rigual hace referenc...|publisher=}}</ref>

In October 1983, three of the original members, Rey, Migue and Chayanne, quit the group, alleging poor working conditions. Chayanne became a solo artist and released his first album in 1984. Carlos Alfonso took over the new group with original member Hector Antonio "Tony" Ocasio and three new group members (Tico Santana, Alejandro "Casito" Farinacci Fontecha, and Alejandro Rodriguez). However, this version did not have as much of the acceptance from the public as the first group of boys, and the band dissolved. While they never achieved Menudo's level of popularity, the group had success in Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries. During a televised concert in the Dominican Republic, Los Chicos had to abandon the stage because of fans reaching it.

==Post break-up== Los Chicos' most popular members were Chayanne (now an international superstar), Jorge Lopez, or Giro, who was signed to Sony Music and has had a long-term relationship with the label as a salsa artist with over 10 albums, many gold records and a Grammy Nomination. Giro is still performing and has released new albums with other labels; in 2010 he created Giro Productions, and with the help of Chino Rodriguez, now his manager, has released the latest album ''Todavia Hay Amor'' on OMG records and Giro Productions, Migue Santa (who became a helicopter pilot), Tony Ocasio and Rey Díaz. Currently Rey is working as a sales executive in a prominent firm at Puerto Rico. Future Menudo member Sergio Blass was a member of Los Chicos for a short period of time, he was the only singer to be a member of both Los Chicos and Menudo. Sergio Blass was also a member of arguably the third most popular boy band in Puerto Rico during the early eighties, Concepto Juvenil, making him the only person to be in all three bands.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAzzPLsWCjU |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/KAzzPLsWCjU| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|title=Sergio Blass en concepto juvenil|last=mmessalem|date=23 January 2015|publisher=|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/rtGEEQnAg9w Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20140525212351/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtGEEQnAg9w Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtGEEQnAg9w|title=LOS CHICOS DE PUERTO RICO, "VUELVE"|last=radioconnectionu|date=11 July 2010|publisher=|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 1990, Tony Ocasio joined the United States Army and was sent to Iraq where he fought at in Operation Desert Storm.

In the aftermath of the success achieved by six former Menudos in a comeback nicknamed ''El Reencuentro'', some former members of Los Chicos spoke about making a comeback too. They had one concert, as 'Los Chicos-El Retorno".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdopPlPJza4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/vdopPlPJza4| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|title=puerto rico, son los chicos - el retorno|last=ginalizy|date=10 November 2008|publisher=|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Chayanne did not participate in it.

In August 2012, three former members of Los Chicos released a tell all book named "Los Chicos ~ Mil Recuerdos Sus Historias" written by Joana Acevedo Ocasio with the help of Tony Ocasio (Original lead singer of Los Chicos) and original group members Rey Diaz and Migue Santa. The book recounts their experiences as members of the famous boy band, how they reached stardom and lost it all to mismanagement.

Former member Jose Miguel "Migue" Santa died of respiratory failure on March 19, 2019, at the age of 58.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.primerahora.com/entretenimiento/farandula/nota/fallecemigueintegrantedelfamosogrupodelosochentaloschicos-1332656/|title=Fallece Migue integrante del famoso grupo de los ochenta Los Chicos|date=March 19, 2019|website=Primera Hora|language=es}}</ref>

==Members== *Chayanne (Elmer Figueroa Arce) *Migue (Jose Miguel Santa, 1967-2019) *Rey (Reynaldo Diaz) *Tony (Hector Antonio Ocasio Cedeño, 1968-2025) *Alex (Alejandro Jose Rodriguez) *Tico (Fredrick Santana Contreras) *Giro (Jorge Manuel Lopez Martinez) *Caccito (Alejandro Farinacci Fontecha)

==Discography== *1980 - ''Para Amar'' [Original Members: Chayanne, Rey Diaz, Migue Santa and Tony Ocasio] *1982 - ''Puerto Rico'' [Original Members] *1983 - ''Viva el Amor'' [Original Members] *1983 - ''Bailando'' [Original Members] *1984 - ''Los Chicos en Conexion Caribe'' [Tony, + Tico, Alex, and Alejandro] *1985 - ''Ases de Puerto Rico'' [Tico, Alex, Alejandro, + Jorge] *1985 - ''Los Chicos en Portugues'' [Same members as above] *1986 - ''Con Fuego y Pasion'' [Tico, Alejandro, Jorge, + Tony]

==See also== * ''Es mi Nombre'' - debut studio album by Chayanne * Giro - member of the band * H2O - another Puerto Rican boy band * ''Conexion Caribe'' - 1984 film starring Los Chicos

==References== '''Footnotes''' {{reflist|2}} '''Bibliography''' *{{cite book| title=Historia del Cine Puertorriqueño| first=Joaquín|last=García Morales|publisher=Editorial Siembra|date=2014|isbn=9781463387310|ref={{sfnref|García|2014}}}}

==External links== * [https://www.createspace.com/3909142 Los Chicos Mil Recuerdos Sus Historias (The Book)] * [http://www.primerahora.com/lanzanlibrosobrelaagrupacionloschicos-672190.html Primer Hora Article on book] * [https://www.amazon.com/Joana-Acevedo/e/B008MMK18O Joana Acevedo Ocasio - CoAuthor on Los Chicos Mil Recuerdos Sus Historias] * {{discogs artist|Los Chicos (4)}} * {{imdb name|5948904}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chicos, Los}} Category:Puerto Rican boy bands Category:1978 establishments in Puerto Rico Category:Musical groups established in 1978 Category:Puerto Rican rock music groups