Abel Talamantez

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Abel Talamántez
Birth name Abel Talamántez Mendoza
Born October 16, 1978 (1978-10-16) (age 33)
Pecos, Texas
Origin Pecos, Texas
Genres Cumbia, Latin Pop
Occupations Singer, Dancer
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1980 – present
Labels McGillis Records (1991–1995)
Sony International (1997–2003)
EMI (2003–2006)
Warner Music Group (2007–Present)
Associated acts Menudo, MDO, Abraham Quintanilla III, Cruz Martínez, Kumbia Kings, Los Super Reyes

Abel Talamántez Mendoza (born October 16, 1978 in Pecos, Texas), is a Mexican American singer. He is currently a singer for the band Cruz Martínez Y Los Super Reyes. He used to be in the bands Menudo,[1] MDO,[2] and A.B. Quintanilla Y Los Kumbia Kings.[3]

Contents

[edit] Biography

Abel Talamántez grew up playing basketball with his brother (who would join La Sombra), with Cruz Martínez, owner and founder of international groups Kumbia Kings and Los Super Reyes, and three sisters (who would form Esmi Talamántez Y Viento Loco) in Pecos. 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 sexual scandal that had threatened to break up the band. Edgardo Díaz held auditions and Talamántez, together with Alexis Grullón, among others, were chosen as the new members of Menudo. At Menudo, Abel got to share the stage with the only member of the group who stayed through the scandal, Adrián Olivares, who also was the first non-Puerto Rican member of Menudo. For a short period, Talamántez moved to Puerto Rico with the rest of the band.

Although the often called golden era of Menudo (basically from 1980 to 1985) had already passed by, the group still had fame across Latin America and among Hispanic communities in the United States, and Abel became a teen idol among Hispanic girls during his first few years with menudo.

In 1996, and now with Didier Hernández also 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 keep being part of the group after along with the rest of MDO, Abel moved to Miami, Florida.

During the 2000s, MDO kept on touring across Latin Americas, and, particularly, in the Southwestern states of the United States. Abel Talamántez got married to his lover but he kept his duties as a member of the group.

Late during 2002, recently after Caleb Avilés had joined the group, Talamántez and his lover engaged in some managerial disputes (which in no way were related to Avilés' joining MDO), and, towards the end of his tenure as a Menudo-MDO, by 2003, Abel officially ended his relationship with the organization when MDO periodiacally stopped performing and Díaz started a teen-based group in 2005 named Tick Tock.

Soon after, he was contacted by A.B. Quintanilla, brother of slain Tejano music star Selena and founding leader of Los Kumbia Kings. Talamántez quickly accepted Quintanilla's offer to become a member of the famed band. Perhaps ironically, 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").

Talamántez continues, as of 2005, touring with Los Kumbia Kings. Now he's in a group called Los Super Reyes. The entire album El Regreso De Los Reyes was produced, arranged and mixed by Cruz Martínez, which due to the huge success have received platinum and gold records for its sales between U.S. and Mexico. Rumor has it that Los Super Reyes find themselves working in Martínez's studio on another very anticipated album schedule for an early 2009 release.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums With Menudo

[edit] Albums With MDO

[edit] Albums With Kumbia Kings

[edit] Albums With Los Super Reyes

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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