Robert Avellanet
{{Short description|Puerto Rican singer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Robert Avellanet
| image = Robert Avellanet in California.jpg
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|6|30}}
| birth_place = San Juan, Puerto Rico
| birth_name = Roberto Alejandro Avellanet Negrón
| othername =
| website =
| occupation = Singer, songwriter, actor, producer
| years active = 1988–present
| spouses = {{marriage|Tamara Gallardo|1998|2002|end=div}}
{{marriage|María Fernanda Rodriguez|2014}}
| children = 2
| relatives = Chucho Avellanet
| signature = Robert Avellanet Signature.svg
}}
Roberto Alejandro Avellanet Negrón, known professionally as Robert Avellanet or Roba, is a Puerto Rican singer who was a member of Menudo from 1988 to 1991. His uncle is the famous Puerto Rican singer Chucho Avellanet.
Biography
Avellanet was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he became a teen idol across Latin America after being hired by Edgardo Diaz as a member of Menudo in 1988, alongside Ricky Martin. He joined the group during the era popularly known as Menudo's Rock era.
File:Robert Avellanet in Menudo in 1989.jpg, Ruben Gómez, Robert Avellanet, Sergio Blass and Angelo García.]]
Avellanet's CD debut came when Menudo recorded Sombras & Figuras, title of an album that produced hits for the group. Then came Los Ultimos Heroes.
In 1991, Avellanet along with three other members of the group left the band due to "financial disputes" and "physical and verbal abuse" by Edgardo Diaz and his associates. According to Avellanet, he was only compensated $500 for a "concert with maybe seventeen thousand people". After leaving Menudo, Avellanet and ex-bandmate Rawy Torres formed a group named Euphoria during the early 1990s and recorded two albums; Euphoria and Toma Mi Corazón.
In 1994 Avellanet went to college at the University of Puerto Rico to study advertising. In 1996 tropical music producer and business executive, Ralph Mercado, signed Robert to record a salsa album under the RMM label with the distribution of Universal Music. The album Sentir (1999), produced by Isidro Infante, had success in several Latin American countries, and in New York and Puerto Rico. The album was promoted by its lead single, "Miente", a cover of Enrique Iglesias's song which became a top-ten hit on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart.
Avellanet has been featured in several telenovelas, such as Quién Mato a Hector Lavoe, Cuatro XXXX and Descarados. In 2003 Avellanet and his former Menudo bandmates made a reunion tour, naming it Los Ultimos Heroes.
In 2009 Avellanet co-produced the pop rock album titled Jet Privado, featuring songs such as Jet Privado, Laberinto, No Te Arrepientas and Miserable. Jet Privado includes collaborations from Venezuelan producer and songwriter Frank Santofimio, Frank Santofimio, Andrés Saavedra and Juan Carlos Pérez Soto.
In 2011 Avellanet moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a career in acting and throughout the next decade he worked in several TV series, films and commercials, and also released several music singles. In 2011, he was interviewed for the American documentary television series Behind the Music episode that featured Ricky Martin.{{cite magazine |last1=Holland |first1=Scott |title=What's Hot This Week |magazine=Hotspots Magazine |date=August 11, 2011 |volume=26 |issue=32 |page=36 |oclc=1138961962}}
In 2014 he released his first album in English, Heart and Soul, 10 songs with influences of soul, jazz and pop rock. It was produced by Fernando Perdomo and co-produced by Robert himself. It features songs like When I Have You, Love Is A Journey and Shine Your Light.
During 2015, Avellanet joined fellow former Menudo members Miguel Cancel, Ray Reyes, Rene Farrait and Charlie Masso in a tour throughout Latin America and United States, once again using the name Menudo. Right after this, he also participated in the Menudomania Forever tour, where Menudo's 40th anniversary was celebrated by bringing together a large number of former members. They performed in Miami, Florida, and in several cities of Mexico.
File:Robert Avellanet at the desert in California.jpg
In 2022, Avellanet's starred in the film Free Dead Or Alive. He also wrote and recorded the theme song Comenzar de Nuevo; which is dedicated to immigrants.{{cn|date=June 2025}} Also in 2022 Avellanet founded Viva La Earth, a skin cream company that supports non-profit organizations, such as The Wayuu Taya Foundation. In the same year, Robert was part of the documentary Menudo: Forever Young, where he gave his testimony of his time in Menudo. It was directed by Ángel Manuel Soto, and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Robert's music single The Dog Song (The Best of All) is a tribute to dogs and it was released on February 14, 2023.
{{clear}}
Discography
= With Menudo =
- Sombras & Figuras (1988)
- Los Ultimos Heroes (1989)
- Os Ultimos Herois (1990)
- No Me Corten El Pelo (1990)
= With Euphoria =
- Euphoria (1992)
- Toma Mi Corazón (1994)
= Solo albums =
- Sentir (1999)
- Jet Privado (as Roba)(2009)
- Jet Privado – Edición Especial (2014)
- Heart & Soul (2014)
= Singles =
- Cuando Tu Bailas (2017)
- Menudo – with Big Venti and DJ Calvin (2022)
- Comenzar de Nuevo – (from the soundtrack of Free Dead Or Alive) (2023)
- The Dog Song (The Best of All) (2023)
See also
References
{{reflist|refs=
{{Cite web |author=National Foundation for Popular Culture |date=3 July 2014 |url=https://prpop.org/biografias/robert-avellanet/|title = Robert Avellanet|work=Fundación Nacional para la Cultura Popular}}
{{cite web |author=Redacción |title=Roba apuesta por su talento|date=August 9, 2011 |url=https://elplaneta.com/2011/08/09/imported/roba-apuesta-por-su-talento/ |language=es |work=El Planeta}}
{{cite web |first=Jorge J. |last=Muñiz Ortiz |title=ExMenudo promociona When I have you|date=May 18, 2013 |url=https://eldiariony.com/2013/05/18/exmenudo-promociona-when-i-have-you/|language=es |work=El Diario La Prensa }}
{{cite magazine |author=Billboard Staff |date=1 April 2016|title=See the Former Menudo Members Reunited for the 'Menudomania Forever' Tour |magazine=Billboard |url=https://www.billboard.com/photos/menudo-reunited-menudomania-photos/}}
{{cite magazine |last1=Framke |first1=Caroline |title=Menudo: Forever Young |magazine=Variety Magazine |date=June 22, 2022 |volume=356 |issue=18 |page=80 |issn=0042-2738}}
{{cite news |last1=Rivera |first1=Manuel Ernesto |title=Robert Avellanet desea llegar a ser un salsero solido |language=es |work=El Diario La Prensa |date=16 July 1999 |page=33}}
{{cite magazine |last1=Verán |first1=Cristina |title=Los Spice Boys |magazine=Vibe Magazine |date=November 1998 |volume=6 |issue=9 |page=128 |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_jisEAAAAMBAJ/page/n133/mode/2up}}
{{cite news |last1=Hernández Beltrán |first1=Ruth E. |title=Ex Menudo Robert Avellanet se estrena en la salsa |work=La Prensa |date=March 25, 1999 |page=4D |language=es}}
{{cite news |last1=Arias-Polo |first1=Arturo |title=Cuatro XXXX: una tierna historia romántica con un toque de erotismo |work=El Nuevo Herald |date=January 31, 2008 |page=7D |language=es}}
{{cite news |title=Music: Rawy Torres |work=South Florida Sun Sentinel |date=July 19, 2019 |page=A3}}
{{cite web |author1=San Diego Union-Tribune Staff |title=El ex Menudo Robert Avellanet lanza su primer disco en ingles |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2014/01/27/el-exmenudo-robert-avellanet-lanza-su-primer-disco-en-ingls/ |website=San Diego Union-Tribune |language=es |date=27 January 2014}}
}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{IMDb name|id=2923880}}
- [https://www.allmusic.com/artist/robert-avellanet-mn0000277979#discography Robert Avellanet] at AllMusic
- [https://www.discogs.com/artist/4827835-Robert-Avellanet?srsltid=AfmBOooY9zm1S03US1D-PHDaqsZQh8p2kKfraClN4SYIR-3pBRdXmHvy Robert Avellanet] at Discogs
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Avellanet, Robert}}
Category:Menudo (band) members
Category:20th-century Puerto Rican male singers
Category:20th-century Puerto Rican singers
Category:Musicians from San Juan, Puerto Rico
Category:21st-century American male singers