Johnny, Xavier, and Rene show they still have it with Proyecto M
The ’80s could be classified as the decade of Menudo, not only for the band but for spin-offs too. When Rene Farrait left Menudo in 1982, he released two successful solo albums. Johnny left Menudo in 1984 and was able to record albums and singles in both Spanish and Portuguese. Johnny Lozada also hosted a variety of television with former bandmates, Fernando Sallaberry.
In 1987, three former Menudo’s Rene, Johnny, and Xavier Serbia reunited and became one of the most successful projects from previous members of the group. It is still hard to believe that out of all the members of Menudo’s history, there were only two major members that rose to international stardom. But in the ’80s, Proyecto M was the closest we got to Robby Rosa (Robi Rosa) and Ricky Martin.
The band signed with EMI and performed in Mexico and South America, with huge success in Venezuela. The guys even starred in a soap opera with Venezuelan pop singer, Karina. The group released their self-titled album and were welcomed by so many. The group’s album provided a more mature Menudo group with three prominent members. Rene was so beloved within the group that he even had a tribute album released in the early ’80s. Johnny’s fan base had not subsided since his farewell from the band. Xavier was the only member to have stayed away from music until Proyecto M, but fans were happy to see him back.
Proyecto M’s music shined for a decent album and is still a fun jam
The song, “Escapate Conmigo” was a big hit and topped the charts all over Latin America. It is still a great song to this date, and while it sounds very dated, it’s still fun to jam to in the car.  For an album that featured relatively unknown producers and writers, the music shined for a decent album.
One of the things I liked about the album was the fact that we could finally hear Xavier’s voice. During his time in Menudo, the only song he pretty much sang was Formula, and that was just for the last year of his tenure with the group. Xavier’s voice swooned the romantic ballads well on the album.
Proyecto M’s album gave them enough success to release a follow-up album two years later though it would be without one of its members. Xavier left the group at the end of the promotion. Rene and Johnny continued performing concerts with only the two of them.
Since that day, I have been study Latin pop and rock music and have become a Latin pop music historian through the publishing of articles, fanzine, and websites. My goal is to teach people about Latin pop music and the history behind it with my website, Siempre En Domingo.
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This is the best lineup of Proyecto M and the best album they had ever released. Actually, Ray Reyes replaced Xavier (again) in this group. But their music is not as good as this. Their final album “Si No Estas Conmigo” had a few good tracks.