Barrio Boyzz
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Founder | Joe Jacket |
| Defunct | 2001 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Latin pop music albums and singles |
The Barrio Boyzz were a Latin pop ensemble originating from New York City, consisting of members of Puerto Rican descent. They gained notable recognition throughout the 1990s, sharing a record label with Selena and securing their initial Billboard chart-topping single with "Donde Quiera Que Estés" in 1993.
Career
Established in 1991 by manager Joe Jacket—known for his work with New Kids on The Block—the group was designed to represent a mainstream Latino act. After auditioning for Charles Koppelan, the CEO of EMI Records, they signed with SBK Records, EMI’s pop division. Their approach aimed at achieving crossover appeal within the broader American pop market, inspired by artists such as Gloria Estefan, Jon Secada, and Selena.
Their first album, Crazy Coolin', debuted in 1992 and was supported by tours in New York City schools coupled with motivational talks. The track "Muy Suavemente" made an appearance on the Billboard Latin Charts, accompanied by a music video that emphasized their New York roots. Their sophomore album, Donde Quiera Que Estes (1993), reached number seven on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums chart and climbed to number fifteen on the Billboard Top Latin Albums. The duet title track with Selena achieved number-one status across three different Billboard charts in 1994, facilitating their expansion into Southern U.S. markets during Selena's Amor Prohibido Tour.
Their next release, Una Vez Más, attained the third spot on the Latin Pop Albums chart and ranked within the top twenty of Billboard’s Top 50 Latin Albums. In 1995, they issued How We Roll, an album entirely in English aimed at crossover audiences. The Barrio Boyzz earned nominations for Pop Group of the Year at both the 8th and 9th Premio Lo Nuestro Awards.
The group continued to appear on Billboard charts up until their 2000 album Destiny. Their final studio project, Destino, was released in 2001 before they ultimately disbanded. A brief reunion occurred on April 5, 2005, when they performed "Dreaming of You" alongside Colombian-American artist Soraya during the benefit concert Selena ¡VIVE!.
Members
- Freddy Correa (1991–1994)
- Angel Ramirez (1991–1997)
- Robert Vargas (1991–1997)
- David Davila (1991–2001)
- Hans Giraldo (1994–2001)
- Luis A. Marrero (1991–1998)
- Jimmy Sanchez (1999–2001)
- Robert McLeod (1999–2001)
- Jeffrey Ayala (1999–2001)
Studio albums
- Crazy Coolin' (1992)
- Donde Quiera Que Estes (1993)
- Una Vez Más (1995)
- How We Roll (1995)
- Navidad, Tu y Yo (1995)
- Ven a Mi (1997)
- Destiny (2000)
- Destino (2001)
- Barriografia (2006)
Compilation albums
- 10 Super Exitos (1994)
- 12 Super Exitos (1997)
- The Best of Barrio Boyzz (2000)
- Sólo Lo Mejor: 20 Exitos (2002)
- Latin Classics (2003)
- Los Romanticos (2007)
Filmography
- I Like It Like That (1994)
See also
References
- American pop music groups
- American boy bands
- Musical groups established in 1991
- Musical groups disbanded in 2001
- Musical groups originating from New York City
- EMI Latin recording artists
- Spanish-language vocalists in the United States
- 1991 establishments in New York City
- American Latin music ensembles
- Latin pop ensembles
- Musical groups disestablished in 2001