"To honor his Mexican roots, 16-year-old Joel Deleōn, then known as Joel Pimentel, belted out the Manuel Bonilla classic "Eran Cien Ovejas" before a formidable panel of judges: ex-Menudo member and global pop icon Ricky Martin, as well as the Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz, and Italian diva Laura Pausini. In the middle of his audition, Pausini asked for a different song selection - which led Deleōn to sing Ed Sheeran's "I See Fire," which helped him move forward in the competition."
""It's crazy to think that it's already been 10 years," he recalls, now a bearded 26-year-old with an abundance of tattoos. "I didn't think I could win 'La Banda,' especially at a time where I didn't speak Spanish fluently. To think that going for the audition changed my life... It's a constant reminder [to not be] afraid to go after what I want.""
"Martin and former "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell, who famously helped propel One Direction to greatness, created "La Banda" to fill the void for a boy band in the Latin market, which was left by Menudo in the 1980s. Eventually, during the show's finale, dated Dec. 13, 2015, viewers voted for Deleōn to join CNCO with Christopher Vélez, Richard Camacho, Erick Brian Colón and Zabdiel de Jesús."
At 16, Joel Deleón (then Joel Pimentel) auditioned for La Banda, singing a Manuel Bonilla classic and later Ed Sheeran's "I See Fire" after a judges' request. Judges included Ricky Martin, Alejandro Sanz and Laura Pausini. On Dec. 13, 2015, viewers voted for Deleón to join CNCO alongside Christopher Vélez, Richard Camacho, Erick Brian Colón and Zabdiel de Jesús. CNCO members represented different parts of Latin America and quickly achieved fame with synchronized harmonies, tight choreography, multiple world tours, a 2017 Latin Grammys best new artist nomination, and multi-platinum hits like "Reggaetón Lento (Bailemos)" and "Hey DJ."
Read at Los Angeles Times
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