La Pandilla
La Pandilla was teen music group of the 1970s. La Pandilla, founded in 1970 by Pepa Aguirre, was peculiar in that it had members of both sexes, unlike most pop music bands.Aguirre had her son and daughter, and her niece, form the band, and later, two other boys were added to the group. La Pandilla released their first album, Villancicos, late in 1970.
La Pandilla would have a big impact in Spain, their home country, and Latin America. During the 1970s, it was common to see La Pandilla related items such as notebooks, posters, magazines, notebook covers, rulers, dolls and others at department stores all over the Spanish speaking countries. As it turns out, La Pandilla was also important in the later success and development of one of history's most legendary boy bands: Menudo. In 1973, the future founder of Menudo, Edgardo Diaz, jumped into ship, as a soundsman for the band during their concerts. Diaz turned out to be the bridge between La Pandilla and Puerto Rico. Thanks in part to him, Alfred D. Herger (who became known as the biggest pandillero in Puerto Rico) and Felix Santiesteban, the group became a teen favorite in the Caribbean island. Diaz became manager in 1974, and the band started going through some changes. In 1975, the band was received by Puerto Rican fans with a strendous ovation at the Iberia Airlines terminal at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport at San Juan. But after Diaz left, to manage Menudo, the band slowly slept away from the public's eye. Many of the members went on to become professionals in other areas.
Band members
