Is One Direction about to crown a new successor soon? News has it that entertainment mogul Simon Cowell is looking for the Latino version of One Direction. He's even said to be learning Spanish for this mission!
"The X Factor mogul's new show 'La Banda' will trawl the US, Mexico and South America for the next big Latin American boyband, with singer Ricky Martin as head judge," Mirror said. "Simon, 55, will not appear on the show himself but is swotting up on the lingo to help him in his quest to conquer the vast untapped market."
"I don't speak Spanish properly yet, but I'm learning. It's a Spanish-speaking show," Simon was quoted by the publication as saying.
According to MTV, the show will start airing in September this year as a result of the mogul's SyCo Entertainment partnering with Univision for the said TV feature.
"Much like 'American Idol' and 'The X Factor,' the show will host talent searches with the goal of creating a five-member boy band comprised of Spanish-speaking pop stars. The show will feature contestants ages 14 and over," the music news site said.
Ricky's gig as a judge on the show fits the singer to a T as he's "one of the Latin music world's biggest stars of all time" and has also been part of a superstar boyband himself.
"Martin, of course, is perfect for this role because he's a seasoned boy band alum," MTV went on to say. "He first got his start as part of Menudo when he was just 13 years old, and later went on to enjoy a stellar solo career."
It's also reported that the "Livin' La Vida Loca" hitmaker will be managing the winning group.
"Simon - whose X Factor 2010 runners-up One Direction have become the world's biggest boyband - said the new show will be the first of its kind in the Latin market," Mirror said.
It's worth noting that it has been a while since a Latin boyband has made it big in the global music industry.
"There's nothing at the moment like this. It's to fill what me and Ricky feel is a massive gap in the market and to give five kids like this a real opportunity," Simon was quoted as saying.
"I am very excited to be a part of this innovative program, together with Simon Cowell," Ricky was noted by MailOnline as saying.
"Our community needs musical projects in order to cultivate its talents; which is why I feel it's the perfect moment for a show like 'La Banda.' There is so much talent to be discovered and I'm sure we'll find the next musical phenomenon with the help of not only the judges but also the fans," he added.
"The dates for the first few auditions were also released and the 'La Banda' team will be visiting Los Angeles (March 7), Puerto Rico (March 14), Houston (March 21), New York (March 28), Chicago (April 4) and Miami (April 11)," the publication said.
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