HYBE Latin America's boy group Santos Bravos (SANTOS BRAVOS) said their goal is to be remembered as role models.
Santos Bravos (Drew, Alejandro, Caue, Gabee, Kenes) held a media day at 4 p.m. on the 10th at HYBE's headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and talked about their activity goals. As they are drawing attention for the meeting of Latin American identity and K-pop methodology, they also expressed expectations for activities in Korea and aspirations for stages around the world.
Santos Bravos was formed by five members selected through the reality series Santos Bravos, which selected male idol group members locally in Mexico. It is a project that combined HYBE's systematic artist discovery and training system with Latin America's unique culture and artistic sensibility. Audition participants who were selected in the first round from many countries and regions including Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Spain and the United States competed and were finally chosen.
They received K-pop style training according to HYBE's 'Multi-home, Multi-genre' strategy led by chairman Bang Si-hyuk and debuted in Mexico in October last year.
Alejandro said, Santos Bravos is a group made up of five members. It is the first boy group to come out of HYBE Latin America. Since we come from various countries, we think we represent Latin America to some extent. We came together through various experiences and paths to reach this point. Now that we are gathered in one place, we have the idea of bringing the world together through culture.
He continued, I am also happy that we have the name Santos Bravos. I think everyone in the world has a certain duality. I think we have the bright and cheerful side of 'Santos' and the intense and instinctive side of 'Bravos.' This is a moment we dreamed of, and we have been running hard to continue making this dream come true.
Having entered the country on the 4th and conducting music shows and activities in Korea, Santos Bravos gave their first greeting in Korean and expressed their expectations for activities in Korea.
Leaders Drew and Kenes said, We are really grateful to be visiting Korea for the first time like this, and We came to Korea together as a group and are enjoying every moment.
Caue opened by saying, It would not be an exaggeration to say that even as a trainee I ran only for this moment, so this is a truly meaningful occasion. I came with the mindset of a student to learn many things, but in addition, we thought a lot about how we could show how much we respect and love Korean culture and food.
He added, In that sense, the HYBE team members helped a lot so we could learn Korean pronunciation. I personally studied Korean as well. I thought a lot about whether we could show respect for Korea's music and culture. I worried a lot about how we could understand Korea well. Every moment staying in Korea has been a really new experience and a really special experience.
Drew also said, I came to Korea for the first time with a lot of expectations and I am happy. I came with a desire to learn many things. I am ready to learn from many senior artists. I think it would be nice to film challenge videos with senior artists and spend time like that, and added, Cortés, BTS, LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT seniors gave us a lot of inspiration. Thanks to them pioneering the path of the K-pop world, we were able to grow a lot, and we are grateful for that.
Santos Bravos is drawing attention as a team that combines Latin American identity with K-pop methodology. Members who already had experience as singers and dancers also trained and grew by applying K-pop methodology, and they united into one team called Santos Bravos.
Caue said, I was thankful and happy that we could utilize the K-pop methodology during the training process. I think it was the best training method we could receive in the process of becoming one group. We realized that if we work hard we can become anything. Members already have experience working as singers and dancers. After starting training, I thought I had to work even harder. I wanted to become better as an artist.
Drew also said, When I first started boot camp I thought, 'I have to work hard, I will have to put in a lot of effort.' I thought that was the way to achieve our goals. Although the training was physically hard, I think it was an opportunity to grow mentally and physically, and added, What was different was achieving things based on a set schedule. There were many demands and it was difficult, but because team members supported us, I think there was a lot of growth in mindset and mental strength. Skills improved too. I think each individual became a better person. Because we had routines that we didn't have before, I think we experienced personal growth in that respect.
The first EP released last month, 'DUAL,' is receiving a good response. 'Dual' is a work that captures Santos Bravos' dual charm, combining cheerful boyishness with intense and instinctive energy. The members showed a wide musical spectrum on this album, moving through various genres such as reggaeton, Brazilian funk and club sound.
Kenes introduced the album by saying, I think the album we released this time, 'Dual,' can show both the Santos side and the Bravos side. All the tracks matching each mood are included. I think it is really important to share our two sides and duality with everyone. I think it's important to show ourselves as we are. When we show ourselves as we are, I think we can connect better with the people who look at us.
The five members of different nationalities representing Latin America, combined with HYBE's 'K-pop methodology,' make Santos Bravos even more special, and they are already asserting their presence on major stages. They attended Paris Fashion Week in January and performed a special stage, and in February they participated as guests at Latin pop icon Shakira's concert in Mexico. In March they also performed at major festival stages such as Colombia's 'Estéreo Picnic.'
Alejandro said about the team's goals and dream stages, Our goals and dreams are clear. Each of our home countries is different. Our goal is to perform at the largest venue in each of our home countries. I feel that standing on the most important stages in each of our countries is a very special goal for us.
Kenes expressed his aspirations, We want to be remembered by people as role models. Just as we are here representing our respective countries, we hope people will think of us as a group that can represent ourselves. We hope to be remembered as a group like a safe place you can always rely on. By showing ourselves as we are, we hope to be remembered as a group that connects 100% with the people who watch us.
[Photo] Provided by HYBE Latin America.
[OSEN]