Oscar Neftalí Sallaberry (Nefty, born March 1, 1964 in Ponce, Puerto Rico) and Fernando Ramón Sallaberry (born December 24, 1965 in Barcelona, Spain), were part of the original Puerto Rican band Menudo.

Nefty

Nefty started with Menudo at age 13, and stayed in the group until he was 15. He is being called "The man who almost was" because he was one of the Menudo members who couldn't enjoy the best times of the group and he is the least remembered. Nefty graduated in 1986 from Marquette University in Computer Sciences. He is an Information Technology Officer (ITO) in a company in Puerto Rico.

Fernando

Fernando started in Menudo at age 12, and was one of the primary voices in the group until he left at age 15. He sang lead vocal on Chiquitita, which became one of Menudo's biggest hits. After he left the group, Fernando became popular as a soloist in Puerto Rico and in South America. He played in stadiums filled with as many as 40,000 people, and he is still beloved by fans today. However, he is suffers from a rare virus that keeps his health unstable. It is difficult for him to move and has needed his family's assistance for the last few years.

He continues to gain strength and movement, but is confined to a wheel chair.

XCHANGE

In 1987, 4 of the original 5 Menudo members, Carlos & Ricky Melendez, and Nefty and Fernando Sallaberry reunited on a project they called: XCHANGE. There was some publicity and they recorded a few demos (EP), but unfortunately were never offered a recording contract. They soon disbanded.

See also

• Menudo
• List of famous Puerto Ricans