Yahoo Finance CNCO announce Joel Pimentel's departure: 'We are and always will be brothers'
And then there were four.
Latin boy band CNCO are saying goodbye to one of their founding members: Joel Pimentel, whose last day with the group will be their May 14 virtual concert. A joint statement addressing the group's future from Richard Camacho, Erick Brian Colón, Christopher Vélez, and Zabdiel De Jesús was released Sunday.
"We want you all to know that while Joel is leaving and will be pursuing new opportunities, we are and will always be brothers," the statement says. "We support him in his next chapter, and will always, most importantly, remain a family. We know this news is saddening and is going to be as hard for all of you as it is for us, but we appreciate you sticking with us."
The foursome are looking toward a "different" but "exciting time" as they herald a new era of CNCO.
Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images CNCO's Zabdiel De Jesús, Erick Brian Colón, Richard Camacho, Christopher Vélez, and Joel Pimentel
All five members began their journey together in 2015 as strangers competing for a spot on the Univision series La Banda, created by Simon Cowell and produced by Ricky Martin. As CNCO's popularity began to grow on an international level, Martin continued to mentor Camacho, Colón, Vélez, De Jesús, and Pimentel.
Much like Pimentel, Martin began his career as part of the world-famous boy band Menudo before departing in 1989 to pursue a solo career.
Although the future for the group is uncertain, the five "brothers" have a lot to celebrate. Together they grew a fan base that spans across the globe, proving there are few limitations for music based on language or genre.
EW featured CNCO as part of its In the Basement series (above) in 2019. They most recently promoted their new album Déjà Vu in EW's February issue.
They also earned the respect of the industry with multiple Latin American Music Awards, Billboard Latin Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and more.
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