SANTOS BRAVOS is busy breaking boundaries. The rising quintet are the first Latin boy band from HYBE, the label behind juggernauts like BTS and KATSEYE. Since debuting last October, life has been a whirlwind for the members of SANTOS BRAVOS, who are uniquely mixing Latin American sounds and swagger with K-pop discipline and choreography.
"It's been like a roller coaster of emotions and experiences," Kenneth Lavíll, 16, the youngest member of SANTOS BRAVOS, says over Zoom. "It's crazy to have the opportunity to visit all these countries to meet people and be with the guys. In just five months of doing the things that I love, I can only be grateful and happy about everything."
Lavíll, who hails from Mexico, is surrounded by his bandmates, which include Peru's Alejandro Aramburú, 21, Brazil's Kauê Penna, 19, Puerto Rico's Gabi Bermúdez, 20, and Mexican-American singer Drew Venegas, 26. Sixteen guys were narrowed down to these five members on the K-pop survival-like series SANTOS BRAVOS. When the band debuted in October 2025 with this line-up, they only had minutes to get in formation and perform their debut single, the effervescent "0%," in front of a crowd of over 10,000 fans at the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City.
SANTOS BRAVOS stands on the shoulders of Latin boy bands that came before them like Menudo, which once included Ricky Martin, and CNCO. What sets them apart is bringing Brazil into the fold, which often gets left out of the Latin American panorama due to the Portuguese language barrier, and putting a spotlight on Peru, a country that's underrepresented in Latin music. What's most groundbreaking for a boy band is SANTOS BRAVOS launching with an openly gay member, Venegas.
Since then, SANTOS BRAVOS have mastered melding the Latin and K-pop worlds in the edgy "KAWASAKI." On March 13, the band released its debut EP DUAL, which is loaded with more bangers like the Brazilian funk-infused "VELOCIDADE" and the alluring "MHM." As SANTOS BRAVOS gears up to perform at music festivals across Latin America, the guys caught up with Teen Vogue about their bond, dream collaborations, and what's coming next.
Alejandro Aramburú: It was a once in a lifetime experience. We were all undergoing the K-pop methodology, training, dancing, singing, and performance abilities every day. We were all connecting from the beginning. We wanted to help each other succeed. It was also crazy because we didn't know who was going to be in the band until the very last second. I remember I was going backstage and holding Gabi and Kenneth's hands. We were all telling each other that we love each other, and then the five of us were chosen for the band. We got sent to get styled to perform with our tears literally on our faces. When we performed "0%," we got instructions in our in-ears about who is singing each part of the song. I never felt that many emotions in my life. All of us were there together and that’s where our journey started.
Bermúdez: I want to add one thing because I think it's very funny. I laughed a lot. When we got chosen, like Alejandro said, we automatically went to a little room to change to perform. When Alejandro went to the room with his eyes watering because he was crying so much, he said, "Gabi, we did it!" I was like, "Yeah, we did it, bro, but get yourself together because we have to change." It's crazy that we didn't have time to acknowledge anything.
Aramburú: It's a big responsibility. We're representing our cultures and countries and presenting them to the world and Asia. I think we feel the weight, but we try the best to be the best role models for everyone that's watching us. We have the opportunity to start so many movements and motivate Latin artists to do what we are doing and to pursue their dreams. Personally, I'm from a country that hasn't had many international artists. So for me, I'm really proud of being Peruvian and representing my country, and I hope to open as many doors as I can for the people of my country to pursue the dream of being an artist.
Kauê Penna: That's crazy! A few days ago, I was thinking about that. Brazil is literally the biggest country in Latin America. Because of these differences in speaking Portuguese and Spanish, I've been hearing people in Brazil saying, “Are we Latinos?” Most Brazilians don't know that we're Latinos at all and that's crazy. I can show them that we can be together and it's better to be together. We're in a very important moment for the Latino culture and how the world perceives the culture. We can do and we can be whatever we want. As Latinos, we can show the world that Latin America has many different cultures and we can all live together and respect each other. I'm also Afro-Latino and that's crazy. Being outside of Brazil as an Afro-Latino is very different. Brazil is the biggest country in terms of Afro-Latino people. I think people are better understanding this concept and becoming more accustomed to it. This representation is important, and I feel like we can change history.
Drew Venegas: I have the best brothers ever and they all support me. Being part of the LGBTQ+ community, for me, doesn't change how I think, who I am, or how I see the world. I'm still the same human being that everyone else is in the world no matter what my likings are. Honestly, to be able to represent and be a role model for people out there, it makes me happy. I want to let them know that they are not alone. You have a voice and you are able to do whatever you want, regardless if it's feminine or masculine. You can do it. It doesn't matter. Be yourself. As long as you work hard and be humble and respectful, you should get the same in return.
Bermúdez: Duality means togetherness to me. It's crazy that we all come from different places and we're still connecting in a way.
Venegas: Within that togetherness comes different moods within our music. SANTOS BRAVOS is obviously a santos [saints] side and bravos [brave] side. We don't just resonate with one side because our music and our EP are both. We're taking you through a roller coaster of emotions. You're going to be happy. You're going to be sad. You're going to want to party and fall in love. All these things are what a natural human being goes through when it comes to relationships, friendships, love, and life.
Kenneth Lavíll: Duality means that it's okay if you're in a happy moment, but it's also okay if you're in a bad mood. You can experience both of those moods and it's okay because you're human. You can feel whatever you want and that's what duality means to me.
Penna: I'll say Anitta. She has a collaboration with TXT, so something with us would be nothing new for her. That would be crazy!
Bermúdez: I'll say a collaboration with just any BTS member. That would be cool. It would be something that people in Latin America would be amazed by.
Lavíll: I'm going to say Bruno Mars because I admire him a lot and because he just released a new album [The Romantic]. He has some songs that have those Latin roots.
Venegas: Because what he's doing right now is changing the game, Bad Bunny would be on the top of my list. Any collaboration with him would be insane. Another one that could be interesting because she's changing the game in R&B right now is Kehlani. It could be a really cool twist with our voices. Hearing her sing in Spanish would be amazing.
Aramburú: I always say this because I think their music is so deep and profound, Latin Mafia. Their music is so emotional. They're as vulnerable as us with their music. That would be a great collaboration. It would also be so fun to collaborate with CORTIS.
Bermúdez: We don't have limits to what we want to accomplish to be honest. We just want to keep working hard, keep getting better, and keep proving ourselves to the world. We want to be here for a long time. We want to make a mark, so I think we're on the right track. We just have to stay focused.
Aramburú: The only goal I have is to be 80 years old and be sitting right next to these guys like this and talk about everything that we did.
