| Laura | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Menudo |
| Cover: | Menudo - Laura (album cover).jpg |
| Released: | 1978 |
| Genre: | Latin pop |
| Length: | 29:26 |
| Label: | Padosa, Inc. |
| Producer: | Edgardo Diaz |
| Prev Title: | Los Fantasmas |
| Prev Year: | 1977 |
| Next Title: | Chiquitita |
| Next Year: | 1979 |
Laura is the second studio album by the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, released in 1978 by the record label Padosa.[1] The group at the time included the Sallaberry brothers, Fernando and Nefty, and the Meléndez brothers, Óscar, Carlos, and Ricky.[2] [3] This was the last album to feature Nefty as a member; in 1979, he left the group upon reaching the age limit of 15 and was replaced by René Farrait.
The recording sessions of Laura took place in Spain, as Edgardo Díaz, the group's manager and creator, believed that the recording studios there were much better than those in Puerto Rico.[4] The boys' names were not included in the album's graphic credits.[4] Díaz wanted to highlight and develop the personality of Menudo as a group exclusively, rather than highlighting the artistic talents of its members as individuals.[4] According to him, this way, the loyalty of the fans would remain exclusively with the group, and not with each of the boys who made up Menudo at any given time.[4]
The album managed to chart with two songs on the music charts, the songs "I Cucubano" and "Gongoli" made it onto the Dominican Republic singles sales charts, reaching positions 2 and 6, respectively.[5] [6]