La Banda Insider Recap: Middle Rounds

By #LaBandaInsider Yelisa Nieves

Middle rounds. Can I just say THEY BLEW ME AWAY! The new La Banda contestants were put into 5 groups of girls and 5 groups of guys. They were given a song and 24 hours to put a performance together. The judges could see who works well in teams, who shines through, and who falls behind.

Las Divas: Lianishka, Megumi, Danelly, Andrea and Kimberly. These lovely ladies learned to work together and rock their performance of JLo’s “I Ain’t Your Momma”. The judges really liked how none of them passed over any of the others. They were very insync and in tune. They ALL passed to the next round!

Los Obsesionados: Fabyan, Garmandy, Iosvanny, Alex, Brian, and Murckpys. They were given “Obsesionado” by Farruko. During their practices they faced some issues due to that Iosvanny could not grasp the right note. When asked by the judges how they felt after working together, Murckpys quickly said that even though it had been sudden, they had amazing group chemistry! All seemed well after their performance until Laura asked Iosvanny to please sing by himself, leaving her with doubts. Sadly as his team mates passed on to the next round, he did not.

NG6: Angie, Sheniel, Gilmarie, Jeidimar, Zhamira, and Katherine. I was very surprised with this mix of girls because to me they all have very beautifully strong and unique voices! They slayed their performance of Shakira’s “Nunca Me Acuerdo de Olvidarte”. Jeidimar and Zhamira were the only ones who will continue in the competition.

Fuerza Unida: Kevin, Alex, Andi, Javier, Darian, and Abel. They sang Gerardo Ortiz’s “Por Que Terminamos” I didn’t love this group. They did’nt seem to have the chemistry on stage like some others. Although I really did enjoy Andi and Alex’s voices and presence. Abel and Alex were the ones who passed on to the next round from this group.

La Quinta Voz: Abdiel, Felix, Christian, Jose and Kevin. This was my absolute favorite group of the ENTIRE night! If it wasn’t because the final band has to be boys and girls I would say they’re ready to be signed as a band! They perfectly harmonized “One Call Away” by Charlie Puth. They compliment each other so well as if they had been together longer than 24 hours. I’m glad to say they all continue in the competition.

1040: Micke, Edward, Alec, Anthony, and Jesus. They performed “Andas En Mi Cabeza” by Chino y Nacho. Micke horrifically forgot the lyrics and they weren’t very insync but had good energy! I have a soft spot for Jesus, I feel like he has a lot of potential to learn and grow to be in a band! Edward, Jesus, and Alec will be in the next round.

Allure: Taishmara, Verónica, Sofía, Elaine, Carolina and Karina. These girls gave a sassy interpretation of “Hands To Myself” that made me want to get up and dance! Overall I thought they sounded very good together. They were very excited when Laura announced they all passed, but they didn’t let her finish her sentence. They all passed, except one. Karina will no longer continue in the competition.

Seis Tonos: Amber, Alondra, Wendy, Aimeé, Angie and Nikki. As they rehearsed they seemed a bit lost and unconnected making me nervous for them. Some did better than others, but I enjoyed their performance of “Muevelo”. Alondra, Wendy and Amee stayed while Amber, Angie, and Nikki went home.

Seis: Andrés, Christian González, Gabriel, Jorge, José and Yadiel. This group gave me the chills with their voices coming together in “Hasta Que Te Conoci” by Juan Gabriel. There is a lot of talent in these boys. It really surprised me to see Christian go home. Only Andres, Jorge and Gabriel stayed.

Sixth Generation: Abby, María Cristina, April, Alleanne Marie and Yashira. The last group of the night. Interpreted “Completamente” which is such a fun banda song! They were very cute and energetic! Alleanne Marie, Abby, and Maria Cristina were sent home.

This is the definitely the hardest part in the competition. It’s never fun to see someone’s journey on La Banda come to an end. We wish them the best in their quest for their dreams! We still have a lot to look forward to with all the talented individuals going on to the next round. How will they work in teams? Tune in next Sunday and see for yourself!

Who I wanted to see stay: Katherine, Christian, Sheniel, Andi, and Yadiel.

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#LaBandaInsider posts are written by Yelisa Nieves. This 20 year-old Puerto Rican lives in Maryland and is studying Communications and New Media online at Southern New Hampshire University. Yelisa, a long time One Directioner, was instantly hooked on La Banda when she heard Simon Cowell was involved and Ricky Martin was a judge. She got so into season 1 that she created the Instagram account @labandatv which currently boasts over 37,000 followers and got chosen as a La Banda Insider by Univision. You can find Yelisa tweeting about the show every week at @YeliiJelly. As we head into the Middle Rounds on Sunday, here are Yelisa's thoughts on the Auditions phase of La Banda Season 2.