Carlito Olivero has been singing pretty much all his life, but his life really changed when he auditioned for a spot in a new iteration of Menudo, a band that helped launch Ricky Martin’s career. Of course, the 26 year old Olivero came along long after Martin’s version of Menudo had disbanded, but the newer version did get signed to a record deal and went out on tour to promote their singles “Lost” and “More than Words.” “As far back as I can remember music has not only been an undying passion, but an essential part of my existence,” he told me when I had 
a chance to chat with him as he was preparing for Pride Fort Lauderdale.
After Olivero’s version of Menudo also disbanded, Carlito moved from his native Chicago to Los Angeles to continue his pursuit of music and to get his foot in the door as an actor. It wasn’t long until he was cast as the lead in “We the Party”, a teen film directed by Mario Van Peebles. Just one year later, in 2013, he auditioned for Fox’s hit show X Factor and made history as the one of the first Latino contestants to find success on the show. He finished in the top 3, beating out thousands of other contestants that season. X Factor really opened doors for the son of Mexican and Puerto Rican immigrants, and he parlayed his success into a lead role on the HULU hit show East Los High. “Season 3 is about to be released and we are about to start shooting season 4 soon, I’m really thankful to have the opportunity to work with so many great people. I also have a couple of other films that are in the pipeline for later this year and early next year. It’s a dream come true.”
When he comes to Fort Lauderdale for Pride Fort Lauderdale, he will get the chance to win over the LGBT community as he performs songs from his newest album DREAMS DON’T BECOME REALITY WHILE SLEEPING” including the hit Pon Ya Body, which features his urban based rhythmic pop, flavored with occasional Spanish language have created a unique sound which sets him apart from the male vocalists in the current pop/r&b landscape. The single is burning up on YouTube generating more than 600,000 views.
Don’t miss Carlito Olivera at Pride Fort Lauderdale, he will be performing on the main stage on Sunday October 11. To find out more about Carlito, check out his youtube channel or his website at CarlitoOfficial.com. Check out our full listing of pride events coming in next week’s Hotspots, or visit Pride Fort Lauderdale.
