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Ricky Martin
More than a billion viewers in 187 countries across the globe
felt the power and energy of Ricky Martin's electrifying
performance of "The Cup Of Life" at the 1999 Grammy Awards
ceremony; "La Copa de la Vida," the official song of the World
Cup France '98, has been a #1 single in more than 30
countries. That same night, Ricky's latest full-length Latin
recording, Vuelve, won the Grammy for Best Latin Pop
Performance. With his magical career-defining performance,
Ricky Martin -- an international superstar who has sold more
than 15 million records worldwide and packs stadiums from
Buenos Aires to Beijing to New Delhi and beyond-- was
suddenly a recognizable name and presence in more than 24
million U.S. households. Ricky Martin, his first English
language album, is the next step in the evolution of this
remarkable talent.
"It's all about communicating," Ricky says by way of explaining
his decision to record in English. "I will never stop singing in
Spanish -- that's who I am -- but this was always part of the
plan." A labor of love and passion, Ricky Martin has been two
years in the making. "I was not going to release this album until
I was completely content with what I'd be presenting," admits
Ricky, the consummate professional and painstaking artist. "I
want to listen to my music in 30 years and say, 'Great album!'
The time for this album is now, not because I'm ready now and I
wasn't before, but because now the music is ready."
The first track off Ricky Martin is "Livin' La Vida Loca," a
sensuous celebration of life driven by a loaded rock bass line,
sexy-smart lyrics, raw vocals and pulsating rhythms. According
to Ricky, "that's the single because I want to say, 'Hey! Boom!
I'm here! Check this out!' The song has a little bit of Latin, a
little bit of ska, a little bit of rock, there's even a little bit of the
'60s, sort of a James Bond sound."
Like the single, Ricky Martin explores an eclectic musical range.
"Yes, I come from Puerto Rico," he says, "I grew up listening to
Boston, Cheap Trick, Journey, David Bowie. When I was a kid,
my brothers and I were all into rock, rock, rock."
Ultimately, however, Ricky got a lesson in Latin music he
couldn't ignore. "One day our mother got tired of rock," he
recalls with a smile. "She said, 'I can't stand it anymore!' and
grabbed us by the ears and took us to a Celia Cruz concert. It
really affected me."
Today, Ricky says, "I listen to everything. I'm like a sponge. I'm
in this creative moment that feels like, 'Let's get it out!'" On one
end of the spectrum, Ricky delivers the stripped-down, yet
impassioned, sitar-laced "She's All I Ever Had," while on the
other there's "Shake Your Bon-Bon," a tantalizing Latinized
funk-rock-confection with hyper-horns, sly female background
vocals, and vocal hook that's absolutely irresistible. Far less
libidinous, yet still sensual, is the soaring and imploring "I Am
Made of You," Ricky's favorite cut because it "describes
perfectly where I'm at today in my spiritual search."
One track that's bound to attract attention is "Be Careful
(Cuidado Con Mi Corazón)," a true summit meeting of musical
superpowers: Ricky Martin and Madonna. "People said, 'It won't
match! You're Latin and the sound she's working in at the
moment is very English-techno,' but we felt we had to do it,"
Ricky says. "We didn't want to think about deadlines or why we
were doing it. If it works for my album, great. If it winds up on a
soundtrack or something else, great. If it's just for us to go into
the studio and have fun, great." As it turned out, the track
blended the worlds of Latin music and electronica in a
groundbreaking techno-acoustic ballad and wound up fitting in
perfectly with the rest of Ricky Martin.
One of the unexpected stand-out surprises on Ricky Martin is
the sensuous "Private Emotion," another duet, this one pairing
Ricky with the Swedish songstress Meja.
"I had the dream team!," he enthuses about his producers: Robi
Rosa (with whom he's been working for years); Emilio Estefan,
Jr. (the pioneer behind the "Miami sound"); songwriter
Desmond Child (best-known for his work with Bon Jovi and
Aerosmith but, as Ricky points out, is Cuban-born and "very
much in touch with the Latin sounds"); and, through Madonna,
electronica titan William Orbit. Other writers and producers on
the album include Jon Secada, George Noriega, Juan
Zambrano, and Walter Afanasieff.
The production values on Ricky Martin draw from, and enhance,
the roots of his music. "Technology is great and it works so you
use it," Ricky admits, "but I also try to keep things very simple.
When it comes to music, you cannot pull a whip on yourself. I
don't want my voice to sound too technical, I want it to sound
like me. The way I feel is, I don't have to sound perfect, but my
emotion has to nail it. There's nothing scientific about it, it's all
about emotion. I let it flow. If it's real, it stays."
Ricky Martin was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico,
where he first revealed his love of performing in school plays
and choir. At the age of six, he had already begun to appear in
television commercials, becoming comfortable with the camera
and maturing in his craft through acting and singing lessons.
When he discovered the Latin music sensation Menudo, Ricky
began to audition, but was at first rejected as being too young.
When he was finally selected to join the group, in 1984, Ricky
Martin was 12 years old.
After five years of nonstop work, tours, recording, and
rehearsing with the group, Ricky left in 1989, traveling first to
New York, to study and reflect, and then to México, where he
worked as an actor and a singer. His first solo album earned
him eight gold records in México, Chile, Argentina, Puerto Rico,
and the United States. After releasing his second album, Me
Amaras, Ricky moved to Los Angeles, where he became an
American television heartthrob in his role as "Miguel" on
"General Hospital." He went on to appear as "Marius" in the
Broadway production of "Les Misérables." His third album, A
Medio Vivir, was produced by Robi Rosa and KC Porter (Bon
Jovi, Boyz II Men, Richard Marx, Patti LaBelle), sold more than
600,000 in six months, and was certified gold by the RIAA on
October 27, 1997. Vuelve repeated that success and was
RIAA-certified gold on July 7, 1998; to date, Vuelve has sold
more than 6 million copies worldwide. Most recently, Ricky
Martin can be seen on television commercials as the
spokesperson for Puerto Rican tourism.
Which brings things up to the Grammy performance that rocked
the planet. "I was more excited when I learned I'd be performing
than when I was nominated," he confesses. "It was the most
difficult audience I've ever been in front of! Sting! Madonna!
Pavorotti! To get the acceptance of your peers really means a
lot."
Not surprisingly, Ricky's philosophy for making music is akin to
the effect he hopes to have on his listeners: "I want them to
feel free, liberated. I want them to be who they are with my
music."
Ricky Martin marks the arrival of a superstar while signaling a
brand new era in Latin music, a time when the whole world is
"Livin' La Vida Loca"!
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Ricky Martins
Discography
Ricky Martin
1999
Vuelve
1998
A Medio Vivir
1995
Me Amaras
1993
Ricky Martin
1991
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More Ricky Martin sites:
Offical website
Sari's "RM" pages
Jaidee's "RM" World
"RM" East coast style
"RM" Sizzling and Seductive
Ricky Revolution
le Site de Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin Icon
RMTEE
Sharon's "RM" page
Ricky Martin Inferno
All About Ricky
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