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
(and first for C2 Records), 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 (and C2 Records labelmate)
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 whole new era in Latin music, a time when
the whole world is "Livin' La Vida Loca"!
