By Mariana Zamboni, 15, Hamilton HS

“In April, KIIS 102.7 FM had a special event to release Ricky Martin’s first English-language single at Tower Records on Sunset Blvd. He came to the store alone in his black convertible Mustang, as if he was not a superstar. All the fans were going crazy. We all couldn’t believe he was doing that, but Ricky has never changed—he is a down-to-earth guy.
Ricky has so many fans of all ages and races. There’s a lot to like: his acting, the sexy way he dances, his rhythmic music and that he’s good looking. Eliana Poventud from Puerto Rico said, “I love Ricky Martin for one simple reason—although he is one of the hottest and most famous artists in the whole wide world, he hasn’t forgotten where he comes from. Always placing Puerto Rico’s name on the top of the world and helping everyone that needs a friendly hand. He has his feet on the ground. He’s a great human being and I love him for that.”
Ricky Martin (the English album) came out May 11 with his popular single “Livin la Vida Loca.” The first time I heard him sing in English, I thought “weird!” His voice is deeper and the single is more rock than pop. Yet, the song is catchy because I found myself singing it in my head. In this album, you can also find the duet he sang with Madonna called “Be Careful (With My Heart).”
Ricky is not a new star. He has been working for 15 years in show business. When Ricky was about 10 years old, he auditioned to become the next Menudo member. Menudo was a famous boy band from Puerto Rico. When members turn 17, they give up their space in the group for a younger member. He failed the first two attempts but never gave up and in the third attempt he made it! Ricky was in Menudo for five years. In interviews, he has said that Menudo was like a university for him because it helped him realize that music is not an easy job.
After Menudo, Ricky went to live in New York. He was not sure what he wanted to study: should he be a doctor, a carpenter, an actor or keep singing? He decided to try acting. He was called to go to Mexico to be part of a musical named “Mamá Ama el Rock” where he co-starred with two very famous Mexican actresses Angélica María and Angélica Vale. A famous producer saw this musical and liked Ricky’s acting so much, he chose him to be in a very popular soap opera. The acting offers kept coming, leading to roles in the United States (see timeline).

Ricky never gave up on a music career
While he was acting in soap operas, he went back to music. Ricky has four solo albums in Spanish, Ricky Martin (in Spanish), Me Amarás, A Medio Vivir, and Vuelve. A Medio Vivir was Ricky’s first worldwide album and my favorite. He had a new look—his long hair and earrings disappeared. He was mature and ready to work hard for what he wanted. In this album, Ricky experimented with many kinds of music, and we can hear that in “María” a song that almost everybody has danced to. The song is a mixture of many kinds of Latin music—flamenco, salsa, a little rock-pop. But in A Medio Vivir we can still hear his romantic songs, and 10 out of 12 songs on the album went # 1 in Billboard Magazine’s Hot Latin Tracks.
With Vuelve, his popularity in the United States rose because this CD includes the hit “La Copa de la Vida,” the soccer World Cup 1998 anthem. In February he sang “La Copa de la Vida” on the Grammy Awards which helped sell more Vuelve albums in the U.S. His albums were sold out in places like Utah, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
I admire Ricky for many reasons. He gives good advice to teens about how he suffered from his parent’s divorce. He is always willing to give an interview—I read in the magazine Eres that the writer said it was 3 a.m. when he spoke to Ricky. Also, he is always talking about AIDS and how we need to protect ourselves. That shows that Ricky cares for the world’s future and cares for us.
I’ve met him several times. The first was in March 1998 at the City Walk Sam Goody where he signed my Vuelve album. Later in August, he was also signing autographs in the Beverly Connection Wherehouse Music. I was nervous, and when it was my turn to meet him, I didn’t see this step and I fell. Oh my god! I fell in front of Ricky Martin! He grabbed me by my arm and said “Be careful.” Ricky is a gentleman, don’t you think?
The third time, I tried to catch him at the Tower Records but I couldn’t because the singles were sold out. My friends and I heard he was flying out to Miami that night so we waited at the airport for two hours. When he finally showed up, I was able to give him a hug and a copy of an LA Youth article I wrote about AIDS. I told him he inspired me to write it.”