“I am living a very interesting time in my life, many things expected and others that I did not see coming, but that have been wonderful,” says the Puerto Rican.
Ricky Martin celebrates his 50 years of life this Friday with “the same energy” to continue delighting his followers on stage and feeling “better than ever and more committed” to his musical career and his philanthropic mission.
“I am living a very interesting time in my life, many things expected and others that I did not see coming, but that have been wonderful,” Martin told Efe in statements sent by email.
The Puerto Rican singer indicated that he has “a deep sense of gratitude for 30 years of uninterrupted career and 50 of life “ and that he feels “better than ever” on this anniversary.
An energy shared with your audience
“To continue here and want to continue on stage after 30 years with the same energy and with the same enthusiasm, which not only coming from me and my team but also from my audience, move me a lot,” he stressed.
“That public that is in all parts of the world has the same dedication and commitment from me that they have with me: each of my achievements are their achievements,” said Enrique Martín Morales, the first name of the Puerto Rican star.
“Kiki”, nickname with which his family and close friends call himSince he was little, he always had the dream of becoming an artist, a goal that he then achieved as a member of the youth group Menudo.
Martin also undertook a professional career in the theater and in Latin American soap operas, but his goal was to continue singing and at the age of 18 he released his first self-titled album.
A “transcendental” figure
This trajectory was highlighted to Efe by Javier Santiago, director of the National Foundation for Popular Culture, recognizing that Martin “is a transcendental figure for many reasons.”
According to Santiago, Martin stood out worldwide by conquering the European market and not the Anglo-Saxon with The cup of Life, official theme of the 1998 World Cup in France.
That song, according to Santiago, “made the United States look at this phenomenon,” which was reaffirmed when the artist had the other magnificent opportunity to perform. The cup of Life at the 1999 Grammys.
“He became that bilingual pop figure, but with an international projection that could conquer any square”, by achieving the famous crossover (transition from Spanish to English), which took so long for the legendary Puerto Rican artist José Feliciano to achieve, he explained.
For Santiago, “that was the first part of the achievements,” which was followed by more personal topics such as the announcement in 2010 of his homosexuality, which he captured in his biography Me and he opened the door to many who were hiding in the closet for fear of what they will say.
Ricky Martin: Today I accept my homosexuality as a gift that life gives me
By this time, he was already carrying several albums on his back, “Ricky Martin” (1991), “Me amarás” (2003), “A medio vivir” (2005), “Vuelve” (1998), “Ricky Martin” ( 1999) and “Sound legend”, launched in 2000, the year in which he presented the foundation that bears his name and which is dedicated to the fight against human trafficking.
A philanthropist against injustices
That battle has been captured by the Ricky Martin Foundation through three studies launched in 2010, 2014 and 2017, in which, for the first time, visibility is given to this global evil in Puerto Rico.
“When we talk about a person like Ricky, it is difficult to fragment him, because in addition to being an artist and philanthropist, he is someone who cannot remain calm and moves to what his heart dictates, and he abhors injustices,” said Orlando Morales , current coordinator of the Foundation’s educational initiative.
Martin, also a UNICEF ambassador since 2003, has also helped with its foundation the families affected on the island by the devastating Hurricane María of 2017 and by the earthquakes of 2020.
In addition to being focused on his social struggles, the singer of hits like Livin the crazy life The The bite he continued his artistic career by releasing the records Souls of silence (2003) and Life (2005).
And life, translation of life in Spanish, it was what Martin conceived years later when he announced that he had become the father of twins Valentino and Matteo, born in 2008 and fertilized through a surrogacy.
Discipline is vital in your life
Now, Martin, married to the artist of Syrian origin Jwan Yosef and father of four children, he has even produced the children’s book Santiago, the dreamer from among the stars, while not neglecting his musical career.
This is demonstrated by other records such as MTV Unplugged (2006), music + soul + sex (2011) and Who wants to listen (2018).
Tuti Bou, director of the Sony Music US Latin record label in Puerto Rico, said that “discipline” is the main characteristic of Martin that has led him to stardom.
According to Bou, he is a person who keeps his schedules, plans his career and takes care of his body and mind, which has allowed him to achieve the goal of selling more than 55 million records worldwide. (E)
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