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Menudo
The 2007 line-up of Menudo. L-to-R: José Bordonada Collazo, Monti Montañez, Emmanuel Vélez Pagan, Carlos Olivero, Chris Moy.
Background information
Origin	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Genres	Latin pop, teen pop, pop rock
Years active	1977–1997, 2007–2009
Labels	Padosa, RCA, McGillis, Epic
Past members
Nefty Sallaberry Carlos Meléndez Fernando Sallaberry Óscar Meléndez Ricky Meléndez René Farrait Johnny Lozada Xavier Serbiá Miguel Cancel Charlie Massó Ray Reyes Roy Rosselló Robi Rosa Ricky Martin Raymond Acevedo Sergio Blass Ralphy Rodríguez Angelo García César Abreu Rubén Gómez Robert Avellanet Rawy Torres Edward Aguilera Jonathan Montenegro Adrián Olivares Ashley Ruiz Andy Blázquez Alexis Grullón Abel Talamántez Ricky López Anthony Galindo Didier Hernández Daniel René Weider

Menudo was a Puerto Rican boy band that was formed in the 1970s by producer Edgardo Díaz, releasing their first album in 1977. The band achieved much success, especially during the 1980s, becoming the most popular Latin American teen musical group of the era.

During its course, the band had several radio hits. Their success led them to also release two feature films: Una Aventura Llamada Menudo and Menudo: La Película.

The band was a starting point for superstars like Ricky Martin and Robi Draco Rosa, who were members during their youth.

History[link]

Early years[link]

Menudo was founded by Puerto Rican producer Edgardo Díaz in the late 1970s. After the success he had with the management of the Spanish teen-group La Pandilla (1973–1976), Díaz returned to Puerto Rico to form a new group. As opposed to La Pandilla, his idea was to form an all-boys group where the members would rotate as they grew older, with the intention to keep the group young. A member would be replaced when he reached his 16th birthday, his voice changed, he grew facial hair, or grew too tall.

The first incarnation of the band included two groups of brothers: Díaz's cousins Ricky Meléndez, Carlos Meléndez, Óscar Meléndez, and Fernando Sallaberry and Nefty Sallaberry. The name of the group came after an incident during their second rehearsal, where Díaz's sister entered the driveway of the house they were at and, puzzled by finding five young boys dancing and singing in the garage, she loudly exclaimed: "¡Cuánto menudo hay aqui!" ("What a lot of young folk we have here!"). The phrase stuck, and the group was thus named Menudo.^{[citation needed]}

In the next few years, Menudo toured Puerto Rico, performing at shopping malls, fiestas patronales (a citywide yearly celebration), and other events. In 1977, they released their first album, titled Los Fantasmas. The title track was a hit for the group, and they were able to get a regular TV show on Telemundo Canal 2 every Saturday night. After that, they followed with a second album titled Laura.

Success in the 1980s[link]

During the late 70s, the group released several albums that were moderately successful, during which new members replaced the original ones. However, it was in 1981 that the album Quiero Ser launched the group into stardom. The line-up of the band at this time was René Farrait, Johnny Lozada, Xavier Serbiá, Miguel Cancel and Ricky Meléndez, the only remaining original member. The album included hit songs like "Quiero Ser", "Súbete A Mi Moto", "Rock En La TV", "Claridad", and "Mi Banda Toca Rock".

The group became very popular throughout Latin America, from Mexico to Argentina, including Brazil.^{[citation needed]} During that time, Diaz was able to afford a Lockheed JetStar that had belonged to American President Richard Nixon and the Shah of Iran. The plane carried Menudo's name on both sides of the fuselage and made it the first boy band ever with its own private jet. The group also had a fan base in Spain and the rest of Europe.

In 1982, René Farrait was replaced by Charlie Massó and debuted with Menudo in the album Por Amor. During this boom of popularity, terms like "Menuditis" and "Menudomania" surfaced in the popular language. Their popularity was such, that they even starred in their own feature film called Una Aventura Llamada Menudo. The film starred Gladys Rodríguez as "Señora Mía", and included songs like "Clara" and "A Volar".

In early 1983 during their first visit to New York, Xavier Serbiá gave way to new member Ray Reyes. Their American fan base grew, especially among the young, as evidenced by "Menudo on ABC", a series of four-minute music spots that aired during the Fall 1983 season of the American Broadcasting Company's youth-oriented Saturday morning programming block.^[1] They also sang the theme song for ABC's Rubik, the Amazing Cube. Miguel Cancel became the first member to voluntarily quit the group. According to an interview made in 1998, he was unhappy that he was not able to sing his songs after a sudden voice change and opted to leave before his scheduled departure, thus being replaced by Roy Rosselló. Menudo signed a 6-year multi-million dollar contract with RCA International. During this year, they also released their Spanish album A Todo Rock.

In 1984, Johnny Lozada was replaced by Robi Rosa (now known as Robi "Draco" Rosa). With Robi, Menudo released their first English album Reaching Out which featured the theme track "Like a Cannonball" for the Hollywood movie Cannonball Run 2 and their first Portuguese album Mania, both featuring versions of some of their Spanish hits. Tours took place in the U.S. and Brazil during the first half of 1984.

In July 1984, Ricky Melendez, who was the only original member remaining, left the group in a huge concert held in his birth town, Caguas, Puerto Rico. He became the only Menudo member to last seven years in the group. He was replaced with who would become the group's most popular alumnus around the world, Ricky Martin. With Martin, Menudo recorded their next Spanish album Evolución. Their popularity even reached parts of Asia including Japan and the Philippines. Menudo also made English commercials for Pepsi, Scope, McDonald's and Crest during that time. They also did a guest appearance on the popular American children's program Sesame Street. To much the surprise of fans and Ray Reyes himself, he was the next to leave the group due to a growth spurt and voice change. In a 1998 interview, he stated he was caught off guard when Menudo was being interviewed in 1985 and the interviewer asked who was next to leave when Edgardo Díaz stated Ray was next considering that Charlie was the oldest at this point and was in the group the longest. Ray was replaced by Raymond Acevedo in 1985.

During that time, Menudo released their second English album titled Menudo which contains the songs "Hold Me" (#62 Billboard Hot 100, RCA 14087)^[2] and "Explosion" both with lead vocals by Robi Rosa. They also released their next Spanish album Ayer Y Hoy and their second Portuguese album A Festa Vai Comecar. Menudo held a successful tour in Brazil, performing in front of hundreds of thousands of fans. However, there were allegations that the tour was poorly organized. In a concert in Rio de Janeiro, the capacity was 60,000 but 70,000 tickets were sold. Two women died. In São Paulo, a 100,000 capacity stadium was sold-out with 200,000 people. In a stadium in Campinas, a city of São Paulo, it rained, and the concert, as a result, was delayed 4 hours. The film, Mixed Blood, featured scenes in which Menudo was indirectly showcased, such as one with a Menudo poster on a wall and one where characters shopped at a "Menudomania" store.^{[citation needed]}

In 1986, Roy Rosselló was replaced by Sergio Blass. No farewell concerts were held. The group continued to release several albums during this year starting with their only Italian album titled Viva! Bravo! which they showcased in Italy in the San Remo Music Festival. The Spanish album Refrescante, the English album Can't Get Enough, and the Portuguese album Menudo were released respectively throughout this year followed by tours in the United States, Latin America including Brazil, and the Philippines.

Internal conflicts and image change[link]

In January 1987, Charlie was replaced by Ralphy Rodriguez. Then the group began facing some internal conflicts. First, Robi Rosa quit without warning in the middle of a Brazilian tour, becoming the second member to quit voluntarily. Apparently, he had written a song and presented the idea to management. They turned him down and supposedly mocked him, which prompted him to leave. They did this so that they could use Robi's song without compensating him.^{[citation needed]} Robi's lawyer prevented them from using his song. Also, the group was dropped from RCA International due to low record sales. As a result, they signed a contract with Melody International Mexico. Charlie was asked to return to the group to complete the Brazilian tour and to embark on the Summer in the Street U.S. tour and introduce new member Rubén Gómez.

At this point, the group underwent a complete image makeover, changing their look to a more rough, rugged, rock-like look. This was also applied to their music which had been described before as bubble-gum pop. They released the Spanish album Somos Los Hijos del Rock, followed by an English-Tagalog album for the Philippines titled In Action with Ralphy and Rubén. In late 1987, Ralphy was pulled from the group by his parents citing improper treatment by management. This eventually came to the light in 1991 when the Menudo sex scandal broke. Again, Charlie was asked to fill in for the Philippines tour which would be the last for Menudo as their popularity there waned.

In early 1988, new member Angelo García joined Menudo replacing Ralphy Rodríguez. Their final English album titled Sons of Rock, was released scoring an international hit "You Got Potential" as well as featuring "TLC" with lead vocals by Ricky Martin. In August 1988, Raymond Acevedo's contract was about to be over, but decided to leave before auditions were held for his replacement. As a result, Menudo performed as a quartet for a few months. Raymond was replaced by Robert Avellanet and the album Sombras Y Figuras was released at the end of the year.

In July 1989, after five years with the group, Ricky Martin left and was replaced by Rawy Torres. Ricky Martin's last concert with Menudo was in the Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The group released the album Los Últimos Héroes. This production reestablished Menudo's popularity in Latin America, especially in Venezuela, where a five-part miniseries was shot to promote the album.

1990s[link]

Despite their newfound success, the group kept facing problems when member Angelo García left the group, breaking his contract with Menudo. García was replaced by César Abreu, however he only lasted seven months. Before Abreu left the group, management was preparing for Sergio's departure and was going to be replaced by their first non-Puerto Rican member, Adrián Olivares of Mexico. However, Abreu left, only delaying Sergio's departure. Management decided to keep Sergio for another Spanish album No Me Corten El Pelo and was released with Sergio, Rubén, Robert, Rawy and Adrián.

Edgardo Díaz left Puerto Rico and held auditions in Miami, Florida, signing Miami teens Alexis Grullón, Ashley Ruiz, and Andrés Blázquez, and Pecos, Texas resident Abel Talamántez. The first album with the new line-up was Detrás De Tu Mirada, which was very successful in the whole continent, especially in Peru. Peruvian fan base became the most important one for the group from then on.

Menudo continued to work, releasing an English single titled Dancin', Movin', Shakin', and a follow-up in 1993, titled Cosmopolitan Girl, which would be the first of several English albums on McGillis Records. They also continued to travel through Latin America.

In 1992, they released 15 Años, which would be Adrián's last album with the band (he decided to leave in 1993). Ricky López replaced Adrián and the group released their 5th Portuguese album Vem Pra Mim (1993), and their 22nd Spanish album, Imagínate... (1994).

In 1995, Ricky López quit the group without warning, and the band performed with four members for a few months. Ashley had also decided to leave the group, so auditions were held and Didier Hernández and Anthony Galindo were chosen. Ashley's farewell concert was in Panama, where new members were presented.

After several albums released, in 1996, the group released their last Spanish album under the name of Menudo, entitled Tiempo De Amar. The album was very successful, producing several hit singles. In 1997, the rights and the name Menudo were sold and the band changed the name to MDO, at the time Andy Blázquez left and was replaced by Daniel René Weider. A self-titled Spanish album was released, increasing the group's popularity in Latin America and the U.S. MDO has continued to release albums despite some changes in management (see main article: MDO.)

In 1998 Ricky Meléndez, René Farrait, Miguel Cancel, Johnny Lozada, Ray Reyes and Charlie Massó re-joined to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of their success in Latin America, North America, Spain and several other countries in the world. They started at Centro de Bellas Artes in San Juan, PR, as an experimental project and they had an unexpected success. They continued until 2000 through North and Latin America. They named this "El Reencuentro" since the group could not use the name Menudo because Edgardo Díaz threatened to take legal action if they did.

2000s[link]

In 2000, MDO released their album Subir Al Cielo with critical success. The album lead track "Te Quise Olvidar" topped the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks for several weeks and became the group signature' song. The group follow-up singles "Sin Ti" and "Me Huele A Soledad" also went top 10 in the U.S., showing that they are a real group.

In 2002, former members Sergio, Rubén, Robert, Angelo and Rawy reunited under the name "Los Últimos Héroes" giving numerous concerts in Venezuela.

In early 2003, MDO officially broke up on amicable terms. The members wanted to pursue other projects. Edgardo Diaz introduced the new MDO in January 2005.

In 2004, Edgardo Diaz announced that he will be bringing a new group with the Menudo formula into the music industry. Initially expecting this new group to be named Menudo, he surprised the press and general public by naming them Tick Tock.

Also in 2004, former Menudo members Roy, Raymond, Rubén, Sergio and Andy reunited under the name and banner: Menudo: La Reunion. They were based and focused primarily on a series of 'Brazilian' tours. Sergio left due to his prior commitment with "Los Últimos Héroes", and was replaced with Anthony Galindo. Andy would later be replaced by former MDO member Caleb Avilés before disbanding in late 2005, early 2006.

In January 2005, producer Edgardo Díaz introduced the new MDO with four new members: Daniel Rodríguez, Luis Montes, Elliot Suro, and Lorenzo Duarte. The first three were among the contestants of Puerto Rican reality/talent show Objetivo Fama. This latest incarnation of the group achieved great success with their single "Otra Vez" which took them all across Latin America.

Also, in 2005, former Menudo members René, Johnny, Miguel, Ricky, Charlie, and Ray reunited once again to perform the songs that Menudo popularized during their era under the name & banner El Reencuentro: Momento del Adios making this their farewell tour. Plans are on the way to bring this production to Latin American and the U.S. Also in 2005, Sergio, Angelo, Robert, Rawy and Adrián reunited again under the name Los Últimos Héroes after their successful reunion concerts in 2002.

In 2006, former Menudo: La Reunion members, Anthony and Rubén reunited and formed the duo Blacksheep and continue touring in Brazil. To date the duo has grown a large fan base in both Brazil and Hispanic America.

In 2007, a re-release of the 1992 VHS film of Menudo The making of Dancin', Movin', Shakin'" was released on McGillis Records. Entitled Triple Threat DVD/CD Combo[1], the box set included the Film on DVD for the first time, along with two music CDs, Latin Teen Stars and Dance Music All Night Long, featuring hit songs by Menudo, ex-Menudo members. The single, "Dancin', Movin', Shakin'", and "Cosmopolitan Girl" was released digitally on iTunes in May 2009.

The New Menudo[link]

In 2007 it was announced that Menudo would return after signing a multi-album contract with SonyBMG label Epic Records.

The recasting of the band was profiled in a MTV reality series entitled Making Menudo that had launched as a primetime series on October 25, 2007, but was later pushed to afternoons due to low ratings.^[3] The series ended on November 20, 2007. The new members were José Bordonada Collazo, Chris Moy, Emmanuel Vélez Pagan, José Monti Montañez, and Carlos Olivero. The group disbanded in early 2009.

Menudo 2011 New CD[link]

Menudo released in January 2011 a compilation of English songs on iTunes, some of which had never been released until now. The CD is titled Enchanted Island.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• 1977 Los Fantasmas [Original Members]
• 1978 Laura [Original Members]
• 1979 Chiquitita [New Member: René]
• 1979 Felicidades [Same as above]
• 1980 Más, Mucho Más [New Member: Johnny]
• 1980 Es Navidad [New Member: Xavier]
• 1981 Fuego [Same as above]
• 1981 Xanadu [New Member: Miguel]
• 1981 Quiero Ser [Same as above]
• 1982 Por Amor [New Member: Charlie]
• 1982 Una Aventura Llamada Menudo (Movie Soundtrack) [Same as above]
• 1982 Feliz Navidad [Same as above]
• 1983 A Todo Rock [New Members: Ray and Roy]
• 1984 Reaching Out (English) [New Member: Robi]
• 1984 Mania [Same as above]
• 1984 Evolución [New Member: Ricky Martin]
• 1985 Menudo (English) [New Member: Raymond]
• 1985 Ayer Y Hoy [Same as above]
• 1985 A Festa Vai Começar [Same as above]
• 1986 Viva! Bravo! (Italian) [New Member: Sergio]
• 1986 Refrescante [Same as above]
• 1986 Can't Get Enough [Same as above]
• 1986 Menudo (Portuguese) [Same as above]
• 1987 Somos Los Hijos del Rock [New members: Ralphy and Rubén]
• 1987 In Action (English-Tagalog) [Same as above]
• 1988 Sons of Rock [New member: Angelo]
• 1988 Sombras Y Figuras [New member: Robert]
• 1989 Los Últimos Héroes [New member: Rawy]
• 1990 Os Ultimos Herois [New member: César]
• 1990 No Me Corten El Pelo [New member: Adrián]
• 1991 Detrás De Tu Mirada [New members: Alexis, Ashley, Andy & Abel]
• 1992 Dancin', Movin', Shakin' [same as above]
• 1992 15 Años [Same as above]
• 1993 Vem Pra Mim (Portuguese) [New member: Ricky López]
• 1993 Cosmopolitan Girl [same as above]
• 1994 Imagínate... [Same as above]
• 1994 If You're Not Here (1994 remake version) [same as above]
• 1996 Tiempo De Amar [New members: Anthony & Didier]
• 2007 More Than Words [Carlos, Chris, Emmanuel, José, and Monti]
• 2009 Let's Talk About Love (Build-A-Bear) [Monti, JC González, JG]
• 2011 Enchanted Island [compilation of Menudo English hits some that had never been released to the public]

Farewell albums[link]

• 1983 Adiós, Miguel [Various]

Singles[link]

Members[link]

• 1977-1979 Nefty Sallaberry (replaced by René Farrait)
• 1977-1980 Carlos Meléndez (replaced by Johnny Lozada)
• 1977-1980 Fernando Sallaberry (replaced by Xavier Serbiá)
• 1977-1981 Óscar Meléndez (replaced by Miguel Cancel)
• 1979-1982 René Farrait (replaced by Charlie Masso)
• 1980-1983 Xavier Serbiá (replaced by Ray Reyes)
• 1981-1983 Miguel Cancel (replaced by Roy Rosselló)
• 1980-1984 Johnny Lozada (replaced by Robi Rosa)
• 1977-1984 Ricky Meléndez (replaced by Ricky Martin)
• 1983-1985 Ray Reyes (replaced by Raymond Acevedo)
• 1983-1986 Roy Rosselló (replaced by Sergio Blass)
• 1982-1987 Charlie Massó (replaced by Ralphy Rodríguez)
• 1984-1987 Robi Rosa (replaced by Rubén Gómez)
• 1984-1989 Ricky Martin (replaced by Rawy Torres)
• 1985-1988 Raymond Acevedo (replaced by Robert Avellanet)
• 1986-1990 Sergio Blass (replaced by Edward Aguilera)
• 1987-1988 Ralphy Rodríguez (replaced by Angelo García)
• 1988-1990 Angelo García (replaced by César Abreu)
• 1990-1990 César Abreu (replaced by Adrián Olivares)
• 1987-1990 Rubén Gómez (replaced by Jonathan Montenegro)
• 1988-1991 Robert Avellanet (replaced by Alexis Grullón)
• 1989-1991 Rawy Torres (replaced by Ashley Ruiz)
• 1991-1991 Edward Aguilera (replaced by Andy Blázquez)
• 1991-1991 Jonathan Montenegro (replaced by Abel Talamántez)
• 1990-1993 Adrián Olivares (replaced by Ricky López)
• 1991-1995 Ashley Ruiz (Replaced by Didier Hernández)
• 1991-1997 Andy Blázquez (Replaced by Daniel René Weider)
• 1991-2001 Alexis Grullón
• 1991-2001 Abel Talamántez
• 1993-1995 Ricky López (Replaced by Anthony Galindo)
• 1995-2000 Anthony Galindo
• 1995-2001 Didier Hernández
• 1997-1998 Daniel René Weider

New Lineup[link]

• 2007-2009 José Bordonada Collazo
• 2007-2009 Chris Moy
• 2007-2009 Emmanuel Vélez Pagán
• 2007-2009 José Monti Montañez
• 2007-2009 Carlos Olivero

See also[link]

	Puerto Rico portal
	Music portal

• Pop culture in Puerto Rico
• Ricky Martin
• Angelo García
• Roy Rosselló
• Miguel Cancel
• Ralphy Rodríguez
• Carlos Meléndez (singer)
• Pablo Portillo
• Caleb Avilés
• Abel Talamántez
• List of famous Puerto Ricans
• List of Menudo members

References[link]

External links[link]

• Menudo's Music on Myspace page
• MTV Making Menudo
• Menudo Myspace page
• Menudo's Gyggs page

Menudo can refer to:

• Menudo (band), boy band
  • Menudo (album), three of their albums went by this name
  • Menudo: La Reunion (2005), a music project composed of former band members
• Menudo (soup), traditional Mexican soup
• Menudo (stew), Filipino meat stew

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Look up band in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Band may refer to:

Clothing, jewelry, and accessories[link]

• Bands (neckwear), two pieces of cloth fitted around the neck as part of formal clothing for clergy, academics, and lawyers
• Bandolier or bandoleer, an ammunition belt
• Belt (clothing)
• Wedding ring or wedding band
• Strap, an elongated flap or ribbon, usually of fabric or leather

Science and technology[link]

• Band (radio), a range of frequencies or wavelengths used in radio transmission and radar
• Rubber band, a short length of rubber and latex formed in the shape of a loop
• Möbius strip or Möbius band, an artifact with interesting topological features
• Band (mathematics), an idempotent semigroup
• Spectral bands, part of the optical spectra of polyatomic systems
• Metals and semiconductors
  • Valence band
  • Conduction band
  • Band gap

Medicine and biology[link]

• Bird ringing, or bird banding, placing a numbered bands of metal on birds' legs for identification
• A group of animals, such as gorillas or coyotes
  • Herd
  • Flocking (behavior)
• Band cell, a type of white blood cell
• Protein band, see Coomassie
• Gastric band, a weight-control measure

Organizations[link]

• Bands (Italian Army irregulars), military units once in the service of the Italian Regio Esercito
• Brazilian broadcast television network Rede Bandeirantes, nicknamed Band or Band Network
• The Band (wrestling), the Total Nonstop Wrestling name for the professional wrestling stable New World Order

Society and government[link]

• Band society, a small group of humans in a simple form of society
• The primary unit of Native Americans in the United States
• Band (First Nations Canada), the primary unit of First Nations Government in Canada

People[link]

• Band (surname)

Places[link]

• Band, Mureş in Romania
• Bánd, a village in Hungary

Music[link]

• Band, a company of musicians—see Musical ensemble
  • Rock band
  • Concert band
  • School band, a group of student musicians who rehearse and perform instrumental music together
  • Marching band, a group of performers that consist of instrumental musicians who generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching (and possibly other movements) with their musical performance
• The Band, a Canadian-American rock and roll group
  • The Band (album), its eponymous album released in 1969

See also[link]

• All pages beginning with "Band"
• All pages with titles containing "Band"
• Banding (disambiguation)
• Drum and bugle corps (disambiguation)
• Stripe (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin in the Casa Rosada, September 2011.
Background information
Birth name	Enrique Martín Morales
Born	(1971-12-24) December 24, 1971 (age 40) San Juan, Puerto Rico
Genres	Pop, Latin pop, dance-pop, world, reggae, urban pop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, actor
Years active	1984–present
Labels	Columbia, Sony Music Latin, Sony Music Mexico
Associated acts	Menudo
Website	rickymartinmusic.com

Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican^[1] pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991. Throughout his career, he has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide.^[2] He is the founder of the Ricky Martin Foundation (in Spanish Fundación Ricky Martin), a non-profit charity organization aimed at human trafficking.

Martin got his start at age twelve with the all-boy pop group Menudo; after five years with the group, he released his Spanish-language solo album, Ricky Martin, in 1991. He also acted on stage and on TV in Mexico, becoming a modest star in the country. In 1994 he starred on the American TV soap opera General Hospital, playing a Puerto Rican singer. In 1999, after several albums in Spanish, he released his first English-language album (also titled Ricky Martin), which included "Livin' la Vida Loca". The album sold 22 million copies and brought Martin international fame.^[3] His other studio albums include: Me Amarás (1993), A Medio Vivir (1995), Vuelve (1998), Sound Loaded (2000), Almas del Silencio (2003), Life (2005), and Música + Alma + Sexo (2011).

On the edge of the new millennium, Martin—almost by himself—gave Latino music an international face. An acclaimed performance at the 1999 Grammy Awards launched Martin into worldwide super-stardom. As Entertainment Weekly's Andrew Essex reported, "his leather-pants, electro-pelvis version of 'La Copa de la Vida' single-handedly goosed a very dull [Grammy] telecast, earning him a standing ovation." In 2010, Martin announced that he was a "fortunate homosexual man", ending years of fan speculation on the topic. His twin sons, Matteo and Valentino, were born via a surrogate mother in 2008. Martin also co-owns a Miami restaurant, Casa Salsa, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007. On November 4, 2011, Ricky Martin was granted Spanish citizenship for his artistic merits and for his grandmother being Iberian born. Martin currently stars as Che in the Broadway revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Evita.

Early life[link]

Martin was born on December 24, 1971, in San Juan, Puerto Rico,^[4] the son of Nereida Morales, an accountant, and Enrique Martín Negroni, a psychologist. His parents divorced when he was two; his father remarried. Martin has two maternal half-brothers, Fernando and Ángel Fernández, and two paternal half-brothers, Eric and Daniel Martín, and a paternal half-sister Vanessa Martín.^[5] Martin grew up in a Roman Catholic home and was an altar boy until he joined Menudo.^[6] Martin has Spanish ancestry through his grandmother who was born in Spain^[7] and some Corsican ancestry as his paternal fourth great-grandfathers were born in Rogliano, Cap Corse, Corsica, and Vilanova i la Geltrú, Catalonia (Spain).^[8][9]

Ricky Martin was a member of Puerto Rican boy band Menudo between 1984 and 1989. After completing high school, Martin left San Juan and moved to New York City. Later, Martin moved to Mexico City where he attended the national school of space. He played lead role in a 1989 musical-theatre release named Mis Tennis Rojos (My Red Tennis Shoes) next to Angélica Vale and then followed another theater production Mama Ama el Rock (Mom Loves Rock).

Career[link]

Early solo work: 1991–1994[link]

In 1991, Ricky Martin participated in a telenovela titled Alcanzar una estrella II next to Sasha Sokol. Out of this soap opera a musical group was formed named Muñecos de Papel in which he was one of the six members; they toured several cities in Mexico and recorded two albums. His main single was "Juego de Ajedrez". A film based on the TV series was also produced in which Martin played Pablo, earning a Heraldo Award in 1993.

While acting in Mexico, Martin was signed to Sony Discos, the Sony Music Entertainment's Latin imprint, in 1990. He released his first solo album, the Spanish-language Ricky Martin, in November 1991, which included the hit singles: "Fuego Contra Fuego" and "El Amor de Mi Vida". Later, Ricky Martin performed a string of sold-out concert dates across South America.

In May 1993, Martin released his second solo album, Me Amarás, which featured a Spanish-language cover of the Laura Branigan song "Self Control", titled "Que Dia Es Hoy".

Martin moved to Los Angeles, California in 1994 and landed a role as bartender and singer Miguel Morez in the American soap opera General Hospital.

Breakthrough: 1995–1998[link]

In 1995, Martin refocused on his music career, and his third album, A Medio Vivir, became an international breakthrough. With this album, Martin made a shift from formulaic hit ballads to a more risky fusion of music centered around traditional Latin sounds, epitomized by the hit "Maria". The song broke Martin into Europe via Spain.^[10] "Maria" went to number one in France, Belgium Wallonia and Australia, and reached the top ten in most European countries; it even charted on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number eighty-eight.^[11] With the ballad "Te Extraño, Te Olvido, Te Amo", Martin furthered his expansion from Latin American and Spanish-speaking audiences to the European and Asian markets.^[12] The album has sold over 3 million copies worldwide.

After the conclusion of a worldwide tour, Martin returned to New York to appear in a Broadway theatre production for the first time, joining the cast of the hit musical Les Misérables to play the romantic lead, Marius Pontmercy.

While on Broadway, Martin returned to the studio and recorded his fourth album, Vuelve (1998). The title track and the ballad "Perdido Sin Tí" both hit number one on the Hot Latin Songs. The album's pinnacle, however, was "La Copa de la Vida", which Martin made a major hit in an English version when he was chosen to sing the anthem of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. "La Copa de la Vida" reached number one on the charts around the world and went gold and platinum in various countries. It was awarded Pop Song of the Year at the 1999 Lo Nuestro Awards.^[13] Further singles included: "La Bomba", "Por Arriba, Por Abajo" and "Corazonado". Vuelve spent twenty-six weeks at number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums. It became Martin's first top forty album on the Billboard 200 in the United States, where it was certified platinum by the RIAA. The album also went to number one in Spain and Norway, and sold over eight million copies worldwide.^[14]

Martin was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album for Vuelve, and was booked to sing on the 41st Grammy Awards live TV broadcast. The now-legendary performance of "The Cup of Life" stopped the show, earning Martin an unexpected standing ovation and introducing the star to the mainstream American audience.^[15][16] Martin capped off the evening by winning the Grammy Award.

Crossover to English: 1999–2002[link]

After several years as a major star in Spanish-speaking countries, Martin prepared his first English album in 1999. The self-titled album contained material by writers and producers such as Desmond Child, Diane Warren, William Orbit, George Noriega and his longtime childhood friend Draco Rosa. The album also featured special guests: Madonna on the Spanish-English duet "Be Careful (Cuidado con mi Corazón)" and Meja on "Private Emotion".

The first and most prominent single was "Livin' la Vida Loca", which reached number one in many countries around the world, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. It was followed by "She's All I Ever Had" which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Both tracks peaked at number one on the Hot Latin Songs. "Livin' la Vida Loca" is generally seen as the song that began the Latin pop explosion of 1999 and made the transition of other Latin artists (first Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias, then later Shakira) into the English-speaking market easier. Ricky Martin became one of the top-selling albums of 1999, and was certified 7× platinum in the United States, selling over 22 million copies worldwide. In October 1999, Martin embarked on a very successful year-long Livin' la Vida Loca Tour.

After this success, a new English-language album, Sound Loaded, was released in November 2000. It debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and was certified 2× platinum by the RIAA. "She Bangs" and "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" (duet with Christina Aguilera) peaked at number twelve and thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. Both singles reached number one on the Hot Latin Songs. Sound Loaded has sold over 8 million copies worldwide.

In February 2001, Martin released a Spanish greatest hits album entitled La Historia, which went to number one for five weeks on the Billboard Top Latin Albums and debuted at number eighty-three on the Billboard 200. It also topped the chart in Sweden for three weeks. The album contained reworkings of two of his early songs "Fuego Contra Fuego" and "El Amor de Mi Vida". In November 2001, an English-language greatest hits album, The Best of Ricky Martin was released outside North America. It contained two new remixes of "Amor".

[edit] Almas del Silencio and Life: 2003–2006

Ricky Martin in 2005.

In May 2003, Martin released a new Spanish album Almas del Silencio. The first single, "Tal Vez", debuted at number one on the Hot Latin Songs and stayed there for eleven weeks. Martin said of the new album: "I really needed to go back to focus, to my center, to the beginning. I had the need to search within, and really dig deep, and find those emotions that, because of the adrenaline and the euphoria that I lived for a couple of years, were probably sabotaged."^[17] Almas del Silencio debuted at number twelve on the Billboard 200 and reached number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums where it stayed for six weeks. The album sold more than one million copies worldwide.^[18] The next singles, "Jaleo" and "Y Todo Queda en Nada", reached number one on the Hot Latin Songs. "Jaleo" also topped the chart in Spain for four weeks.

In October 2005, Martin released his first English-language album since 2000's Sound Loaded and the tenth album of his career. Most of the songs on the album, called Life, were co-written by Martin. He commented on the album: "I was really in touch with my emotions. I think this album is very multi-layered, just like life is. It's about feeling anger. It's about feeling joy. It's about feeling uncertainty. It's about feeling. And all my emotions are part of this production."^[19] The album debuted at number six on the Billboard 200. The first single from the album, "I Don't Care", featured guest appearances by Fat Joe and Amerie. It peaked at number three on the Hot Dance Club Songs and number sixty-five on the Billboard Hot 100. Another song from the album, "It's Alright" was re-recorded as a duet with French singer M. Pokora. It was successful in French-speaking countries, reaching number four in France.

Soon after, Martin announced his One Night Only with Ricky Martin tour. Starting in Mexico City, the tour premiered on November 15, 2005. After finishing the first leg which included Latin America and the United States, Martin performed at the 2006 Winter Olympics closing ceremony in Turin. A few days later, he announced the second leg of his world tour, which included Europe and Africa. The second leg started on April 21, 2006 in Manchester, UK, and ended on June 3, 2006 in Tel Aviv, Israel.

[edit] MTV Unplugged and a world tour: 2006–2007

On August 17, 2006, Ricky Martin taped his MTV Unplugged concert in Miami. It premiered on MTV Latin America, MTV Tr3s and MTV Puerto Rico in October 2006 and was released on CD and DVD in November 2006. The album was a critical and commercial success. It debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums and number thirty-eight on the Billboard 200. At the Latin Grammy Awards of 2008, MTV Unplugged received Latin Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Album and for Best Long Form Music Video. The first single, "Tu Recuerdo" which featured La Mari of Chambao, reached number one for three weeks on the Hot Latin Songs. The next single, "Pégate" peaked at number six on the Hot Dance Club Songs.

On February 19, 2007, Martin began his worldwide Black and White Tour^[20] which started with a performance at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in Puerto Rico and concluded with a presentation at the Madison Square Garden in New York City on October 14, 2007.^[20] He also recorded a duet with Eros Ramazzotti, "Non siamo soli" which topped the Italian chart for eleven consecutive weeks.

Career break: 2007–2010[link]

After finishing his worldwide tour, Martin took a break from the music industry and focused on his private life. In November 2007, Sony BMG Norte released Ricky Martin Live: Black and White Tour on CD, DVD and Blu-ray Disc. One year later, a Spanish-language greatest hits album was released, entitled 17. It was a summary of seventeen years of Martin's musical career, which included mostly Spanish-language songs.

Autobiography and a new album: 2010–present[link]

Martin performing in Chicago on April 19, 2011.

Ricky Martin's autobiography, Me, was published on November 2, 2010. The book became The New York Times Best Seller list,^[21] debuting at number five on the Hardcover Nonfiction list. A Spanish-language edition entitled Yo was published simultaneously.

Martin's single, "The Best Thing About Me Is You" featuring Joss Stone also premiered on November 2, 2010 and peaked at number seventy-four on the Billboard Hot 100. The Spanish version, "Lo Mejor de Mi Vida Eres Tú" topped the Hot Latin Songs for two weeks. It was followed by a new studio album, Música + Alma + Sexo released on January 31, 2011.^[22] It debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and became the highest charting, primarily-Spanish language album in the United States, since Dreaming of You by Selena.^[23] Música + Alma + Sexo also represents the highest ever chart debut on the Billboard 200 for a Sony Music Latin release.^[24] It spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums. On March 25, 2011, Martin started his Música + Alma + Sexo World Tour, which ended on November 12, 2011. The second single from the album, "Más" was released on April 5, 2011 and peaked at number seven on the Hot Dance Club Songs. "Frío" featuring Wisin & Yandel was chosen as the third single.

17: Greatest Hits was released on July 11, 2011 exclusively in the United Kingdom. Ricky Martin will be playing Ché in the Broadway revival of the show Evita, scheduled to begin previews on Broadway in March 2012, ahead of an opening in April 2012.^[25] He received mixed reviews.

Ricky Martin guest-starred as a Spanish teacher on the FOX TV show Glee episode "The Spanish Teacher" on February 7, 2012.^[26] Martin premiered his "Ricky's Lip Conditionioner" lip balm in April 2012 as part of the M.A.C Cosmetics "Ricky and Nicki for Viva Glam" campaign. The advertisements for the range paired him with rapper Nicki Minaj. Martin's signature is featured on the lip balm packaging.^[27]

Personal life[link]

Ricky Martin at a Puerto Rican Day annual parade in New York City

In the past Martin stated he was in love with Mexican TV host Rebecca de Alba, with whom he had an on-again off-again relationship for over 14 years. They even talked of starting a family together,^[28][29][30] and at one point Martin planned on proposing.^[31] However with the release of Life in 2005, Martin confirmed he and De Alba had parted ways.^[32][33]

In August 2008, Martin became the father of twin boys, Matteo and Valentino. The babies were birthed by a surrogate mother.^[34]

After the success of "Livin' la Vida Loca", Martin's personal life became a subject of interest due to his large gay following, and he was questioned about his sexual orientation. In a December 2000 interview with The Mirror, Martin was asked to comment on the rumors surrounding his sexuality. He replied that "I don't think I should have to tell anyone if I am gay or not, or who I've slept with or not."^[35][36] On March 29, 2010, Martin publicly acknowledged his homosexuality in a post on his official website stating, "I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am."^[37][38] Martin said that "these years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within, and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn't even know existed."^[39] In 2010, prior to Martin coming out, Barbara Walters expressed some regret for pushing Martin in a 2000 interview to admit if he was gay. The Toronto Star quoted her as saying, "When I think back on it now, I feel it was an inappropriate question."^[40][41]

Martin announced on The Oprah Winfrey Show that he was in a relationship.^[42] In 2011, during his acceptance speech of the Vito Russo Award at the 22nd GLAAD Media Awards, Martin publicly thanked his boyfriend, Carlos González Abella, an economist.^[43][44] Martin has also expressed support for same-sex marriage in an interview on Larry King Live, and commented on his experience of being closeted and coming out. "Everything about saying that I am gay feels right...", Martin stated, adding "if I’d known how good it was going to feel, I would have done it ten years ago."^[45]

Martin was raised Catholic, but says he is open to all sorts of religious beliefs, especially the Buddhist philosophy, although he does not identify as a Buddhist.^[46]

On November 4, 2011, he acquired Spanish nationality in recognition of his artistic talents and for having roots in the country-Martin's grandmother is Spanish, and he owns a residence in Madrid. As a Spanish citizen he can now marry his boyfriend in Spain. Although he could also marry in some states of the United States, Martin wishes to marry in Spain to recognize the efforts of Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in defense of LGBT rights.^{[47] [48]} On September 9, 2011 he sold his home in Miami for $6.3 million that he had bought in 2007 for $16.5 million.^[49] He was married to his partner in a New York ceremony on January 28, 2012.^[50][51] In a public statement, written in Spanish, Martin explicitly stated that he has not abandoned his Puerto Ricaness: "I was born in Puerto Rico, I am a Puerto Rican, and that (Puerto Rico) is my country. Spain is a country that conjures up many sentiments for me due to my ancestral roots, and the strong love the country has given me since I first visited."^{[citation needed]}

Humanitarian work[link]

Martin is the founder of Fundación Ricky Martin (Ricky Martin Foundation), a non-profit organization. Among the events promoted by the foundation was a summer camp, which included Martin's personal participation.^[52]

Martin has been honored with many accolades for his humanitarian efforts including: Leadership in the Arts Award, Billboard's Spirit of Hope Award, ALMA Award, Vanguard Award, International Humanitarian Award by the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, Hispanic Heritage Award for his humanitarian work through the Sabera Foundation in rescuing three orphan girls from the streets of Kolkata (September 2002).

Martin has also collaborated with the International Organization for Migration on the Llama y Vive (Call and Live), a campaign which is aimed to facilitate prevention of human trafficking, protection of the youngest victims of child trafficking, and prosecution of the traffickers. For his work against human trafficking, the United States Department of State named Martin one of its Heroes in Ending Modern-Day Slavery in 2005.

Politics[link]

Ricky Martin in Congress, with Luis Fortuño (far left), Tom Lantos (left) and Chris Smith (right).

Martin was a headliner in the 2001 inauguration ball for President George W. Bush; he even invited the newly elected president to join him on stage to dance. This image was captured by photographers and broadcast in various media throughout the world. Martin referred to it in a later song, "Asignatura Pendiente".

Martin has since changed his position on the former President. In a concert in Puerto Rico during the song Asignatura Pendiente Martin thrust his middle finger disapprovingly in the air while singing the line "photo with Bush". The gesture met with audience approval but caused a minor controversy with the media. Martin said in an e-mail statement sent to the Associated Press via a spokesman: "My convictions of peace and life go beyond any government and political agenda and as long as I have a voice onstage and offstage, I will always condemn war and those who promulgate it".^[53]

Discography[link]

• Ricky Martin (1991)
• Me Amarás (1993)
• A Medio Vivir (1995)
• Vuelve (1998)
• Ricky Martin (1999)
• Sound Loaded (2000)
• Almas del Silencio (2003)
• Life (2005)
• Música + Alma + Sexo (2011)

Filmography[link]

• 1987 : Por siempre amigos (TV series) as Ricky
• 1990 : Alcanzar una estrella (TV series) as Pablo Loredo
• 1991 : Alcanzar una estrella II (TV series) as Pablo Loredo
• 1992 : Más que alcanzar una estrella as Enrique
• 1993 : Getting By (TV series) as Martin
• 1994 : General Hospital (TV series) as Miguel Morez (1994–95)
• 1996 : Barefoot in Paradise (TV series) as Sandoval
• 1997 : Hercules (Spanish Language, Voice Only) as Hercules
• 2002 : Les Diables as Brian Rodriguez
• 2012 : Glee (TV series) as David Martinez

Theatre[link]

• Les Misérables (1996), Broadway – Marius
• Evita, (2012), Broadway – Ché

Tours[link]

• Ricky Martin Tour (1992)
• Me Amaras Tour (1993–1994)
• A Medio Vivir Tour (1995–1997)
• Vuelve World Tour (1998)
• Livin' la Vida Loca Tour (1999–2000)
• One Night Only with Ricky Martin (2005–2006)
• Black and White Tour (2007)
• Música + Alma + Sexo World Tour^[54] (2011)

Records and achievements[link]

• Martin was chosen along with Félix Trinidad in 1999, to lead Puerto Rico's worldwide tourism campaign, both exemplifying Puerto Rico's youthfulness, enthusiasm and indefatigable character.
• In February 2004, Martin received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Lo Nuestro Awards in Miami.
• Martin was honored as the 2006 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year by the Latin Recording Academy on November 1, 2006. He was chosen for his accomplishments as a world renowned entertainer, consummate performer and passionate humanitarian. A portion of the proceeds from the evening's tribute dinner was used for benefitting Ricky Martin's charitable efforts.
• On October 16, 2007, Martin received the 2351st Hollywood Walk of Fame star,^[55] shortly after receiving the key to the city of Miami Beach, Florida on October 11. The star is located beside the Hollywood and Highland complex. Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Rita Moreno were invited to the unveiling ceremony.^[20]
• In 2008, Puerto Rico declared August 31 to be International Ricky Martin Day.
• In 2011, Martin was awarded Spanish citizenship to honor his contributions to the arts.^[1]

• In addition to the numerous awards received throughout his musical career, Martin has also been honored with many accolades for his humanitarian efforts.

See also[link]

	Puerto Rico portal
	Biography portal
	Latin American music portal

• List of best-selling music artists
• List of Puerto Ricans
• Honorific nicknames in popular music
• White Latin American

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ricky Martin

• Official website
• Ricky Martin at the Internet Movie Database
• Ricky Martin on Twitter