Bomba-1

External audio
	You may listen to the "Bomba Puertorriqueña" as performed at the Nuyorican Cafe in Puerto Rico here

Bomba is one of the traditional musical styles of Puerto Rico.^[1] It is a largely African-derived music.^[1] The rhythm and beat are played by a set of floor drums, cuá and a maraca.^[1] Dance is an integral part of the music: the dancers move their bodies to every beat of the drum, making bomba a very energetic and rich dance.^[1]

Bomba is described to be a challenge/connection between the drummer and the dancer. The dancer produces a series of gestures to which the primo o subidor drummer provides a synchronized beat. Thus, it is the drummer who attempts to follow the dancer and not the other way around. The dancer must be in great physical shape and the challenge usually continues until either the dancer discontinues.

The main instruments used in bomba style music are one or two lower pitch floor drums used to create a base rhythm called buleadores, and a higher pitch drum called primo or subidor which accentuates the beat with improvised patterns. Other instruments used are the palitos or cuá, which are sticks that are struck against any, usually wooden, surface. A single large maraca usually completes the sound of bomba, though a güiro has commonly been used in orchestral arrangements.Both of these last two instruments have origins in the Taino culture of the Caribbean Basin.

History[link]

The basic music style was brought to Puerto Rico during the colonial slave trade.^[1] It originates in Kongo, although the majority of slaves can be traced back to many different areas of West and Central Africa.^[1] The dance was mostly practiced at the northern, southern and western coasts of the island where the majority of Africa's descendants lived. It is said by most bomba practitioners around the island that the town of Mayagüez is considered the birth place of bomba in Puerto Rico. The men use a series of hip and hand movements. The women use similar movements, however the movements are often augmented by the use of their skirts. In bomba shows, the typical apparel worn by the dancers is what slaves may have used in social gatherings. Men wear a white outfit and Panama hat and women wear big plantation skirts and a head scarf or bundaloo.

Instruments[link]

The traditional drums used in bomba are called barriles, since they have long been built from the wood of barrels. The high pitch drum is called "subidor" (riser) or "primo" (cousin), and the low pitch drums are called "buleador" and "segundo" (second).

Rhythmic Styles[link]

There are several styles of bomba, and the popularity of these styles varies by region. The four most common rhythms are called "sica", "yuba", "cuembé", and "holandés", though there are more than 20.

duple metre

• bambulaé
• belén
• calindá
• cocobalé
• cuembe or güembe
• cunyá
• danué
• gracima
• holandé or holandés
• Paulé
• seis corrido
• sicá

triple metre

• corve
• holandé seis por ocho
• leró
• mariandá
• rule
• yubá

Performers[link]

So far, Rafael Cortijo has been one of the few successful artists in taking bomba to the mainstream with his Combo in the 1950s and 1960s. Puerto Rican composer Roberto Angleró wrote and sang "Si Dios fuera negro" ("If God Was Black"), a huge hit in Puerto Rico, Peru and Colombia during the early 1980s. Rubén Blades made a cover version of it once; the song was even translated to French and became a minor hit in Martinique.

Willie Colón adds occasional bomba breaks to his songs, most particularly in sections of his biggest solo hit, "El Gran Varón". Ricky Martin also mixes a bit of authentic bomba rhythm with other Latino influences in his aptly named song La Bomba.

In California it has been popularized at by Maestros de Bomba en la Bahía at La Peña Cultural Center.^[1]

Further reading[link]

• Aparicio, Frances R., "Listening to salsa: gender, Latin popular music, and Puerto Rican cultures", Wesleyan University Press, 1998. ISBN 978-0-8195-6308-8. Cf. p. 12 and book index.

Puerto Rico portal

References[link]

External links[link]

• Welcome to Puerto Rico: Music - see Bomba y Plena
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QS-PXr-_5g

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

Edin Osmić (born December 22, 1978), better known by his stage name Edo Maajka, is a Bosnian rapper, record producer and songwriter. His popularity brought his group, Disciplinska Komisijaa, which Frenkie is a part of, to the mainstream. His stage name literally means "Edo the Mother". He is currently the most sought after hip hop star in Bosnia and the surrounding countries.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Edin Osmić was born and raised in Brčko (at the time SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia) where he finished his elementary schooling. In 1992 when the Bosnian war started, he left Bosnia and Herzegovina and went to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, where he began attending secondary mechanical engineering school.^[1] After the war, he returned to Bosnia to study criminal law in Tuzla, but never graduated.^[1]

He took an interest in hip-hop when he was still in high school and began battling at the age of 15. He also recorded a few of his demos on his own, creating his own backing by beatboxing. He went to Tuzla and became a member of the hardcore rap group Diskord, later named Odbrana (Defence). The group became one of the best in the city of Tuzla and all of Bosnia. Their demo single "Odbrana '99" (Defence '99) was the hit of the year on the "Radio Hit" station in Brčko.^[1]

After a year of studying, he left school due to financial problems and returned to Zagreb to meet a friend (from the group Elemental) and recorded his first single "Minimalni rizik" (Minimum Risk) and, a month later, "Mahir i Alma". The songs were top hits on the Zagreb "Radio 101" station's show "Blackout" and the response was enthusiastic. The demo, "Mahir i Alma", became Kameleon's hit of 2001.^[2][3]

Career[link]

Debut album (2001 - 2004)[link]

Edo Maajka announced his debut album with the single Znaš me. He released his debut album, Slušaj mater, in the spring of 2002 under the Menart and Fmjam label. He released two more singles, Jesmo'l sami (Are we alone) at the end of 2002 and Prikaze (Spectres) at the beginning in 2003, which officially closed the album.^[4] He was featured by other artists, such as in "Teško je ful biti kul" by Hladno Pivo, "Rat" by Pioniri among others.

Second album (2004 - 2006)[link]

In April 2004, he released his second album No Sikiriki. On day one, the album sold 5000 copies.^[5] He toured until the end of the year to promote his second album. In 2005, Maajka toured the USA and Canada, visiting cities including Toronto, St. Louis, New York, Atlanta and Detroit, first time a Bosnian hip hop star has toured North America.^[6]

Third album (2006 - 2008)[link]

Recording of songs for the third studio album Stig'o Ćumur (Coal's Arrived) started in August 2005, and the album was released in March 2006. The first single was "To mora da je ljubav" (It Must Be Love) featuring Remi from Elemental), for which he shot the music video in Sarajevo. He started the promotion of his third album at the end of March, the day his album was released.

In January 2007, Maajka's single "Bomba" was featured in an episode of the TV series Sleeper Cell.^[7] In the summer of 2007, Maajka and his band decided to part, but remained good friends.^[8]

Fourth album (2008 - 2012)[link]

His fourth album was released on March 25, 2008. The album's name was changed from Sjeti Se to Idemo Dalje. In December 2008 the album received the name Balkansko a Naše. At the beginning of June he announced that he created a new band called TRNOKOP and the band premiered at the Rokajfest.^[9]

At the end of 2008, "Balkansko a Nase" came at number 36 of the year's top albums. ^[10]

In June 2010, he released his best off album Spomen ploča 2002-2009, but he redid the album with his newly formed band, where they would use band instruments as the music and softer vocals.^[11]

Edo Maajka was also featured as a judge and performer in the first Red Bull MC Battle that was held in Sarajevo, Bosnia on Arpil 23, 2010. The next year, he was the host for the Bosnian Red Bull MC Battle 2011. ^[12]

Fifth album (2012 - present)[link]

Edo announced that his 5th studio album, entitled Štrajk mozga, will be released in early 2012.^[13][14] The first music video and second single from his new album was released on December 26 2011 and is called "Panika".^[14]

Artistry[link]

Influences and rapping technique[link]

Edo Maajka has named several artists that have influenced him, including Rambo Amadeus, TBF, Safet Isović, Miladin Šobić, Azra, Zabranjeno Pušenje, Disciplina Kičme, Atomsko Sklonište, Majke, Rupa u Zidu among others.^[15]

His rapping technique is described as having a perfect flow,^[16] also his varied subject matter, connecting with his audience, carrying a concept over a series of albums and got most praised for his ability to write brilliant lyrics.^[16]

His lyrics have also been described as a variation in connecting emotionally to the viewer. As Anur Hadžiomerspahić says "once you start listening to a Edo Maajka song, when you first star listening it hits you, gives you goosebumps and grabs you by the throat, then the very next verse makes you laugh. ^[17]

Alter ego[link]

Edo Maajka has an alter ego or pseudonym that he names MC Berbo.^[18] He is described as a man who loves drugs, alcohol, fast and expensive cars, women and pop music.^[18] Edo maajka stated that the character of Berbo is the complete opposite of himself and that it is more of a joke than taken seriously.^[19]

Themes and lyrical content[link]

Edo Maajka started his career with storytelling songs with the demo songs of "Minimalni rizik" (small risk) and the storytelling/love songs "Mahir i Alma". He is known for his brilliant storytelling ability.^[1][16][20]

Personal life[link]

Business ventures[link]

In September 2006, Edo Maajka opened up a cafe bar called "No sikiriki", named after his second album.^[21] Along with beverages, the cafe also serves Edo's favorite food, cevapi.^[22]

Along with the cafe bar, he also plans to publish a weekly magazine which will only focus on positive things that are happening in everyday life and the music scene.^[23]

Legal issues[link]

Edo Maajka released his first single and music video for his third album, named "To mora da je ljubav", before his album came out, in which his producer. Koolade, used a the song "Cissy Strut" from 1969 by The Meters. Some media outlets^[who?] have criticized him for plagiarizing the music in the song. Edo answered back by saying "Sampling is not stealing. In hip hop you sample music, you take someones beat and rap on that beat. My album was postponed 1 week just because of that reason, while we waited for the authorization to use that song. The fact is that sometimes this waiting for authorization can be as long as one year, we redid the beat a little, gave credit to the author and not on us. You can see that the credit goes to the author on the inside cover of the album. Hip hop is made up of sampling, that is normal. On this particular track, Koolade is not named as the beat maker, but the author is.^[24] Remi, who is featured on the song, also gave a comment on the issue, saying that "That is not stealing, we are dealing with sampling of a already made song. You take one part of a song and combine it with your text. People who are not in hip hop don't usually know that this is a practice in this type of music.^[25]

Sports Hall Incident[link]

Edo maajka held a concert in the Sports Hall (Dom sportova) in 2005. The sponsor for the concert was T-mobile Croatia. Edo held a press conference before the concert where he criticized his sponsors for the firing of workers after they changed their "brand".^[25] He also explained his decision to work with a telecommunications monopoly by saying that he wanted his ticket for his concert to be 45 kuna or less.^[25] He added "you can only do that with a compromise, no one is criticizing Hladno Pivo that they sold out because their sponsor for the tour was Ozujka beer, whose owners are also foreigners".^[25]

Concert in Serbia controversy[link]

Bassivity (music label that released Edo Maajka's album in Serbia) promoted a concert fro Edo Maajka, unknown to Edo Maajka. When Edo was asked about this in an interview for Svet magazine, he replied "I don't know where this idea that I will promote my album in Belgrade came from? "Bassivity" did that promotion on their own. I don't plan to go to Serbia, at least in the coming months. I don't want to go to a country that promotes the burning of mosques, and yet thousands of young people are howling on the streets. If I come to Serbia for a album promotion, which I promised to do, I am sure that it will not be for a while."^[13] Svet also tried to bring some of Edo mistakes from the past to the light, in which they stated that he was supposed to have concert with Mile Kitic, but they never reveled the source for that.^[13] In the same interview, Svet made some untrue and false accusations against Edo Maajka and his family, saying that his brother ans sister "live from black marketing in Northern Bosnia" and that his close family live of pirate sales from his own albums.^[13]

UNICEF's Education Action in Bosnia[link]

Edo Maajka was one of three artists that was featured in UNICEF's education program in Bosnia against AIDS.^[26]

Refusal to air video spot[link]

At the end of November 2005, a month after Edo Maajka premiered his video for the single Mater Vam Jebem on MTV Adria, HTV and Nova TV refused to air that video spot based on the name of the song and some theorized because the songs lyrics were critical of the countries leaders and the media. ^[27].

Feuds[link]

Throughout his career Edo Maajka had several feuds, although most of them have been with artists that are not hip hop musicians.

Severina[link]

In 2004, a sex tape was released on the in internet that featured pop star Severina and Croatian business man Milan Lučić.^[28] Edo Maajka addressed this sex tape on the 2004 song "Kliše" (Cliche), in which he said "We all can rap, everyone can F*** Severina".^[29][30] Severina answered back in her 2004 summer single "Hrvatica" with the lyrics: "rappers raise a revolt, your kids are listening to the wrong mother (Maajka)".^[31] In the feud Croatian hip hop artist and producer Bizzo was almost pulled into the feud, as he was supposed to be in the video spot of the song "Hrvatica", where Severina calls out Edo Maajka, but after he talked to Severina, Bizzo found out that it contained those lyrics, mentioned earlier, and he backed out because he felt that it was a bad move on the part of Severina, but mostly because he thought the lyrics were geared towards the nationality of Edo Maajka, him being a Bosnian Muslim.^[32] A number of media outlets have criticized Severina for only going after Edo Maajka, determining that she went after him because he was more popular than she was in Croatia, yet he is not a Croatian.^[33] Also media have criticized her attack on Edo Maajka because others have made fun of her and named her in a number of songs about her sex tape, yet she failed to say anything to them, thus sustaining that the response to Edo Maajka was based on popularity and national orientation.^[32][33] Ironically, on the same album the Edo Maajka takes a shot at Severina, he lends support to her when she left her record company, but then the same record company released a best off album of hers after she left and Edo Maajka on hios single "Prziiii" states that "Come to Croatia Records we'll make you a male Severina, we'll release your album after you leave us", implying that the artist does not get any money from the sales.^[34]