Ricky Martin family. Singer Ricky Martin: biography, personal life, creativity

Popular singer wrote a book of revelations, which immediately became a bestseller

In December in the USA and Latin America The memoirs of the popular Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin became a bestseller. He titled his book briefly and simply - “I”. Well-known American television journalist Larry King decided to find out how frank the idol of millions of listeners around the world was with his fans. Shortly before Martin's 39th birthday (December 24), he invited the singer to the CNN studio

“Mom was the first one to whom I confessed that I was in love with a man.”

Good evening! Today our guest is Ricky Martin, a Grammy Award winner, a singer whose discs have sold over 80 million copies around the world! Ricky, you wrote a book about your life. Why now? And why did I give it such a name?

The book has this title because it is about me. About my ups and downs, about life and career. About my children. And now, because I felt irresistible desire tell your story yourself.

- You have twins, right?

Yes, two boys. I love them very much. I admit, I always dreamed of becoming a father.

- Really?

I assure you. I have wonderful memories of my father. And I wanted to have my own family.

- Was it difficult to write?

At times I felt unbearably tense. Not everything in life was smooth. Reconstructing some events in detail caused me pain. But I had to finish what I started.

- It's clear. Since you're talking about children, tell us how you became the father of twins?

I turned to a surrogate mother for help. Believe me, I considered many options. It was possible to adopt a child. But I liked the path I chose better.

- So, they used your sperm during conception?

Mine. Everything turned out to be simple. From the moment I first typed the words “ surrogate mother“, and until the moment when he took my sons in his arms, exactly a year passed.

- Great. Listen, how old were you when you started your singing career?

12 years old. This was in Puerto Rico. I was accepted into the boy group “Menudo” in 1984. The team members were already celebrities. I sang with them for five years. It was a hard life. We gave several concerts every day. They moved from city to city, from country to country. On the other hand, I went through an excellent school. Learned discipline. Well, you know, at that age you feel like a star! Just yesterday I was riding my bike to school in Puerto Rico, and today I’m flying on a private Boeing 737! Now I understand that we were used to siphon money. And then I was just tired. I needed a break. I left the group and came to New York. For the first time in my life I felt free, I didn’t have to follow a rigid schedule. And I looked at the stage with different eyes. Singing began to bring me joy again.

I was at your first solo concert in NYC. Great show. My son was then six months old. You picked him up and danced with him on stage while he laughed.

I remember this too.

Ricky, already at the beginning of your career, rumors began to spread about your sexual orientation. Why didn’t you immediately tell me that you were homosexual?

There are several reasons, Larry. First of all, I just wasn't ready to admit it. Sometimes it’s hard to say such things to yourself! Secondly, they simply wouldn’t let me.

- Who?

Producers.

- Why?

You've seen my performances and videos. They are built on sensuality and sexuality. They created a macho image for me. And they succeeded in this, you must agree. My revelations would ruin everything.

Okay, who was the first person you confessed your homosexuality to? I don't mean your partners, of course.

The first was mom. In fact, she started this conversation. I came home for a few days. She said that I looked great, that I looked happy. “Only a person in love looks like that. Are you in love, son?” - Mom asked. And I really was in love then. “And this is a man?” - Mom asked. I couldn't deceive her. “Yes, man,” I replied. She said, “Come and hug me, son!” That was incredible! Such a heavy burden has been lifted from my shoulders. And when my dad congratulated me, I almost burst into tears. He patted me on the shoulder and said: “Be happy, son!”

- Listen, but how did you manage to pretend to be a macho so well? They say gays don't like women.

It's a delusion. I'm gay, but I love dancing with women. You know, it seems to me that for a long time I could not understand who I was.

-Have you had sexual relations with women?

Yes. In general, the sexuality of any person is a whole complex of instincts, sensations, and misconceptions. This is a search. And everyone goes their own way. I have fallen in love with both women and men. I felt good with both of them.

- In the physical sense?

That's what I'm talking about.

- So you are bisexual?

Honestly, I don’t care about all this terminology. Today I am a homosexual. And I'm happy. I feel good. For many years I considered myself bisexual. Perhaps he was mistaken. One thing I can say for sure, I never deceived my partners, I was faithful to them regardless of their gender. And one more thing - I was never interested in casual acquaintances, one-night stands. Even if I liked someone sexually, I was in no hurry to jump into bed with this person, shouting at the same time: “I’m Ricky Martin!”

- So, you made your sensational confession.

March 29, 2010. It was Monday. I wrote a press statement on Friday. But I didn’t send it right away. Support was needed, although I felt ready to tell the truth. On Saturday, my mother flew to see me in Miami. And it became easy.

- Tell me, when did you first realize that something was wrong with you? Lord, forgive me, it seems I blurted out something stupid.

It's okay, Larry. The meaning of the question is clear. I was 20 years old. I fell in love with a man for the first time. And for his sake I was ready to give up my career and leave show business.

- Did he have anything to do with show business?

None. We were both young, we wanted to live for our own pleasure, to travel Naive romantics.

- And how did it all end?

Nothing like the vast majority of similar novels at that age. But the breakup was terrible. My heart was breaking with pain. I decided I was wrong and started dating women again.

You know, I was thinking now that perhaps there was a certain role in your sexual problems Did religion also play a role? Are you a Catholic?

Yes. I was raised and raised as a Catholic. As you know, there are many religions that are okay with homosexuality. But not Catholicism.

- Do you have a partner now?

Yes, I have a loved one, and we are happy. It is possible that soon we will go out together and appear at various events and ceremonies.

- Aren't you afraid that they will laugh at you?

I don't see anything wrong with this. I am constantly insulted, but I don’t notice it.

- Are they insulting? Where?

I receive hundreds of letters every day, regular and electronic. The vast majority of them are kind and sincere. But there will definitely be a couple written evil people, who set themselves the only goal - to hurt me as painfully as possible.

“I melt like ice cream in the sun when my twins hug me and confess their love.”

- Tell me, you disappeared for a long time, took care of the children. Don't you miss being on stage?

And how! I'm ready to go back. And I hope that this will happen soon. In March I'm going on a world tour with a new program.

- Good news. Have you always wanted to become a singer?

I was nine years old when I decided to become an artist. When all my aunts and uncles gathered at home, I would seat them, and then take a wooden spoon and sing to them, holding it in front of me like a microphone. And at the age of 12 I was already in the Menudo group.

- How does your partner feel about children?

Very good. My twins get along with him, they love him.

- Have your sons changed your life, you?

But what? Everything revolves around them.

- Don't you get tired of this?

Not at all. Their love keeps me going. I melt like ice cream in the sun when these tomboys hug me and whisper: “Papi, te amo” (“Daddy, I love you” in Spanish. - Ed.). And they know this and confess their love to me every hour.

- And you understand that they do not belong to you, but you belong to them.

That's for sure. They own me, my home. When I was a boy, I asked my parents for permission to go for a walk. Now, to leave, I ask my children for permission.

-Will you take them on tour with you?

Certainly. They already have passports. The children go with me everywhere. I am often criticized for this. They say that children need stability, and constant travel is harmful to their development. I answer, what could be more stable and reliable for a child than the presence of his own father? I have always been there for them, since their birth.

- They don’t ask where their mother is?

Not yet, but when that moment comes, I will try to explain to them that everyone is different. There are families with two parents, and there are families with one. Nowadays there are many families where children have two dads or two mothers. And sometimes there are three mothers. So we have a completely modern happy family.

- How did your parents perceive the appearance of their grandchildren?

With delight. Judge for yourself, Larry. For ten years I tried to persuade my mother to move to Miami with me, but she even refused to stay for the holidays. She said, you better come to us. And then before I knew it, she was already standing in my living room, cuddling the twins. Now she lives with us.

- And your father?

Oh, he's a psychologist. True, retired. Lives in Puerto Rico, but we see each other much more often now.

- I know that you founded charitable foundation wearing your name. What does this organization do?

Many years ago I was invited to visit an orphanage in Calcutta. I thought this was an ordinary orphanage. It turned out that there were children living there who had previously been forced into prostitution. It was terrible, Larry. Girls aged 4 to 7 years! And they have already become a commodity. I promised myself that I would fight this terrible phenomenon- with child prostitution, child trafficking. He flew to Washington and began meeting with different people: lawyers, human rights activists, politicians, financiers. I found like-minded people. This is how my foundation came into being. And it works. We help children all over the world.

- Your foundation helps victims of the earthquake in Haiti, right?

And them too. Previously, we provided accommodation for children left orphans as a result of the tsunami in Thailand. Child trafficking and child prostitution flourish precisely in areas where natural disasters or wars have occurred. General poverty and hunger push people to do terrible things. And children, as the most defenseless, are sold into slavery, including sexual slavery, or, as creepy as it sounds, they are sold for their organs. I know hundreds of stories like this, Larry.

A talented Puerto Rican musician named Ricky Martin is today one of the most famous gay men in the world who has publicly admitted his unconventional sexual orientation. Singer Ricky Martin was twice included in the TOP 50 most beautiful people in the world according to the publication “People”. Over the course of many years creative career Ricky Martin hid his real intimate preferences from everyone. He was afraid of criticism and condemnation, so he started a relationship with Mexican celebrity Rebecca de Alba.

Only in 2010 did the singer confirm his homosexual orientation. He even had a man whom he did not hide from the public. Ricky Martin and his husband were a wonderful couple, which really made the talented performer happy.

Ricky Martin and his lover

So far, in Ricky Martin's personal life, there have been only one truly with a man. It's about about a successful economist named Carlos Gonzalez Abella. When Ricky met Carlos, he already had two small children. However, this did not stop the guys from entering into a romantic relationship, which turned into a serious romance. Abella was simply crazy about the children of his chosen one, which endlessly pleased the talented performer.

When the decision was made to marry, Ricky Martin and his husband could not stay in Puerto Rico; weddings between people of the same sex are not allowed in this state. That is why Martin was forced to take Spanish citizenship. The celebration took place on January 28, 2012 in one of the sunny corners of Spain. Before this, the couple lived together for about three years. However, it is quite difficult to find photos on the Internet of Ricky Martin and his husband kissing. Despite the love and mutual understanding that reigned between Carlos and Ricky, at the beginning of 2014, news of their divorce spread throughout the world. Now the singer is again in free search, but he has beloved children in his life, so he devotes the lion’s share of his time to raising them.

Ricky Martin and his children

The fact that Ricky Martin was gay became known back in 2010. There have been rumors about his homosexual orientation even since 1999. However, all this did not stop the musician from feeling all the delights of fatherhood. In 2008, brothers Matteo and Valentino Martin were born. The singer used the services of a surrogate mother.

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Ricky Martin loves his children very much and spends a lot of time with them.

Fans are attracted not only by his work: he is a person open to everyone philosophical movements, a gay, vegetarian, philanthropist, actively campaigns against discrimination and racial prejudice, and his charitable foundation fights the slave trade around the world.

Childhood and early career

Ricky was born into the family of psychologist Enrique Martin Negroni and accountant Neireda Morales. The parents of the future celebrity divorced as soon as their son was two years old. Both father and mother met new love- this is how Ricky got a big family: two half-brothers, Daniel and Eric, as well as three half-relatives - brothers Fernando and Angel and sister Vanessa.

The boy was raised in a deeply religious manner. As a child, Ricky was a minister for the local priest and also attended Sunday school. Despite the strict upbringing inherent in Catholics, the boy was not limited in self-expression: his parents encouraged his son’s vocal talent, who almost from the cradle was dancing from the mirror with a comb instead of a microphone, and when the boy turned 9, his father took him to an advertising casting. For the next couple of years, young Enrique's face regularly appeared in commercials for toothpaste, lemonade and hamburgers.

The musically gifted teenager was cast several times for the boy band Menudo to replace Ricky Melendez, who had left the group. He was rejected twice due to his short stature. But the boy was persistent, and the third time the producers, seeing the fire in Ricky’s eyes, still made him part of the team. Ricky, then simply Enrique, performed with the group from 1984 to 1989. With his participation, 11 albums were recorded: Evolución, Menudo, Explosion, Ayer Y Hoy, A Festa Vai Começar, Viva! Bravo!, Refrescante, etc. In July 1989, 17-year-old Ricky Martin left the group, setting off on his own.

Ricky Martin started his career at Menudo

This decision was not easy for him. He owed a lot to Menudo - with them he recorded 11 albums and learned, it seemed, everything there was to know about show business. But the strict framework of the contract, the constant supervision of managers, the total lack of showing one’s real self - all this pushed Ricky to the end of cooperation. After breaking his contract with Menudo, he returned to Puerto Rico, where he graduated from high school and celebrated his 18th birthday. Having become an adult, he received the right to open his own bank account, after which he moved to New York, towards new opportunities.

Solo career

Ricky Martin in "Evening Urgant"

In 1990, Ricky Martin signed a contract with Sony Discos, and the first album, which was called simply - “ Ricky Martin“, didn’t keep me waiting. Unfortunately, the young singer did not carefully read the terms of the contract, according to which Ricky received only one cent from each album sold.

Ricky Martin's debut album with a charming long-haired young man on the cover sold 500 thousand copies. The singer received only $5,000, but the more than modest reward did not destroy his enthusiasm. The album's first single, "Fuego Contra Fuego", was certified gold in Argentina, Puerto Rico and Mexico. And when Ricky went on tour in South America, he was greeted with applause everywhere. “I felt like I was at home,” the singer later described his first solo tour.

In 1993, Ricky Martin presented the world with another album, “Me Amaras” (“You Will Love Me”), which was received quite warmly, but did not make a breakthrough. He also starred in two seasons of the sitcom Getting By and landed the role of a singer-bartender on the soap opera General Hospital, later recognized as one of the longest-running series in television history. During these same years, Ricky Martin slept with a man for the first time, but hid his sexuality for the next 15 years.

Breakthrough

Ricky Martin – Maria

Following his phenomenal success in the musical field, Ricky Martin was recognized as an actor. He took part in the Broadway production of Les Miserables immediately after publicly saying that he would dream of playing on Broadway. He was entrusted to play Marius - the main thing actor productions.

After 11 weeks of showing the play, Ricky sat down in the studio and recorded his fourth album, “Vuelve” (“Come Back”). 8 million copies of the record were sold worldwide. But the artist considered the main achievement of those years not new album, and not a role in a Broadway musical, but a performance at the World Cup in France in 1998, for which Ricky specially wrote the composition “La Copa de la Vida” (“Cup of Life”), which became unofficial anthem championship.

Ricky Martin – Cup of Life (1998 FIFA World Cup)

Career blossoming

Ricky Martin – Livin' La Vida Loca

The second English-language album arrived by the end of 2000. "Sound Loaded" debuted at number three in the US, but didn't reach number one. Singles from the album are “She Bangs”, “Nobody Wants To Be Lonely” (duet with Christina Aguilera) and “Loaded”.

At the beginning of 2001, the artist released a collection of songs in Spanish “La Historia”, which conquered the Latin American charts, and a little later a collection of English-language compositions appeared – “The Best Of Ricky Martin”, which consisted entirely of remixes of Ricky Martin’s best hits.

In 2003, the singer released another album in Spanish entitled “Almas Del Silencio” (“The Power of Silence”). Ricky himself said that with this album he really wanted to return back to his old self, full of emotions and adrenaline.

Ricky Martin. Concert in Moscow. 2016

Two years later, another English-language album with the laconic and thoughtful title “Life” was released. Here, according to the artist, he finally connected with his emotions. “This record is as multifaceted as our lives. It's about the anger we feel. About the joy we experience. There is uncertainty and love here - all the emotions that are inherent in people."

But for some reason the record received a rather cold reception - only 700 thousand copies were sold worldwide. Perhaps the fashion for Latin American music has passed, or perhaps, on the contrary, new, brighter stars have appeared on the Spanish-speaking horizon. One way or another, Ricky Martin stepped away from recording new songs for a long time, devoting himself to other areas of activity.

In the fall of 2006, the reality show “The Ricky Martin Diaries” was released. It showed footage from behind the scenes, interviews and live performances.

Ricky Martin's next album came out six years later. The album “Musica + Alma + Sexo” (“Music + Soul + Sex”) was recorded on the way from Miami to Golden Beach, Florida. Over the years of inactivity, Ricky had accumulated more than 60 songs in his collection of unreleased songs, which had to be carefully filtered in order to please fans, who had long despaired of hearing anything new from their idol, with the highest quality material.

Personal life of Ricky Martin

Since the early 1990s, Ricky Martin has maintained the public appearance of an affair with Mexican TV presenter Rebecca de Alba. Their romance flared up and then died out again. The girl was sincerely in love with Ricky - even five years after the final breakup, which occurred in 2005, she insisted through tears that her affair with him was the best thing that had happened in her life.

In 1999 personal life The singer became the subject of numerous rumors after Ricky Martin, in an interview with the British publication The Mirror, refused to comment on his sexual orientation. “I'm not going to comment on whether I'm gay or not. It’s none of your business who I’m in bed with: a woman, a cow, or even a broom.”

In 2008, Ricky Martin became the happy father of two sons, Matteo and Valentino, who were born to him by a surrogate mother.

Gemini s early years had a diametrically opposite character. Valentino, Ricky said, is a born contemplator, he loves tranquility, nature and all living things. Matteo is a true leader who subjugates those around him. He likes to boss his brother around and tell him what to do and what not to do.

Only in 2010, Ricky Martin revealed all his cards and admitted his homosexuality. “I'm glad to tell you that I am gay and very happy to be who I am,” he wrote on his official website. A little later, he expressed his desire to marry his boyfriend Carlos Gonzalez Abell. His chosen one was a stock broker; Ricky found his business suit and tie very sexy. In 2014, the couple announced their breakup.

In January of this year, Ricky Martin officially married his partner, the Swedish artist of Syrian origin Jwan Yosef. In an interview with Attitude magazine, which often features gay people on the cover, the musician talked about meeting his future husband and friend.

I corresponded with him online, we communicated like this for six months, simply sending each other messages about life and various existential problems. Nothing about sex, nothing sexy. But when I first saw him, I stopped breathing. Emotions grew over the course of six months, it was such a romantic time. During our first meeting, I said, "I'm going to marry this guy." And apparently he thought the same thing, only he told me this later,

Told Ricky about his partner.

Ricky Martin with Jwan Yosef

Ricky also talked about why he avoided talking about his sexuality for many years:

I was completely subservient to my career. I had no time to open the door to new relationships, and I'm not just talking about romantic ones. I was afraid to simply communicate with people - including producers and directors, I was afraid that if I spent more than two hours with them, they would find out everything about me, about my nature. I spent so much energy hiding my sexual orientation.

Now Ricky is 46 years old, he is raising two twin sons, born in 2008 by a surrogate mother. Ricky hid his sexuality for a long time: for 14 years, the musician dated and diverged from Mexican TV presenter Rebecca de Alba, and only in 2010 did he make an official confession on his website.

I am glad to tell you that I am homosexual. I'm very happy to be who I am. Years of silence and criticism made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance comes from within, that such truth gives me the strength to fight emotions I didn’t even know I had. In April 2016, Martin began dating Swedish-Syrian artist Jwan Yosef. In November of the same year, they announced their engagement on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and in January they were legally married.

Ricky Martin was born on the eve of Catholic Christmas, December 24, 1971, in Puerto Rico. A large family was already waiting for him - his mother, Nereida Morales, had 11 cousins. Ricky was named after his father, Enrique Martin Morales.

When Ricky was only three months old, he had already won a baby competition. Later, as soon as he matured a little, he began to take an interest in the world of show business. This attraction was so strong that his mother got him a job as a model. At school, the boy’s remarkable acting talent emerged; leading roles in school plays brought him constant success. Family future star was not too rich (his mother worked as an accountant, his father as a psychologist), but caring parents made sure that their gifted child could develop his abilities. So Ricky began taking singing and acting lessons.

By the age of 10, mom and dad tried to place their child in a wide famous group boys "Menudo". It was a group consisting of young Puerto Rican singers no older than 16 years old. The group, which existed since 1977, gave a start in life to a considerable number of popular performers in the country. In June 1984, in music group Menudo. space becomes available and the producers are looking for a new participant. Enrique really liked this group, its songs, and behavior on stage. For him, participation in the casting was a cherished and almost impossible dream - he knew that besides him, 500 more teenagers were fighting for a place. During his performance, Ricky managed to overcome his fear and completely surrender to the rhythm of the music. After that, he clearly felt that something had happened, the organizers were excitedly talking among themselves... Two days later he was informed that he had won the casting.

It was one of the most happy days in his life. Ricky participated in the third generation of the group Menudo (which was very popular throughout Latin America), he remained in its composition until 1986. He gained invaluable experience traveling throughout America, from Mexico to Argentina. The group was so successful in Argentina that they had to stay in this country for 6 months. At this time, the series "Por siempre amigos" (Friends Forever) was filmed there - this allowed Ricky to express himself as an actor.

During this period, Ricky had many brides, and he especially remembers one girl from Puerto Rico, Marcela. "We went to different countries with concerts - Ricky said - and I always called her and reminded her that she was in my heart." For five years, Ricky remained the leading soloist of the group, and "Menudo" gained international fame during Martin's stay in the group.

Endless touring and studio work were difficult to combine with school. At the end of 1989, Martin realized that he had grown out of the short pants of the boy group, and his age was showing itself. He returned home to complete his education. Having passed his final exams, Ricky set off to conquer New York, however, this time, without success.

After spending several months in the USA, he realized that successful career rarely born on its own. Martin moved to Mexico City and began acting seriously. Within a year, he performed on the stage of theaters, starred in the TV series "Alcanzar una Estrella II", for his role in which he was awarded the Heraldo Award, the Mexican equivalent of the Oscar, and in free time wrote songs. Helped him in this fascinating matter former comrade from the group "Menudo" Robi Rosa (no less known as Ian Blake), who has since become his constant collaborator. Martin's debut Spanish-language album, Ricky Martin, was released in 1991 and became a hit on the Latin charts. It was re-released on Sony Music a few months later, and proved to be one of the label's most successful Latin debuts. Two years later, the rousing Juan Carlos Calderon-produced "Me Amaras" arrived, catapulting the singer to superstar status in Latin America. The album reached the top of the Latin pop charts, and Billboard magazine named Martin "Top New Latin Artist."

Ricky turned his gaze north again. He returned to the United States and in January 1994 landed a role in the most popular series"Central Hospital". His hero, bartender Miguel Mores, who sings on weekends in a nightclub, brought Martin wide fame and the devoted love of television viewers. Ricky Martin starred in the series for over a year.

Despite all his acting successes, the singer did not forget about music. The next album, "Medio Vivir", was released in 1995. It was a heavier recording, more of a rock nature, although it retained a pronounced influence of Latin styles. The dance hit “Maria” found its way into the playlists of radio stations, and the video clip for the composition never left TV screens. The album aroused public interest and positive reviews critics, it sold well and was certified gold in October 1997.

The role in “General Hospital” attracted the attention of the artist not only from housewives, who did not look away from their television screens during the film’s screening. Martin received an invitation to perform on Broadway. The role of Marius in the production of Les Misérables based on the classic work of Victor Hugo, in which Ricky not only acted but also sang, was another triumph for him. The theater stage was much more attractive than working on a soap opera, and Martin left General Hospital.

In early 1998, Martin released "Vuelve". By this time, he was already a recognized Latin star far beyond the borders of his native lands; his songs were well known to listeners all over the planet. "La Sora De La Vida", written by Roby Rosa, became the official anthem of the FIFA World Cup held in France. The song topped the charts in more than 30 countries, and “Vuelve” was awarded a Grammy in the category “Best Latin Pop Album.”

Nevertheless, major success was waiting for him ahead. The first disc in English again bore the singer's name - "Ricky Martin". Released in the spring of 1999, it exploded music world. In the first week, more than 660 thousand copies were sold, the album took 1st place on the Billboard charts. The singles "Livin' la Vida Loca" and "She's All I Ever Had" became blockbusters, and the singer himself won the title of international superstar.

In support of the album, Martin conducted his first large-scale tour of the United States. Tickets for the Miami concert that opened the tour sold out in 20 minutes, despite prices approaching a hundred dollars apiece. Fans bought tickets for several concerts and followed their idol around the country. If we leave aside such caravan groups as the "Grateful Dead", then perhaps only Michael Jackson could boast of such attention during his tour in 1996. Ricky Martin managed to break the record on his first tour and become the highest paid Latin American solo artist. concert performer in the history of American show business.

His next work, “Sound Loaded” (2000), brought him no less triumph. The incendiary mega-hit “She Bangs” added to the musician’s already considerable list of awards, including Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations, prizes International Dance Music Awards for "Best Latin Single" and Billboard Awards for "Best Latin Video of the Year."

A few months later, a collection of golden hits followed, “La Historia” (2001), which included “Fuego Contra Fuego” and “Al Amor De Mi Vida”, which brought the singer his first fame, as well as “Vuelve”, “Livin” la Vida Loca”, "Shake Your Bon-Bon", "Maria" and the Spanish version of "She Bangs".

On November 16th, at the MTV Music Awards in Stockholm, Martin said: “The AIDS epidemic has reached alarming proportions, and we have a responsibility to do everything we can to educate the world's population, especially teenagers, about the threat of a new plague. AIDS with my participation will not go unnoticed and will attract due attention to the problem of AIDS."

Now Ricky Martin is full of energy and optimism. He is not going to stop there and rest on his laurels: “And after 30 years I will do the same thing as I do now - music,” the singer promises. “We need to conquer the remaining peaks.”