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| Ricky Martin
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More than a billion viewers in 187 countries across the globe felt the power and energy of Ricky Martin's electrifying performance of "The Cup Of Life" at the 1999 Grammy Awards ceremony; "La Copa de la Vida," the official song of the World Cup France '98, has been a #1 single in more than 30 countries. That same night, Ricky's latest full-length Latin recording, Vuelve, won the Grammy for Best Latin Pop Performance. With his magical career-defining performance, Ricky Martin -- an international superstar who has sold more than 15 million records worldwide and packs stadiums from Buenos Aires to Beijing to New Delhi and beyond-- was suddenly a recognizable name and presence in more than 24 million U.S. households. Ricky Martin, his first English language album, is the next step in the evolution of this remarkable talent.
Ricky Martin was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he first revealed his love of performing in school plays and choir. At the age of six, he had already begun to appear in television commercials, becoming comfortable with the camera and maturing in his craft through acting and singing lessons. When he discovered the Latin music sensation Menudo, Ricky began to audition, but was at first rejected as being too young. When he was finally selected to join the group, in 1984, Ricky Martin was 12 years old.
After five years of nonstop work, tours, recording, and rehearsing with the group, Ricky left in 1989, traveling first to New York, to study and reflect, and then to México, where he worked as an actor and a singer. His first solo album earned him eight gold records in México, Chile, Argentina, Puerto Rico, and the United States. After releasing his second album, Me Amaras, Ricky moved to Los Angeles, where he became an American television heartthrob in his role as "Miguel" on "General Hospital." He went on to appear as "Marius" in the Broadway production of "Les Misérables." His third album, A Medio Vivir, was produced by Robi Rosa and KC Porter (Bon Jovi, Boyz II Men, Richard Marx, Patti LaBelle), sold more than 600,000 in six months, and was certified gold by the RIAA on October 27, 1997. Vuelve repeated that success and was RIAA-certified gold on July 7, 1998; to date, Vuelve has sold more than 6 million copies worldwide. Most recently, Ricky Martin can be seen on television commercials as the spokesperson for Puerto Rican tourism.
Which brings things up to the Grammy performance that rocked the planet. "I was more excited when I learned I'd be performing than when I was nominated," he confesses. "It was the most difficult audience I've ever been in front of! Sting! Madonna! Pavorotti! To get the acceptance of your peers really means a lot."
Not surprisingly, Ricky's philosophy for making music is akin to the effect he hopes to have on his listeners: "I want them to feel free, liberated. I want them to be who they are with my music."
Ricky Martin marks the arrival of a superstar while signaling a brand new era in Latin music, a time when the whole world is "Livin' La Vida Loca"!
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Discography
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Year
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Label
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Title
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1991 |
Sony Discos Inc.
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Ricky Martin
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1993 |
Sony Discos Inc.
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Me Amaras
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1995 |
Sony Discos Inc.
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A Medio Vivir
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1996 |
Columbia
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Maria Single
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1996 |
Sony Discos Inc.
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Maria Maxi Single
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1998 |
Sony Discos Inc.
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The Cup Of Life Single
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1998 |
Sony Discos Inc.
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The Cup Of Life Maxi Single
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1998 |
Sony Discos Inc.
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Vuelve
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1999 |
Sony Discos Inc.
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La Bomba "The Remixes" Single
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1999 |
Master Tone Records
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Star Profile
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1999 |
Sony Discos Inc.
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Livin' La Vida Loca Single
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1999 |
Epic
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Livin' La Vida Loca Maxi Single
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1999 |
Sony Discos Inc.
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She's All I Ever Had Single
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1999 |
C2 Records
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Ricky Martin
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2000 |
C2 Records
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Shake Your Bon-Bon Single
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2000 |
C2 Records
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Shake Your Bon-Bon Maxi Single
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2000 |
C2 Records
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Private Emotions Single
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2000 |
C2 Records
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She Bangs Single
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