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Ricky Martin celebrates his 50 years with “the same energy” and “better than ever”

San Juan, Dec 24 (EFE) .- Ricky Martin celebrates his 50 years of life this Friday with “the same energy” to continue delighting his followers on stage and feeling “better than ever and more committed” to his musical career and his philanthropic mission. “I am living a very interesting time in my life, many things expected and others that I did not see coming, but which have been wonderful,” Martin told Efe through written statements. The Puerto Rican singer indicated that he has “a deep sense of gratitude for 30 years of uninterrupted career and 50 of life” and that he feels “better than ever” on this anniversary. AN ENERGY SHARED WITH ITS PUBLIC “To continue here and want to continue on stage after 30 years with the same energy and with the same enthusiasm, which not only coming from me and my team but also from my audience, move me a lot”, he stressed . “That public that is in all parts of the world has the same dedication and commitment from me that they have with me: each of my achievements are their achievements,” said Enrique Martín Morales, the first name of the so-called “Puerto Rican star.” “Kiki”, the nickname with which his family and close friends call him, he always had the dream of becoming an artist since he was a child, a goal that he then achieved as a member of the youth group Menudo. Martin also undertook a professional career in the theater and in Latin American soap operas, but his goal was to continue singing and at the age of 18 he released his first self-titled album. A “TRANSCENDENTAL” FIGURE This trajectory was highlighted to Efe by Javier Santiago, director of the National Foundation for Popular Culture, recognizing that Martin “is a transcendental figure for many reasons.” According to Santiago, Martin stood out worldwide by conquering the European market and not the Anglo-Saxon one with “La Copa de la Vida”, the official theme of the 1998 World Cup in France. That song, according to Santiago, “got the United States to watch that phenomenon “, which was reaffirmed when the artist had the other magnificent opportunity to interpret” La Copa de la Vida “at the 1999 Grammys.” He became that bilingual pop figure, but with an international projection that could conquer any square “, by achieving the famous” crossover “(passage from Spanish to English), which for so long it took the legendary Puerto Rican artist José Feliciano to achieve, he explained. For Santiago, “that was the first part of the achievements”, which was followed by more personal issues such as the announcement in 2010 of his homosexuality, which he reflected in his biography “Yo” and opened the door to many who were hidden in the closet for fear of what they will say. By this time, he was already carrying several albums on his back, “Ricky Martin” (1991), “Me amorás” (2003), “A medio vivir” (2005), “Vuelve” (1998), “Ricky Martin” ( 1999) and “Sound legend”, launched in 2000, the year in which he presented the foundation that bears his name and which is dedicated to the fight against human trafficking. A PHILANTHROPE AGAINST INJUSTICIES This battle has been captured by the Ricky Martin Foundation through three studies launched in 2010, 2014 and 2017, in which, for the first time, visibility is given to this global evil in Puerto Rico. “When we talk about a person like Ricky, it is difficult to fragment it, because in addition to being an artist and philanthropist, he is someone who cannot remain calm and moves to what his heart dictates, and they hate injustices,” he told Efe Orlando Morales, current coordinator of the Foundation’s educational initiative. Martin, also a UNICEF ambassador since 2003, has also helped families affected on the island by the devastating Hurricane Maria in 2017 and by the earthquakes of 2020 with his foundation. In addition to being focused on his social struggles, the singer of hits like “Livin la Vida Loca” or “La mordidita” continued her artistic career by releasing the albums “Almas del silencio” (2003) and “Life” (2005). Y vida, translation of “life” in Spanish, was what Martin conceived years later when he announced that he had become the father of twins Valentino and Matteo, born in 2008 and fertilized through a surrogacy. DISCIPLINE IS VITAL IN HIS LIFE Now, Martin, married to Syrian artist Jwan Yosef and father of four, has even produced the children’s book “Santiago, the dreamer from among the stars”, while not neglecting his musical career. This is demonstrated by other albums such as “MTV Unplugged” (2006), “Música + alma + sexo” (2011) and “Who wants to listen” (2018). Tuti Bou, director of the Sony Music US Latin record label in Puerto Rico, told Efe that “discipline” is the primary characteristic of Martin that has led him to stardom. According to Bou, he is a person who keeps his schedules, plans his career and takes care of his body and mind, which has allowed him to achieve the goal of selling more than 55 million records worldwide. (c) EFE Agency