Ricky Martin Thesis

Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, a great way to celebrate this time is to look back on various Hispanic-American figures that left their mark on History. One such figure that comes to mind is the one and only, Ricky Martin. Mr. Martin left his mark mainly on musical history. In honor of Hispanic Heritage month I will explore the life and times of Ricky Martin.

Like most great people, Ricky Martin had very humble beginnings. Enrique Martín-Morales (Ricky Martin) was born December twenty fourth, nineteen seventy one, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His mother, Nereida Morales, was an accountant, and his father, Enrique Martín, was a psychologist. Things changed for Ricky upon the divorce of his parents. Nereida and Enrique split when Ricky was just

two years old, leaving him to spend his childhood constantly changing locations. Ricky shifted between his father’s house and his paternal grandmother’s house. This divorce also resulted in Ricky having multiple new half-brothers and sisters. He has two half-brothers on his mother’s side, and two half-brothers, along with a half-sister, on his father’s side. Ricky also grew up as a Roman Catholic and was an altar boy during his childhood.
Ricky Martin first showed musical interest at the age of six, when he would use wooden spoons as pretend microphones.

He also enjoyed various English-language rock groups, such as Led Zeppelin, Journey, and REO Speedwagon. Ricky was first inspired to sing and write songs by his maternal grandfather, who was a poet. Ricky had his first taste of fame at the very young age of nine years. He appeared in multiple Puerto Rican television commercials for various products, such as toothpaste, restaurants, and sodas. In just under a year and a half, Ricky had been featured in eleven commercials. It was Ricky’s musical inspiration and this small taste of fame that made Ricky want to pursue something even

greater.
After his commercial stint, Ricky decided to audition for membership in the small time Puerto Rican boy band called “Menudo”.

Ricky wowed the judges with his singing and dancing, but was rejected because he was too short. This happened twice before Ricky was finally accepted into the group. Upon his third audition, Ricky’s determination, along with his wonderful singing and dancing abilities, impressed the managers significantly. At the age of thirteen, Ricky was made an official member of Menudo. It was not for another month that Ricky made his debut as a Menudo member. In his first performance with the group in San Juan, Ricky got into a bit of trouble. It had been planned that the group would stay still during the show, but Ricky unintentionally defied the choreographer by walking around the stage. This mistake and the discipline that followed ensured that Ricky, and everyone else in the group, would adhere strictly to the instructions given. Ricky enjoyed all the years he spent travelling and performing with Menudo.

Ricky split from Menudo after four or so years of membership. He did this because he needed a break and to assess his career plan. Ricky returned to Puerto Rico to finish his High School education. After graduating, he then began taking classes at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. This lasted for a few months or so, before he dropped out and moved to Mexico City to find new performance opportunities. Ricky found a role on a Mexican telenovela called

“Alcanzar una Estrella”. He stuck around with the show for a second season and a movie adaption. Ricky’s acting career was fairly unsuccessful after that.
After all these early experiments with groups and acting, Ricky Martin began his career as a solo-artist. His career took off and he never looked back. Besides being an incredible musician, Ricky also does a lot of humanitarian work. He is the founder of the Ricky Martin Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization. Their mission is to advocate for the well-being of children around the world. In conclusion, Ricky Martin is not only a wonderful musician, but also a warm hearted man.