In 1999, most Americans had never heard of Ricky Martin. Sure, some recalled a cute charismatic little boy from the 80′s band, Menudo, but he had been long forgotten. It wasn’t until the 41st Grammy Awards that all of sudden, the Latin American pop star resurfaced. With one show-stopping performance, Ricky Martin began a movement of Latin pop music to the United States. Without him, who knows if we would have ever heard of J-Lo or Shakira.
I am always fascinated how one incredible moment in time can be life-changing. Ricky Martin had a history of hard work and musical success before appearing on that 41st Grammy awards show, and kudos to the producer who made the decision to take the chance on the not-so-popular non-American-selling performer. It seems like every bit of Ricky Martin’s devotion to music and his craft led up to that performance, and boom…he exploded on the stage.
I was writing my Top 10 Tuesday music lesson plan this morning about home-made guiros and Latin music (click HERE to read it), and I made the suggestion to parents to put on the song “Livin’ La Vida Loca” for children to rock out to while playing their guiros. The topic brought this Grammy performance back to my mind. All these years later, I still remember it. It was so full of energy and fun and was truly unforgettable.
So, because I was recalling that uplifting performance, I thought I’d share it with all of you as my song of the day. Click HERE to watch Ricky Martin in 1999 at the 41st Grammy Awards, and may you use it as inspiration to know that hard work and persistence can have a big pay off! Enjoy, y’all!
