page_title: Ricky Martin
section_title: Politics
hierarchical_section_title: Ricky Martin / Activism and other ventures / Politics
caption_attribution_description: English: Ricky Martin (second from right) meets with members of the United States House of Representatives including Luis Fortuño (far left), Tom Lantos (D-California) (second from left) and Chris Smith (right)
context_page_description: Enrique Martín Morales, better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, author and humanitarian who is known as the "King of Latin Pop". He began his career at age 12 with the all-boy pop group Menudo. After five years with the group, he released several Spanish-language solo albums throughout the 1990s. Since the beginning of his solo career in 1991, Ricky Martin has become one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time with over 70 million records worldwide. He also acted on stage and on TV in Mexico, where he achieved modest stardom. In 1994, he appeared on the US TV soap opera General Hospital, playing a Puerto Rican singer. He also ranks among one of the most influential Latin artists of all time and one of the greatest music video artists of all time.
  In early 1999, after releasing several albums in Spanish, Martin performed "The Cup of Life" at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards show, which became a catalyst in bringing Latin pop to the forefront of the U.S. music scene. Following its success, Martin released "Livin' la Vida Loca", which helped him attain success worldwide.
context_section_description: Martin was a headliner in the 2001 inauguration celebration for President George W. Bush; he even invited the newly elected president to join him on stage to dance. Photographs of this moment were broadcast throughout the world, and Martin wrote about it in his song "Asignatura Pendiente". Martin's view of President Bush changed over the Iraq War, as expressed in his declaration to the Associated Press that he will "always condemn war and those who promulgate it."
  During his appearance at the Billboard Latin Music Awards on April 29, 2010, Martin expressed his disagreement with the Arizona SB 1070 bill, a proposed law that would have required police officers to request documents from individuals whom they suspected to be illegal immigrants.
  On July 22, 2019, Martin joined artists such as Residente, Bad Bunny, and more than half a million Puerto Ricans in shutting down a major highway, PR-52, more commonly known as Expreso Las Américas or Autopista Luis A. Ferré, in the days-long protests against government corruption and demanding Ricardo Rosselló's resignation.
caption: Ricky Martin (mid-right) in Congress, with Luis Fortuño (far left), Tom Lantos (mid-left) and Chris Smith (far right).
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