Ricky Martin Interview...
" I do not wear a mask to go on stage. What you see is what you get..."

Sexy, Latin singer Ricky Martin reflects on living "la vida loca" - The "Crazy Life"

TORONTO - He exploded onto the international music scene with the rivetting performance of his hit single, Living' La Vida Loca at the Grammy Awards. Now his fans can't get enough of Ricky Martin, who was in Toronto promoting his latest self-titled album. Celebrities Web caught up with king of Latin to talk about his enormous, crazy success.

Celebrities Web: True to the song, you really are living the "crazy life." Tell me how it's been for the last few months?

Ricky Martin: You should see my schedule but I'm having a really good time. I'm surrounded by an amazing group of people and the audience is accepting my music, which is a priority for me at the moment, what you work for.

I locked myself in the studio for two and a half years to record this album. It's platinum in many countries of the world, so that's great. It's been amazing, the euphoria and the adrenaline, it's crazy.. Why don't you come with us for a day?

Celebrities Web: I'd love too. Crazy life in the short term would be fine, but what you're doing, living every day in the "craziness" is in large part due to the Grammys, was that a defining moment for you?

Ricky Martin: I have to give the Grammys a lot of credit, it definitely spurred the process.

Celebrities Web: Backstage at the Grammys, did you think, 'I've been working hard and got recognition up until now but this is an Olympic moment, if I work hard and knock their socks off, it could change my life forever?'

Ricky Martin: I'm going to give a lot of credit to singing at the final ceremony at the World Cup. Because of that the people at the Grammys called. I was very excited about the Grammys, I had an amazing band, great musicians, I was going to have an opportunity to break the wall and have the audience be part of the stage and I'm definitely going to do something nobody's seen at the Grammies.

I walked on stage and I had fun. I was anxious about it but I said, ‘hey you've been doing this since 12 years old so go out and have fun.' I was trying to go out there and have fun, trying not to think about the fact that Celine Dion, Madonna, Pavarotti and Sting, the "industry" was there. They've seen it all and they've heard it all.

Celebrities Web: They all loved you and now you're really really famous. Is it more than you expected? It kind of sounds like you did expect it and expected it all to fall into place after the project.

Ricky Martin: Once again, this is not a project, it's about emotions. It's about accepting yourself, trusting yourself and when that happens that could be the major key to success. People feel that and they accept you.

Celebrities Web: Fame does have its perks including Armani suits. How many suits do you have?

Ricky Martin: I've been working with Armani for a couple of years now. I'm not a fashion freak but I like to know what's happening on the runway. I like nice comfortable clothes.

Celebrities Web: Celebrity has a lot of perks but what do you think for you has been the cost?

Ricky Martin: Intimacy. When I was eight years old, I told my father I wanted to be an artist. He's a psychologist, my mother's an accountant, nobody in my family is from the music business. The first thing he said was, ‘It looks great, fame, travel, girls, concerts but there's a lot more than that. Behind the scenes it's a lot of work, you have to be very disciplined and intimacy is not going to be there anymore.'

Intimacy is privacy. Doing interviews, they take you to places you don't want to go, you have ghosts and spiders that are there that you have to deal with but you're not ready for it. So it's interesting, it's like an eternal psycho-analysis.

Celebrities Web: People are really hungry to know more about you. They're talking about you, everyone knows you but who is Ricky Martin, how would you describe yourself?

Ricky Martin: I'm maybe full of contradictions, I'm sometimes extroverted, sometimes introverted, very jealous of his people, very territorial, a very good friend, sometimes stubborn... usually stuborn

Celebrities Web: What are the demons?

Ricky Martin: I'm too hard on himself sometimes. I grew up in a family where discipline was military, you can always do better, always do better, you have to do better. I'm working on that and I'm working on accepting myself the way I am.

Celebrities Web: Is the private Ricky Martin different from the public Ricky Martin?

Ricky Martin: I do not wear a mask to go on stage. What you see is what you get. But I have my things --not secrets. My family, you don't see them doing interviews, because that's my special moment, that's my thing. That's my privacy.

Celebrities Web: Do you think you'll tire of the crazy life or maybe the crazy life will tire of you?

Ricky Martin: Before I lose control over my actions, my feeling and my emotions, I'll quit.

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