Ricky Martin Returns to Singapore
Ricky Martin ushered in a new era of concert-going freedom in conservative Singapore last year. On Sunday, the red-hot Puerto Rican sensation was back urging fans to start "Livin' La Vida Loca.''

Some 800 die-hard Martin lovers waited outside in the rain during a 11/2-hour delay caused by lighting equipment problems before the show began. About 300 had won tickets to the event. The rest were members of the media and others invited by organizers Sony Music Entertainment Singapore.

Martin, 27, is making a strong crossover into the English-language market with his recent album featuring the hit "Livin' La Vida Loca.''

Martin's appearance in Singapore last year marked the first time concert-goers in the conservative city-state were allowed to dance during the show under new, relaxed laws.

(Taken from Associated Press)

EXCEPT for three people holding fake passes, there was no hot-blooded gatecrashing at Ricky Martin's private concert yesterday at Alkaff Mansion.

Only 300 guests were allowed.And word was already out thatnobody could get in without the VIPguest pass.

The black market rate: $500.

"We were getting about 100 calls aday last week, with everyone wantingto know how to get in," said Mr AnilRamchand, Tower Records'operations manager.

"The desperate ones were offering $500."

It was a very orderly queue yesterday. Not at all like the colourfulchaos at Changi airport last Friday night, when Ricky arrived, and fansgreeted him with flowers, teddy bears and "We Luv U" posters.According to Sony Music, the singer has at least 50,000 fans in Singapore.

Yesterday's private show was the only one he gave on his promotional trip to Asia. Members of the public who wanted the invitation had to buy a copy of his album to get an entry form for a contest, which closed on Aug 20. The lucky 300 people lined up in the drizzle outside Alkaff Mansion, all clutching that super-important laminated pass, which had the Latinohunk's face on it. Some had been waiting from 3 pm.

"I'm never going to sell my pass," said Miss Shahira Bhanu, 15, astudent.

"Not even if someone offered me $1,000. I love Ricky Martin!"

But there was one worried girl, dressed in a hot pink top and blackstretch pants.

"I don't have a pass" said Miss Cherie Cheong, 25. The assistant interior designer was one of the lucky contest winners.

DID NOT CHECK MAILBOX
But she hadn't checked her mailbox until Friday night. So she was toolate to get her pass.

"I mean, I never thought I would be lucky enough to win!" she exclaimed, showing me her winning letter. So I'm trying my luck."

The guests were supposed to be in by 6 pm, but the security gatesdidn't open till 6.35 pm.Everyone was orderly. Still, there were some tense moments.

Three young girls had fake passes. They looked like the real thing,except that their lamination was softer and bendable, and the printing was not as good.

"It cost us $4 to print those passes," said a Sony spokesman. "I mean, we can tell."

"Where did you get this pass?" asked a security woman.

The girls looked anxious. "We did everything properly! Look, we evengot our letters!" they protested, showing the proof.

"It's not our fault the pass is fake!"

Miss Kai Lin, 16, a student, was a fake pass holder. "I'm going to kill my friend who gave it to me," she said in embarrassment.

In the end, all three were given the benefit of doubt and allowed in. Meanwhile, Miss Cheong hung around until, at last, one Sonyemployee took pity on her and gave her a pass, after checking herwinning letter.

"Whew!" she exclaimed, relieved.

The wife of the trumpeter at the concert, Madam Ho Fei Fan, 35, ahousewife, was also pass-less. She came at 7 pm.

"My husband told me to come by 6.30 pm. But the nanny couldn'tcome on time," she explained. "My friend is inside, with my ticket."

The security men muttered some words into their walkie talkies and,within 10 minutes, someone came out to give her a pass. By 7.10 pm, only Mrs Sylvia Ang, 37, an insurance agent, wasstanding in the rain, sheltered under an umbrella.

"My daughter and son are inside. She's 12, he's seven, so I'm a littleworried about them. But I don't have a ticket, so I have to wait outside."

At 7.15 pm, I decided to gatecrash, so I waved my press pass at thesecurity men.

"See, press."

Nope, they said. "You've got no pass."

Thank goodness I'm not a Ricky Martin fan. Or I might have been leftcrying in the rain.

BY SETO NU-WEN

AS expected, he swayed and moved and teased and gyrated. And drove the crowd at the front wild.Those at the back were more sedate, standing with their hands in theirpockets or their arms crossed.

What a pity there were only 300 fans when the marquee could have accommodated at least 1,000. But, then again, this wasn't supposed to be a concert. This was supposed to be a private showcase. Private, yes.

Only for 300 fans who won their tickets in Sony Music contests. But since it cost a few hundred thousand dollars, with parts of the stage brought in from the US, surely more fans could have been there?

Sony Music estimates there are 50,000 Ricky fans in Singapore. And this was the only show in the region promoting his album.

He gave his all.
Right from the first song, Livin' La Vida Loca, when he burst on stage from behind a huge red cloth hanging from the ceiling, his moves were sexy, suave and very slick.

The stage itself was made up to resemble the video of that song. That included a rotating platform where Ricky gyrated to show off his hips.

"I want to talk about love," he cooed as shrieks erupted from the largely female crowd.

Drenched in blue light, he crooned two slow numbers, I am Made of You, and his latest single, She's All I Ever Had, with some emotion.

But the crowd was getting listless. After all, he is known for dance floor staples and flashy Spanish footwork. Not romantic ballads.

He sensed it.

"Enough ballads. It's time for some dancing. Get ready to shake your bon-bon!"

And he jumped into the next number, Shake Your Bon-Bon. Backed by four svelte dancers in the tiniest tube tops and the highest stilettos,he shook his bon-bon.

He had two changes of costumes. From a black, tight shirt and black pants to a black sleeveless top with a white shirt thrown over.

The final number was the equally fast paced, trumpet-blaring, La Bomba, which was a big hit.

But somehow, the fiesta atmosphere you'd come to expect of a Ricky Martin performance was missing. Maybe there just weren't enough people for that.

And in about half an hour, the whole thing was over. A group of girls squealed: "More songs, fewer clothes." Of course, their cries went unheeded.

Some time during the performance, Martin suggested to the crowd:"We should have a huge party next time."

Hmm, good idea. Just don't forget to invite more fans.

(Taken from Singapore's The Electric New Paper)

HE came and, in a flash, he was gone. Eight seconds. Less time than it took Maurice Greene to run the 100 m at the World Athletics Championships in Seville earlier this week.

Yes, that was all the time it took Ricky Martin to come through the arrival gate and make his way to his waiting limousine. And, mind you, Martin was walking. Okay, walking briskly. As it turned out, all I caught was the top of his head. Forget his hair. That was covered in a white bandanna which some said could have been a towel snitched from the Singapore Airlines flight which flew him in from Taipei last night.

He was so quick I didn't even get a glimpse of that infamous, lady-killer Latino smile. But then again, neither did most of the 400-strong crowd waiting at Changi Airport to welcome the white-hot crossover sensation. The same crowd that had waited patiently and with bated breath for him to stroll through Gate 32.

The crowd that had come armed to the teeth with autograph books, cameras, video cameras, placards and flowers. The crowd that screamed at every person who walked through the arrival gates. All they wanted was a piece of the guy who rocked the world with his pelvis-driven rendition of his hit song, Livin' La Vida Loca. But, true to his fiery Latin roots, Martin was in a red-hot hurry to get out. Surrounded by about 10 security guards and some uniformed police, he slipped through the gates, barged through the crowds and, before you could say Cuidado Co Mi Corazon - which was the title of the duet he performed with Madonna - he was out of the airport.

As his security people linked arms to prevent fans from getting within touching range of their idol, Martin was whisked away in a gleaming white Mercedes.

Eight seconds...

This was sad, because the crowd seemed to have sufficiently hyped themselves up for his appearance. Some had been there from as early as 7.30 pm even though his flight, SQ 871, was only due to touch down at 10.30 pm. By about 9.30 pm, there were groups of teenage girls in tight spaghetti tops and flared jeans, looking all primped up, milling around restlessly. Some took photographs. Others were busy putting finishing touches to their "We Luv U Ricky" posters - the same posters which he never got to see.

By 10.15 pm, the fans had thronged the yellow barricades put up outside the arrival gates, peeking through the glass panes to eye each passenger that came out. Once in a while someone would scream and everyone else would start shrieking.

A limousine driver waiting to pick up a passenger from the same flight was shaking his head. "How am I going to find her? Of all days..." he muttered.

An American tourist who had arrived on the same flight as Martin looked puzzledly at the hordes of screaming girls.

"What's going on?" he asked.
"Ricky Martin," I told him.
"Really? Wow...he was in the plane? I should've booked first class."

When the Latin hunk finally arrived, the fans surged forward, calling his name and reaching out to touch him. They had expected him to exit where the barricades were placed, but instead he and his entourage turned and exited through another opening in the gates.

Immediately, the crowd moved after him, pushing and shoving each other. Of course, there wasn't much to see. Just the top of his head wrapped in that white bandanna.

Eight seconds. And not even a wave of the hand.
That was sad. That was a great pity - especially since he was in the company of the same people who helped him push his album sales to over 13 million copies.

Nice Guy, apparently.

SO, they didn't get to see him. They didn't get to touch him. They didn't even get a smile or a wave. What a pity. What a disappointment.

So what did they do?
Some begged the security guards to tell them which hotel he was headed.

Others were left with long faces, fidgeting with the various teddy bears, flowers and posters they had lugged to the airport.

I chatted with one of the airline crew from Flight SQ 871. So what was it like having Ricky has a first class passenger? "He didn't do much. He slept most of the trip," was all he could offer. Any special requests? Any problems on board? Negative. "He was an easy passenger," the flight steward said. Hmmmm. Seems like a nice guy then.

Pity the crowd didn't get to see that.

PRIVATE SHOWCASE
RICKY Martin is in town for a one-night private showcase at Alkaff Mansion. The Latin heart-throb flew in from Taiwan and will be staying in Singapore until Wednesday morning.

Singapore is the only country in Asia where he is performing as part of promotions for his latest album, Ricky Martin. He didn't perform in Taiwan. It was only a promotional visit.

Singapore is another story.
Sony Music estimates that the 28-year-old Puerto Rican singer has a fan base of at least 50,000 in Singapore. His self-titled album, his first in English, has gone platinum (more than 15,000 copies) here since its release three months ago.

The private showcase on Sunday will be attended by 300 contest winners and representatives of the regional media.

Members of the public who wanted an invite had to buy a copy of the album to get an entry form for the contest which closed on Aug 20.

Mr Paul Khor, the marketing director of Sony Music, said they had received at least 1,000 entry forms.

"We have also been harassed by calls from people asking us why he is not having a public concert and where they can get more tickets," he said.

FULL HOUSE
The last time Martin graced our shores was in October last year when he performed to a full house of 4,500 people at the Harbour Pavilion.

Said Mr Khor: "When he was in Taiwan, he was mobbed by about 5,000 fans during an autograph session. Everywhere he goes, he literally stops traffic."

Martin is in Singapore with an entourage of 30 people, including nine dancers and eight musicians.

(Taken from Singapore's The Electric Paper - August 28, 1999)

Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin arrived Thursday (Aug 26) in Taipei from Tokyo, unleashing a wave of passion, screams and cries from his Taiwanese fans.

Upon his arrival on the island, the Puerto Rican singer received a platinum record and was interviewed by 20 television and radio stations.

The ex-member of the group Menudo also signed CDs for almost two hours. The crowd formed a mile long line and in which there was collective hysteria.

The record company filled the island with giant posters on the singer who has stayed at #1 in sales on the island for months.

On Friday Martin plans to travel to Singapore where he will continue his Asian promotional tour.

(Some of the above articles have been posted on RMLAC - please check out RMLAC for the latest postings, other are courtesy of AFRM (Australia))