RICKY MARTIN: MTV Unplugged CD/DVD And The Black & White Tour

Album & Singles
- The first-ever unplugged performance taped for MTV’s new bi-cultural channel MTV Tr3s, Ricky Martin: MTV Unplugged premiered on November 1, 2006

- Released on November 7, 2006, the Ricky Martin: MTV Unplugged CD debuts at #1 on Billboard’s “Top Latin Albums” chart. To date, the album has already reached platinum sales status in the U.S. Latin market, and sold an additional 1 Million+ units across Latin America. Simultaneously, the Ricky Martin: MTV Unplugged DVD is certified Gold.

- The album has received wide critical praise, with the Los Angeles Times saying: “Martin has reinvented himself. [With Ricky Martin: MTV Unplugged] we discover an artist who is mature, grounded and focused on musicality… exciting, swinging tropical celebrations with flamenco touches and pan-Caribbean accents. Martin [has made] some of the tastiest salsa music of 2006”. Billboard echoed this sentiment in a special “spotlight review”, calling the album: “a long-awaited gift.

- Having already registered a long-chart run throughout the fall of 2006, the enduring radio support for first single “Tu Recuerdo” has been so strong that the track not only still held the #1 spot on the “Hot Latin Songs” chart at the start of 2007, but has gone on to be declared “the #1 charting Latin single of the year” thus far by Billboard. Likewise, the track has posted numerous weeks at #1 on charts across Latin America. Follow-up single “Pegate” has blazed a trail of fast support in clubs around the world, soaring into the Top-10 of the dance charts.

- Topping both yearly album and singles sales of Latin music at iTunes, Ricky Martin: MTV Unplugged was “the most downloaded album” at iTunes Latino for 2006, while “Tu Recuerdo” was the year’s “most downloaded track”.

The “Black & White Tour”
- The “Black & White Tour” launched in Puerto Rico with a record setting run of four consecutive sold-out nights at the Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum. The shows draw over 60,000 fans and propel Martin to the #1 spot on Billboard’s “Boxscore” chart of the industry’s top drawing concerts. With demand for the tour still not met, Martin will return for two-more sold-out shows in August. Press across Puerto Rico hailed the ground-breaking shows: “[Ricky Martin] returned to the most important stage of [Puerto Rico] with more energy than ever"- El Nuevo Día (translated). “With a great performance… Ricky simply confirmed that he is in another league… the public that saw him born as a star, fell in love all over again"- El Vocero (translated)

- The first leg of the tour sells out large stadiums and arenas across all of Latin America. Highlight shows include Martin captivating fans and sweeping all four-top prizes (a rarity) at the world’s largest Latin Music festival in Viña del Mar, Chile, and also performing to well over 50,000 fans in a single night in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

- With U.S. concert dates launched with a performance on the Ellen Degeneres Show, the “Black and White Tour” is met with sold-out crowds at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, The Allstate Arena in Chicago, The American Airlines Arena in Miami and numerous other venues across the country. Concert reviews praise Martin’s “electrifying” performances that also show he has “deepened and solidified his artistry”:

“Ricky Martin Shows He's Still in Command… His Saturday night concert at a sold-out American Airlines Arena showed he's not only kept his star status, he's deepened and solidified his artistry…And he still puts on a hellaciously good show. The production looked spectacular… Martin may be the most physically talented pop singer out there… He's also more in command of the stage than ever… He's extended his musical range, too… Give Martin credit, too, for being serious and for trying to use his fame for something positive. He's spent significant time and effort on his own Ricky Martin Foundation, which works for the benefit of children around the world. – Miami Herald
“[Martin] presented an introspective show Friday night at the Staples Center …It's clear that Ricky Martin has transcended the pop star image and grown up into a musician eager to explore other rhythms. The nearly two-hour bilingual show… highlighted the artist's maturity to break out of the typical…. Martin's charisma and remarkable dance moves kept many yelling for more”- Orange County Register

“[Martin] is every inch the showman… with a powerful voice capable of belt or lilt, chops that he used to great effect [on] passionate vocals… likable Martin pulls off sincere quite well.” – Variety

“Ricky Martin was Electrifying... [He] showed maturity-and sensuality… Martin left both his soul and a lot of sweat upon the stage after an exhilarating concert…the tour proves the maturity of an artist who knows how to please his audience, and also dares to re-interpret some of his past hits.” – La Opinion (translated)

“[Ricky Martin] remains a natural showman… the show worked on many levels… Martin offered something for everyone… Martin came out at mach speed and rarely let up on the furious tempo. Not content merely to re-create his catalog, he and his excellent band reworked and reinvented each song”
– Chicago Sun-times

The Ricky Martin Foundation: The Ricky Martin Foundation advocates for the well being of children around the globe in critical areas such as social justice, education and health.
- In Fall 2006, Ricky Martin testifies before The United States Congress on the subject of child trafficking.

- The Ricky Martin Foundation and Habitat for Humanity complete work on 224 new & rehabilitated homes for families & children victimized by the Indian Ocean tsunami.

- Partnered with Bill Gates in Spring ’07 on “Navega Protegido” – a program to educate millions of children in Latin America about the dangers of online predators.

- Partial proceeds from each ticket of the Black & White Tour is donated to support the work of The Ricky Martin Foundation. Learn more at www.rickymartinfoundation.org

Recent Honors/Recognition
- The Latin Recording Academy honors Martin as its 2006 “Person of the Year.” Martin appears on the cover of Billboard that same week.

- Latin entertainment journalists select Martin the “Artist of the Year” for 2006, as the Latin American Association of Entertainment Journalists vote Martin as the year’s “Brightest Star”.

- Martin is selected as the first-ever “King of the Parade” for the historic 50th Anniversary of the National Puerto Rican Parade – leading record numbers along 5th Avenue in New York for the country’s largest cultural event.

- Martin has been selected to receive a “Star” this fall on the iconic “Hollywood Walk of Fame”.