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"Tiburones," a very combative song against police violence and for the right to abortion. 
"Tiburones," a very combative song against police violence and for the right to abortion.

Puerto Rican Protests Inspire Ricky Martin's New Album

The singer will be starting his "Movimiento" tour on February 8th with a benefit concert on his home island. Will he get the people to stand up despite…

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He was living a very sweet period in his life and he wanted his album to reflect that. However, everything changed in 2019, when protests broke out in Puerto Rico leading to the resignation of Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, who was accused of corruption and mismanagement of the devastation wrought on the island by Hurricane Maria two years ago. 

Ricky Martin had joined the demonstrations along with other artists, and the romanticism faded at one point. He was filled, he says, with the people's anger, with their indignation.

"When I returned to the studio, everything I had done musically expired because I had poetic material in my head to share with the world after what happened on the streets of Puerto Rico," he stated.

The result is "Movimiento," his most combative album where the Puerto Rican tries to turn over "all the stories I heard from people who just didn't listen to each other," as well as to take a message to the world through his music starting with the island, where he will celebrate the first concert of his tour on Feb. 8.

Very critical of the administration of current Gov. Wanda Vazquez, whom he has urged to resign through the networks on numerous occasions, Martin sees her leaving as "an act of justice" for the island, he claimed in a video on Thursday.

"There are no immediate legal mechanisms for you and your entire team to go away and pay for all our suffering," he added. "But I have good news. Elections are coming in November and I'm sure, I'm sure, that the people will stand up more than ever."

The singer has also had to bear the accusations of those who call his "musical activism" mere opportunism, especially since he no longer resides in Puerto Rico or has not attended the latest protests. 

To which he has responded with forcefulness: 

"That I shouldn't be interested in Puerto Rico because I don't live in Puerto Rico? On the contrary. I think that not being on the island has made me appreciate my culture more, appreciate my people, my language, my music, where I come from."

"The elections are coming in November and I'm sure, absolutely sure, that the people will stand up more than ever."

The album includes even more claims.

In the video clip of the single "Tiburones," filmed on the island, there is a woman standing up to the riot police during a protest. She wears a green scarf around her neck, which the singer says symbolizes the struggle for abortion rights. 

Both the album and the beginning of Ricky Martin's tour come at a very difficult time for Puerto Rico, which is still trying to recover from not only Maria's devastation but also from the recent 6.4 magnitude earthquake that destroyed hundreds of homes and the terrible economic recession that has lasted for more than ten years.

Martin himself, who denounced last Sunday to the island and U.S. authorities the poor help given to the earthquake victims, will dedicate the profits from the concert to help the victims and during his visit, he will deliver products to those most in need, TMZ reported.

 

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