It has been almost three years since Cuban-born Roberto Arango resigned from the Puerto Rican Senate in the wake of a scandal over a number of nude photos from a Grindr profile were leaked to the press. Initially Arango denied he was the man in the photos and then he acknowledged some of the photos were his but alleged he had taken them to document his weight-loss under a new diet but he never admitted whether the photos came from a personal profile on the popular gay men's hook up app or whether he was gay.
The news became tabloid fodder in the United States and Arango is still listed on several lists of the top sexual scandals to hit any politician but behind the scandal also laid the past of a man who had previously voted to deny rights to the LGBT community in Puerto Rico and sided with some of the most conservative factions in the island.
In 2004 he mocked a San Juan mayoral candidate during a political rally by implying he was gay and holding a plastic duck and making quacking noises when speaking against him ("pato" or duck in Spanish is a word often used as a slur against gays in Puerto Rico).
In 2007 he embraced a conservative religious coalition and personally received thousands of signatures they had collected against same-sex civil unions as he vowed to defend so-called Christian values in the Puerto Rican senate and prevent changes to the civil code. That year he also led efforts to amend the Puerto Rican constitution to ban recognition of any unions that were not those between a man and a woman (the effort ultimately failed).
And in 2009 he defended secret efforts by conservative colleagues in the Senate to pass a bill banning adoption rights for same-sex couples as I documented in a previous post.
After resigning from the Senate Arango retired in the United States where he said he wanted to dedicate more time to raising a daughter from a previous marriage and concentrate on his personal life.
It was a welcome sign that Arango might have come around on his past efforts against the LGBT community.
There were rumors that Arango might be paving his way to return to Puerto Rican politics but the scandal and the unanswered questions about his sexuality remained.
Today, three years after the scandal, Arango finally came out in a radio interview with Noti UNO an excerpt of which was posted on YouTube...
Here is the exchange:
REPORTER: Following the controversy over the photos there was a lot of speculation about your sexual preference. Isn't it time for you to state whether or not you are a homosexual?
ROBERTO ARANGO: Well, the day someone asks me I will give a reply. In that respect, I have nothing to hide.
REPORTER: Are you a homosexual?
ROBERTO ARANGO: Yes. And on top of that I am a businessman. On top of that I am a father, I am a brother, I am a son. On top of that I like doing community work and volunteering. On top of that I like helping different communities. I like it and I am someone who likes to bring changes and progress and to give opportunities to those who want it.
REPORTER: When did you realize you were one.
ROBERTO ARANGO: I think it happened when I accepted it and I may not be a psychologist or a specialist in that field...
REPORTER: And did you accept it before your exit from the Senate?
ROBERTO ARANGO: No. It was after. My exit from the Senate and the process itself was what led me to accept myself.
In what observers are calling a stunning upset, professional Argentine boxer Ana Laura Esteche defeated three-time defending light welterweight World Boxing Association champion Monica Silvina Acosta when the two met in San Clemente del Tuyú on January 20th (you can watch the whole fight here).
Friends since childhood, Acosta did not wait for officials to announce the fight score and instead took her championship belt from the official who was holding it and handed it to Esteche herself in a show of respect and admiration for the woman who had just defeated her. "It's yours, take care of it, you won fairly and let God guide you," said Acosta - an evangelical preacher outside the ring - to Esteche according to ESPN.
For Esteche, better known in Argentina as "La Monita," it was her second try at the championship and her first world title. It was also the night she became the second professional boxer to ever come out while still active in the sport following the steps of Puerto Rican boxer Orlando Cruz who came out in October of 2012.
In a ringside interview immediately following the fight, Esteche was asked if it had yet dawned on her that she was a world champion. Caught in the moment and overwhelmed by tears, Esteche began by thanking her trainers but extended those thanks to "her woman and my mother-in-law."
She also said she had gave her all during the match to demonstrate the tremendous day-to-day efforts she had put into the fight along with her trainers and "my woman."
Here is that interview after the fight and an additional interview done last week:
In that follow-up interview, which comes at the 4:16 minute mark, the sports anchor asks Esteche about those comments and, with a smile, she says the following of her partner:
Thanks to her, I wake up every morning at 6 or 5 in the morning because I am a bit weak when it comes to sleeping in and she always tells me "c'mon 'gorda', let's go, let's go because this is the time you will get it!' and later she would train with me and my physical trainer on my same level as if she had to fight four rounds and I had to fight ten. So she would train with me and sometimes better than me because she is is great physical shape. And she would train and box with me, she is truly and excellent person. And, to be sincere, I am very happy to have a woman like that
Amazingly, Esteche's partner - who you can see in the video standing behind her with her pink hair color - happens to be another WBA professional boxer who tied in a match earlier that same night: Johanna "Yoki" Giménez.
In the video Esteche also dedicates her victory to her parents "because it has been a long time since I told them I love them."
Speaking to ESPN's Carlos Irusta, Esterche says that while she is not entirely distant from her parents they do not see each other often and says that they do not approve of her relationship to Giménez.
She also tells him they both come from such poor background that they have to make a living scavenging construction materials from building that have to be torn down in the poorest districts of Buenos Aires. "It builds muscles," Esteche jokes.
Finally, on her decision to come out, Esteche says "It's that it's something that you should not hide, after all happiness is not something you should hide, it's something to be shared and I - we - are happy."
Backstage, Evita:Steven A. Toledo, Pedro Julio Serrano, Ricky Martin and and Orlando Cruz (via Twitter)
With less than a week to go until his last performance as Ché in the current Broadway revival of "Evita", Ricky Martin welcomed some very special guests backstage at the Marquis Theater on Friday night.
In a photo tweeted after the performance Ricky has his arms around Steven A. Toledo and Pedro Julio Serrano on his right and boxer Orlando "El Fenómeno" Cruz on his left.
Ricky, of course, remains the top Latino celebrity to ever come out after declaring himself a "proud homosexual man" in 2010 while Orlando recently sent shock-waves through the boxing world after coming out in October of last year. It made him the first professional boxer to ever come out while still competing in the sport and has deservedly earned him the cover of this month's The Advocate.
The two men also happen to be from Puerto Rico which brings us to long-time Puerto Rican LGBT-rights advocate Pedro Julio Serrano.
Months before Ricky came out, he surprised many when he released a statement in solidarity of a series of demonstrations asking the Puerto Rican government for justice in the brutal killing of a young gay man named Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado. The crime shook the island and I also believe it was also a catalyst for Ricky's decision to come out. And, indeed, one of the first things he did after telling the world he was gay was to reach out to one of the leaders behind the demonstrations: Pedro Julio.
The two have become friends and have met a few times since then. Ricky has also often used his powerful social media presence to support actions begun by Pedro Julio as well as defend him when Pedro Julio has come under attack from homophobic elements in the island.
Similarly, months before he announced he was gay, Orlando reached out to Pedro Julio for guidance on the possible reactions and repercussions of taking such a step. In interview after interview Orlando has shown himself to be a thoughtful, extraordinary and exemplary gay role model. Just as if he had been out all his life. And he often takes time to say he owes a great deal to Pedro Julio and the advice he provided.
For those of us who know, love and admire Pedro Julio and his soon-to-be husband Steven, we know that the admiration that Ricky and Orlando have expressed towards him is well-deserved.
It's a testament to Pedro Julio's work and the unexpected hearts he has touched during his lifetime and that's the reason I love this photo so much.
"Um, one of these ain't like the others. I
think even EW knew this which is why they included Ms. Wanda Sykes - whom I love -
on the cover, but then they barely mention her in the article. It is an
interesting and ultimately positive article but for that one glaring
omission. The truth is that yes, coming out if you're male
and white might be less of an issue, but actors of color must still
contend with the other truth: If you're an actor of color you're
opportunities for quality work are ALREADY limited, which is why so few
POC gay actors come out. So, yes, it is a new day... for some. AS USUAL.
...just sayin'..." - Out Latino actor Wilson Cruz on this week's Entertainment Weeklycover story as posted on Facebook (quote reprinted by permission).
Last year few people noticed what I thought was a mini-trend: After a relative dearth in LGBT representation in the Latino music industry, several performers came out as gay or lesbian between the months of February and April (OK, maybe I was the only person who noticed).
Both Angelo Garcia and Rita Indiana say they never really hid their sexual identity from anyone and that it was media who suddenly took an interest on their personal lives. Ricky Martin and Lisa M., on the other hand, spent years building their successful careers in the Latino pop industry actively shaping a performing persona while assiduously avoiding talking about their personal lives.
Born Lisa Marrero Vázquez,
Lisa M. probably had the biggest commercial success of her career as a salsa singer in the late 1990's with huge hits like "Tu Pum Pum" and "Menéalo". But, artistically, she probably reached the professional high-point of her career with 2007's "Respect", a lavishly produced reggaeton album which also served as her last commercial release and contained the single "Hey Ladies".
On
Friday, I had the opportunity to speak to Lisa on the phone from Puerto Rico. In her first exclusive interview with an English-language venue - or an LGBT-venue for that matter - Lisa addressed
her decision to come out on Facebook last year, her relative silence since then and her plans to release a brand new single and album late this year or in early 2012 (for the original Spanish-language version of this interview click here).
Blabbeando: It’s been a little more than a year since you
decided to tell your followers on Facebook that you are a lesbian. What made you decide to do it and did
you feel scared at all when you finally came out?
Lisa M.: Well, look, when I actually did it, I was in Spain
and, before that, I had already been thinking of coming out in public. I wanted to come out, not because I had
any specific purpose, but because that was the purpose… to come out.
At that moment, all the stuff about Ricky Martin had
already surfaced. Obviously,
when Ricky takes something as delicate as his private life and decides to share
it with his fans, with his family and with the rest of the world, it was
something quite beautiful. And it’s not that I came out
because he did it but, basically, it was a ‘wow’ moment for me.
As a fellow artist, I saw it as an incredibly beautiful
moment and I felt it was the perfect moment to offer my support not only to him
but also myself and other artists who truly want to live their lives freely. So
I made the decision and I said ‘Look, I’ll write ‘I’m gay!’” And that’s what I
did on my Facebook page.
I’ll be very honest. I posted it without knowing or thinking
about any consequences or truly expecting it to get the reaction it got. In other words, first I wrote “I’m
gay!” - saying it like ‘Wow!’ - but I later I reaffirmed it by writing “I’m
gay” – no exclamation point. That’s when…
Blabbeando: Yes, because the first time you posted it I
imagine your followers didn’t know what to think about it, whether it was a
joke or something else. But the second time you posted it - that’s when people
reacted…
Lisa M.: Exactly, yes, the second time, when I reaffirmed
it, well, everybody did react, writing stuff like “WHAT!? WHAT DID SHE SAY!?
HOW!?”. It was such a tremendous
reaction that it made it to People en Español, it went all through the
internet, all throughout media… All of Puerto Rico basically just fainted
[laughs].
Yes, it was such a huge reaction that… I’ll be honest, the
reaction to Ricky was ‘Damn, Ricky, we sorta knew it or imagined it already’,
but he did have a reaction… but with me, being a woman and being Latina - and
I’ll put this out in the open - well, it probably turned off some people, but the
overall reaction was positive.
Thank God almighty it wasn’t something where I lacked people’s
support. On the contrary, the
reaction was very positive and I received a lot of positive feedback.
People, a lot of people – and I’m saying this because it
happened a lot during those first days, weeks and months – sent me messages. I
received a lot of e-mail messages from women congratulating me, married women,
who would say “Look, I am gay but I am married” and so, for me, it was a ‘Wow’
moment to realize so many people had taken umbrage in what I had said.
And I learned to take it more seriously each day and to give
it more respect. Respect towards me, as a person, and towards the public… and
so much respect towards the gay community, which has also given me so much
support.
Blabbeando: The reaction was immediate but you were in
Europe when it happened and pretty much unreachable for comment…
Lisa M.: Yes.
That’s the way I wanted it.
I wanted to feel a bit more prepared before being able to give a more
public response to the media. When
I took the decision and saw the consequences, I told myself ‘This has reached
another level, now it’s serious, it’s slipped from my hands and I will have to
treat it respectfully and carefully.’
So I held media at bay a little bit but, yes, I can tell
you that what took place with all the media was impressive. From the start, when I gave an
exclusive to an important radio show in Puerto Rico via telephone, and, of
course, now that I have returned to Puerto Rico from Spain and have begun to
address all media. And, thank God,
I have always enjoyed great respect from the press, now and at that moment, for
which I am thankful. They treated
me very well and understood my point of view and my way of loving someone and
they accepted it.
And let me tell you that today I feel it is so normal to
talk about it and to watch Ricky and his boyfriend, his partner, at the award
ceremonies, to see him be free and be able to express himself, his feelings,
you know? It’s a beautiful thing.
And that is the same way I feel.
Blabbeando: I know you received some homophobic messages
back in January but you seem to be saying it’s been the exception to the rule…
Lisa M.:. Yes…
Blabbeando: I also know you have worked with other reggaeton
singers such as Tego Calderón. It
was also interesting for me to see that there didn’t seem to be any homophobic
reactions from your peers.
Lisa M.: Yes, thank God, I’ve also had my peers come to me…
and everyone has remained in their place, everybody has treated me with
respect, everybody has accepted it well.
Look, Andrés, we are living during an era in the business
where it really doesn’t matter who you are, you know? It’s all about what you
can give. It’s as if people want a different life, a different way to share
things, they want something more positive, they don’t want to tear an artist
down or hurt them.
It’s my understanding that in the industry, right as of now,
it is not a taboo, it’s not a barrier, it’s not an illness, it is not something
that will hurt your fans.
Blabbeando: At the same time, there are female artists such
as La India and Ivy Queen who have faced false rumors about their sexual
identity and, in Ivy Queen’s case, even questions about her gender, just for
presenting themselves as strong women. What do you think about those
stereotypes?
Lisa M.: What has happens is that, obviously, we are
stronger women thanks to what we have done as artists, based on our personality
and the way we have handled our careers, you know? [We are] women with a
stronger character… fighters. And being fighters makes us stronger, it makes us
brave, and so we create that character, a warrior’s armor, from having to be up
front as women. And then that strength is reflected in our songs, they way we
interpret a song, the way we talk, how we dress, how we express ourselves, and that’s
what people see.
Blabbeando: Now, throughout your career you have launched
seven albums. The last one,
“Respect” (2007) was actually pretty great. But I know you have been spending time in Europe and Spain
and focusing more on a career as a club DJ under the name of DJ Miss M. Now, after spending these years in
Spain, you’ve returned to the recording studio. Tell me a little bit about the
latest stage in your professional life.
Lisa M.: Well, basically the “Respect” and “Respect (Deluxe)” record was my last album.
After that I embraced life as a DJ. It’s been six years or so since I began to DJ but the last
three years have seen my DJ career get stronger and my reputation as a DJ climb
to higher levels. And being in Europe and living in Spain, well, I have
positioned myself as one of the top female DJ’s in Barcelona and Ibiza. There, I got tons of work and I’ll be
back later this month to close the 2011 Space Ibiza season on September 24.
And, what can I tell you? Yes, it has been a really
beautiful part of my life in which I have experienced the nightlife, being a
dedicated DJ, without obviously abandoning who I am: A singer and an
artist. What I have done is that
now, in the new stage, I am mixing up both things. I am recording my new album. I am doing it in Puerto Rico and
I am doing it in New York City and other places. I want to do an album that reflects everything that is
happening in my life, which is the nightlife, life at the dance clubs and
lounges, the music ‘life-style’ as I call it. It’s an album that reflects that vibe, now that I’m working
as a DJ, that touches on electronic music – tech-house, techno, house, hip-hop
– my new album fits somewhere along those lines.
As a DJ and producer – because obviously that determines a
lot of the things that have gone into the album – that’s where I’m at. And I am truly enjoying it a lot. I’m
not getting much sleep, Andrés, but I know the end results are going to be very
positive.
Blabbeando: So it’ll be a new sound, integrating old sounds
but from a dance-club perspective…
Lisa M.: Exactly. That’s it. That’s it. And, as I’m telling
you, using little things, old sounds but modern arrangements. With really, really amazing… how should
I say… now that I’m a DJ, which is the music genre in which I’m surrounding
myself and considering the industry is changing so much… perhaps in the way that Madonna has
done since “Confessions on a Dance Floor”, or, later, when Black Eyed Peas came
up with that electronic sound and mixed it up with hip-hop and R’n’B, and
what’s happening right now and blasting off the radio like Jennifer Lopez and
Pitbull… well, that’s the same vibe that is ruling the airwaves right now and
that’s the same track I’ll be on pretty soon.
Blabbeando: Do you have a date for the launch of the new
material?
Lisa M.: I’d say that before the year is over I’ll come out
with a new single, at the very least.
I am pushing myself, working really hard to have it come out by year’s
end as well as a video.
I’m not certain yet about a record label because I am truly
working independently. For the
moment, I am producing the record myself and I do not have a recording
label. But I am so happy and
working so well that I didn’t miss it during the recording process.
Nowadays the recording industry has changed so much that you
can go and find an investor, do a video, tape a single, pace it, put it out
there, kick it up there on YouTube, push it on Twitter, post it on Facebook,
and forget about it! You do a couple of interviews and get some cameras to
shoot the video and that has some impact.
And so, there you go [laughs]…
Yes. I know record companies are very good for other
things. Moneywise, as an artist, I
cannot penetrate the market in the same way record companies do their promotion
and handle the ‘business’ side. They go deeper. So we’ll see what happens. For
now, production is running really well and, as I told you, we hope to have
something out there before the end of the year. Andrés, the record is coming out really great. I think it’ll
be a totally different sound that doesn’t lose the essence of who I am.
Blabbeando: It sounds like you are in a stage of your life
in which you are at great ease with yourself and happy…
Lisa M.: Yes, I am happy. I have my partner, who is a beautiful girl who respects and
admires me a lot and that also helps me to focus and commit myself and to have
sufficient strength to say let’s go forward, let’s go. And when you have someone who is so
positive next to you it does help a lot, and that’s what’s been going on in my
case.
And, yes, I am traveling a lot. But once I get back to Puerto Rico on the 28th,
look out! I’ll be immersed in what will become the new single. There are several tracks ready, I
imagine I’ll get some people together and let them listen, including the
single. And, yes, it’s a process,
but at the same time I am enjoying it greatly. Maybe sometimes I do feel exhausted but it is a stage in my
life in which I feel much calmer and feel much more at ease with myself.
Blabbeando: Lastly, is there something I didn’t ask that
you’d like to tell readers of Blabbeando?
Lisa M.: Well, let me thank you for the interview. What I’m really wishing for is for the
public and media to offer their support for my new project and I know that will
be the case. I know I have earned the place where I am, thanks to God. Whoever grants me their support, I know
I am a pioneer in what I do and, thank God, the public has chosen to support me
throughout my career.
I do hope I’ll have additional support when the new album
comes out because the fans I have now are fans from before and after and they
are still there. But those of now,
who don’t really know about me… their parents, unless and cousins do, but the
new generation, those of now, I am truly hoping for the support of the new
generations. And I know I will
because, musically, I am working with groups of professional musicians and
producers who are at the level of the new generations. So we are doing good.
Blabbeando: Well, Lisa, that bring the interview to an end,
I thank you so much.
Lisa M.: Sure thing, Andrés. Thank you so much for the opportunity and for thinking about
me. What I’ll do is that when I
get the single ready I’ll send it over so you can give me your feedback and
we’ll keep in touch.
Below the fold, you will find the original Spanish-language version of my exclusive interview with the lovely Puerto Rican superstar singer, DJ and music producer Lisa M. in which she reflects on her decision to come out as a lesbian on Facebook a year and a half ago and the repercussions since telling the world she is gay. Click here for the entire Spanish-language interview. For the English-language translation click here.
I don't do many interviews on this blog. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's because I get pitched so many promotional interview opportunities that have little if anything to do with this blog. Perhaps it's because I haven't mastered the art of interviewing. But when the chance came my way to interview the amazing Jennifer Lopez how could I say no? Her handlers said she wanted to reach out directly to her Latino LGBT fans through this blog and I was thrilled.
Unexpectedly, I got all nervous and stuff. I'd heard La Lopez was a tough interview to do, that she was furiously protective of her privacy and short on answers. So I prepared a long laundry list of 'Yes' or 'No' questions and hoped they'd would be enough for the 10 minute interview.
Turns out I signed up for a whole different interview than I expected and didn't get to ask all the questions I had prepared. Jennifer was gracious, open and sweet. What follows is the transcript of our conversation.
BLABBEANDO – Hi Jennifer! This is Andrés Duque from a blog called Blabbeando. JENNIFER LOPEZ – Hi, how are you… BLABBEANDO – I’m good. I wanted to introduce myself: I write a blog about the Latino lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community – and I’m a huge fan so I really wanted to thank you for taking this call. JENNIFER LOPEZ – Absolutely! Thank you for having me. BLABBEANDO – First of all, as a huge fan, I’m hating you right now because you put the 'Lambada' back in my brain after all these years [JL laughs]. And also, over the weekend, I couldn’t stop saying 'Let me introduce you... to my party people' [JL laughs again]. And I wanted to ask you how do you feel about the impact the song is having this week and how you came along to release it as a single [Currently "On the Floor" is the #1 song and #1 video on I-Tunes].
JENNIFER LOPEZ – What it means? First of all, it’s amazing. I feel totally overwhelmed. It’s not the type of thing like asking people who have been in the business for a while and they’re like “Oh-kay, my record’s out.”
It never gets old when it hits, it’s like ‘YES!’ People like it! I love it! I love it! You know, because you have to believe in your music so when other people get it it’s just awesome. It’s just amazing. BLABBEANDO – And you’re really busy right now, with "American Idol", so it must be difficult to stop and sit back and enjoy the moment. But, are you enjoying the moment? JENNIFER LOPEZ – I am. I am. That’s probably what’s different about this album and this time in my life than it was for this album - and my first few albums, I should say. You know, it’s that I’m actually more in the moment now. I’m more mature now and smart enough to not miss it [laughs]. You know what I mean? This is amazing, this is great and I want to really, really want to be present for this whole thing. I’m just… really, I’m enjoying it.
I’m enjoying doing “Idol”. We are having a great time. We are having a lot of fun. I’ve enjoyed that process. I find it a very creative process. Back and forth between the contestants and us. And what we can share with them from what we know being in the business for a long time. And I love that.
And the record being out right now at the same time, and that all working, that wasn’t planned per se? I knew I was gonna put out and album this year but I didn’t know when. It worked out. It worked out great and it’s all just working together and it just feels really great. I feel really fortunate, really lucky right now, Andrés. BLABBEANDO – Now, I know that there was a change when it comes to record companies. Was there a point where the album almost didn’t see the light of day? Because that must have been frustrating, working on an album and having it almost not come out on the market. JENNIFER LOPEZ – Yeah. That wasn’t the case. The case was that I had come to the end of my contract and I had to decide whether or not to stay with SONY or not stay with SONY and I felt… and I went to SONY and asked them if I could move on.
And they - at that point in time - with the transitions going on within the old company, understood. And I had a good enough relationship with them from having some much success – I had done seven albums over there – that they understood me wanting to do that and, like I said, there were transitions going on. They weren’t prepared to do what they needed to do for me and that album at that time. It was really a mutual ‘Yeah, maybe this is the best thing,’ and we decided to part ways.
And I know people want to make more of it than that. That I was dropped or SONY was messing up. They want to make this really big thing about it. But it really was a conversation between me and one person at the company going ‘I think it’s just time, we’ve run our course and let’s find a new home’ and that’s what happened.
I knew that there were places that I could go and who wanted to work with me, and new fresh blood where I could go to and it happened smoothly and quickly. BLABBEANDO – Now, the ‘fresh blood’, you’re singing with Pitbull and you have new collaborators and you seem always keep up with the latest [music] styles. And it really sounds fresh. I loved – I can’t even pronounce it but – “Loubutins” and I love “On the Floor” and you’re gearing these songs to a dance music [crowd] and, to some degree to the gay community, because we love dance music. And I think you’ve been really smart in the past to use some of the best dance producers and remixers. Talk to me about how you came to work with Pitbull and what other people you are collaborating vocally in the new album.
JENNIFER LOPEZ – For me, when I go to do my music, there’s always gonna be a mix of all the things that I am. I’m a Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx. You know what I mean? And here’s always gonna be a mix of dance and urban in my stuff – and pop music - so once you throw all that stuff into the bag then it’s all about me just being myself.
So whenever I work with different producers – I worked with RedOne on a lot of the tracks in the album – and with him it was like ‘Let’s do some great dance tracks’. When I worked with Tricky and Dream, I went to them and I said ‘Let’s do my kind of more urbany-feel pop-record’ and I go to different producers for different things – but it all has to be very ‘me’.
It doesn’t work with every single producer you go in there with, you know what I mean? [laughs]. You go in there and nothing happens. But sometimes, like with RedOne or Tricky and Dream you go in there and in a week you make five, six, seven records. And with the records that actually worked, that are in the album – a lot of Tricky and Dream, a lot of RedOne – those are the ones that you have a lot of chemistry with. BLABBEANDO - I also wanted to ask you, because in the past you’ve been a professional friend and a personal friend… Last year there was actually a number of people in the Latino music industry that came out as being gay or lesbian, and they include, of course, Ricky Martin but also Angelo Garcia, who was also a former Menudo, Lisa M who did salsa way back in Puerto Rico and now is doing reggateon, and Rita Indiana who is a tremendous up-and-coming talent from the Dominican Republic. So you have all these performers – mostly from the Caribbean – Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic – coming out. I wanted to know how you felt about Ricky’s tremendous step to come out as well as what the moment means in terms of… is the Latino music industry changing and making it safe for people to say who they are? JENNIFER LOPEZ – Right. Are you asking me if I think it’s safer now? BLABBEANDO – Yes. JENNIFER LOPEZ – I just think it’s a reflection of the real world we live in. And it’s OK to be out. I do think it is. I do think it’s acceptable for people to be who they are. I am a huge advocate of that. In that sense, that’s the only way we can truly love ourselves, it’s by accepting who we are and letting everybody know who we are.
So, I’m very proud – you know – I’m friends with Ricky and I’m very proud of him and support him in everything he does. And all these people who have been... who want to step forward and tell the world who they are… I think that’s awesome. BLABBEANDO – I also know you’ve been a longtime ally. You’ve always kept the gay community in mind in terms of the music you release and I know you know we are some of your biggest fans so… JENNIFER LOPEZ – Absolutely… BLABBEANDO - …I personally wanted to thank you for that as well. JENNIFER LOPEZ – Absolutely. I mean, I had an aunt who was gay. I grew up with it. It’s just to me, being around dancers my whole life, you know? There’s a lot of dancers as well who are gay and it’s just not… For me it was never even anything as an issue. I had uncles… It was just seeing people were people. And it wasn’t one way or the other for me. BLABBEANDO – That’s right. I think sometimes we – in the Latino community – we are your brothers, your sisters, etcetera, etcetera, we are part of the family. It’s more open than I think people give it credit for, at least in the Latino community. JENNIFER LOPEZ – Right. BLABBEANDO - Now, going back to the album: What’s the next single? Have you decided on that? Will there be different singles released to the Latino market and the American market? JENNIFER LOPEZ – Well, we have a lot of plans for the album as things go along. We have three different choices that we can do as a second single and it’s really hard for us to choose. We think we know what we are doing and then at the last minute we might change it [laughs]. But we are shooting a video very soon with Li’l Wayne on one song called “I’m Into You” but there’s another song called “Papi” and there’s another song called “Run the World”. So there are a few songs that we are thinking about as a second single. And we might release some simultaneously: Some are more urban, some are more dance. And, also, we are releasing very soon – or if it’s not released already, I don’t even know if it happened in the past day or two – the Spanish version of “On the Floor”… BLABBEANDO – That’s great… JENNIFER LOPEZ – Pitbull did a new version of his rap in Spanish and I re-sang the whole thing in Spanish as well. We are gonna do a Spanglish version where we mix in the Spanish. And then we are probably gonna do a whole Spanish version of the album. So – We have a lot of plans for it. BLABBEANDO – Well, I know my ten minutes are up but I really wanted to thank you for taking my call. JENNIFER LOPEZ – Thank you, Andrés, I really appreciate it so much.
He has greatly benefited from turning on his formidable publicity skills and charisma since coming out. His book reached the top 5 on The New York Times best-selling lists and "Música + Alma + Sexo" - his first album since 2005 - hit the stores on Tuesday in regular and deluxe versions to considerable advance interest, particularly in Latino music markets.
It all crested last week with a press junket that Martin held last week in advance of the album's release as well as a number of telephone interviews the singer held with a number of reporters from Latin America.
As revelatory as he swore his autobiography would be, in most of these interviews Martin comes off just as carefully guarded about his private life as he does in the book. That said, some of the reporters manage to get past the publicity veneer and get some revealing answers from the pop star.
Pablo Schanton of Argentina's Clarín gets to the heart of the matter. Catching Martin unguarded as he's telling his publicist to follow-up on a transgender (!) reporter who's leaving the Miami hotel room after finishing interviewing the star, the singer apologizes.
"Pardon me, part of my job is taking care of every detail; The demanding military soldier I carry within me since the times of Menudo is almost like Catholicism, isn't it? Once you are a Catholic you always will be one," Martin laughs, "I continue to demand a lot from myself - it's part of my personality and I see it as a defect - but the obsessive-compulsive in me has helped me to reach a lot of things."
Simón Villamizar from Venezuela's El Universal presses Martin on his lack of transparency on an autobiography in which the singer promised to talk openly about his life in what must have been an uncomfortable exchange.
"First of all, for me this is not a book of confessions," Martin says "This is a book in which I am sharing steps in my life which I feel were very important and led me to the conclusions that make me who I am today; my life cannot be narrated in 300 pages."
"I spent many months figuring out the best way to do it. I thought it could be a song, or an interview, or in the book," he says, "But I couldn't wait eight more months. I needed to do this, now. Several months before I pressed send, there was a hate crime in Puerto Rico against a gay boy. And at the time, if I had spoken out, people would have started conjecturing."
He adds "There are moments of great tension in the book because I was living under great tension. And one Friday, I called my manager and said, I'm doing this on Monday. I spent the entire weekend drafting that letter. And when I sent it, I felt such a relief, such peace and joy. I thought, My God, had I known, I would have done this 10 years ago."
But, what about the album?
In that same Billboard interview, Martin reveals 60 songs were written for the album, 10 of which survived (11 if you include an extra song on the deluxe edition). All in all there are 13 tracks on the regular version (including English language versions of a couple of songs as well as a remix) and seven additional tracks on a separate disc in the deluxe version (including English versions of another two songs from the album, a couple of remixes and the aforementioned extra track).
Also on Billboard, Ricky Martin describes the album track by track with one notable exception, "Basta Ya", which sounds like the most personal song on the album.
Lyrics for "Basta Ya" / "Enough":
Getting closer to the truth / I'm seeking the way to tell the world what I can no longer keep silent / I let a tear escape / From this prison where emotions are punished without pity / Against everything, I will be with you /
CHORUS: Enough! Of imprisoning what I feel / And denying myself what I want / Enough! Of condemning the voice I carry inside / And faking my sincerity / Fear no longer scares me / Enough!
Reason awakened me / The words I kept in silence got tired of waiting / This is were my revolution starts / In my hand I carry the flag that will defend the heart / Against everything, I will be with you / CHORUS
From now on, I will be loyal to myself / I will erase the pain / In the story of my life, each line screams 'Enough!' / CHORUS
It's a beautiful ballad and defines the album pretty well: Lyrics that speak to Martin's recent coming out without being too specific about it. Inspirational lyrics that fit some songs well ("Cántame tu Vida") but nearly sink others ("Shine"). And a pristine production by Desmond Child, who produced Martin's biggest English-language hit "Living La Vida Loca".
The biggest surprise here is that, aside for a couple of tracks presented in Spanish and English-language versions, most of the album is in Spanish. It makes sense, considering that Martin is more popular in Latin America than in the United States at this stage in his career, but I always thought the album would feature mostly English-language songs. And, while there is nothing in "Música + Alma + Sexo" as immediately catchy or kitschy as "Living La Vida Loca", the album seems more consistently engaging than any of his previous albums.
There are a couple of outstanding tracks, the dance clubby "No Te Miento" and "Más" and the seriously sexy and beautiful ballad "Tú y Yo".
Reviews have been mostly positive but not necessarily spectacular: "As always, he enlists songwriters with an almost virtuoso ability to materialize memorable hooks out of thin air," says Los Angeles Times. "Exactly what we needed and enough to prove that he’s still a viable pop star" says the Houston Chronicle. "The album pours on pop craftsmanship in a show of confidence and pride," says The New York Times.
That sounds just about right. It's not the greatest album ever released in the history of music. But, as a pure pop confection, it's pretty damn good. By the way, you can listen to the whole album by clicking here.
It's been a week since Ricky Martin's autobiography "Me" came out and he's been hitting the media rounds appearing on Oprah, Larry King, Univision's Aqui y Ahora, Ellen and The View, among others. It's actually pretty amazing how much media attention he has gotten considering the years the singer has been out of the limelight. He also graces People en Español's end of the year cover and Out magazine's Out100 cover).
To put it mildly, it's been a busy week for Martin. Sweetly, he has taken time out from his busy schedule for this...
WHAT!? Yes! A heartfelt message for my great friend Pedro Julio Serrano!
Pedro Julio, who works at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and was the founder of the LGBT-rights organization Puerto Rico Para Tod@s, was recognized for his amazing work last night at the New York City Hilton Hotel by Comité Noviembre. Ricky Martin was supposed to present the award live but when it became apparent he would not be able to make it, he sent the above message to be presented during the ceremony.
As far as I know, it was the first time that the politically influential New York City-based organization - which oversees the annual Puerto Rican heritage celebrations in New York - granted an award to an openly gay individual. And, as biased as I might be, the honor could not have gone to a more deserving person.
Particularly touching to me was that Pedro Julio's entire family was there supporting him (see photo). I look at his brothers proudly holding that gay pride Puerto Rican flag next to PJ in honor of his brother and I can't just feel but incredibly moved.
Moving to me is also that Ricky Martin would take his time - at this particular moment of his life - to honor Pedro Julio. These are the lines from his video statement that stick with me:
RICKY MARTIN: I would love to be there with you, my brother, but, unfortunately, it can't be done. But you and I are connected in a thousand ways. I give you thanks for being a teacher, for being a mentor, for being a warrior of the light. For being a Puerto Rican of pura cepa who is doing a wonderful job for the Puerto Ricans of today and also for the new generations. I simply do not have the words. You are a... you are magical, brother. I love you a lot, God bless you. And this honor is for you.
"I give you thanks for being a teacher, for being a mentor, for being a warrior of the light". Dude. That makes me tear up big time. Because I know the example that Pedro Julio has set for others and personally know the impact he has has in other people's life. And because Pedro Julio has also been an example in my life.
It reminds me of how few the visible positive examples of Latino gay life are and makes me appreciate this so much more for the beauty of a huge Latino superstar who has just come out deeming it important to honor the often thankless job of a Latino LGBT rights advocate.
Back in the 1980's, when I was still in high-school, I was still deep in the closet and struggling to understand my attraction towards men. Obviously, there wasn't nearly as much LGBT visibility out there in media, and positive role models were hard to find.
One amazing exception was a cartoon strip that ran on a local college newspaper. I forget the name but I always remembered its author, Ivan Velez, Jr.
The strip, which ran in Syracuse University's The Daily Orange, told the story of a group of college friends and their travails. It also depicted the struggles of a big, hulky, hairy college athlete in coming to terms with being gay.
It was one of the first times I ever saw a masculine man being depicted as being gay in a positive way and, to this day, I've remembered the strip as having a key role in helping me to feel comfortable in who I was.
Ivan went on to draw a groundbreaking series of comic books called "Tales of the Closet" and has gone on to host a series of panels by other gay comic book artists. Most recently, he's also organized a series of events at the NYC LGBT Community Center he's named "Oso Oro" in which bearish male models pose for aspiring cartoonists and artists (trust me, it's much funner than it sounds).
Right now, Ivan is engaged in a brand new effort called the "Eye Am A Man" project which he plans to launch next month. The project, which Ivan is launching as a multi-artist show, seeks to explore the connection of masculinity and sexual orientation as filtered through the interpretation of the artists' ethnic and gender identities.
For his part of the show, Ivan would like for people to submit photos or videos of themselves holding a sign that meets the guidelines on his site.
I am more than glad to spread the word and hope you will participate.
Tuesday is the big launch of Ricky Martin's coming out autobiography "Me" which will get as big a public platform as any bookseller could want: A full hour on The Oprah Show, to air also on Tuesday, in which the singer will offer his first official interview since coming out as a gay man.
Appropriately, a Spanish language version of the book, titled "Yo", will also be released Tuesday, and that night Univision is airing an hour-long Spanish-language interview with Maria Elena Salinas on "Aqui y Ahora" at 7pm EST.
Details of the book had been closely guarded --- until now.
A Costco store in San Juan apparently didn't abide by the release date guidelines and put the book on store stands Friday. Puerto Rico's Primera Horagot a hold of a copy.
Here are some translated excerpts from the article:
Ricky Martin always knew he was gay. He began to feel it as far back as his adolescence when he felt intimidated before his friends for being a virgin. Even though his first sexual experience was with a woman, in his autobiography "Yo", he openly confesses it is men who arouse his animal instincts.
"Since I can remember, I have felt a very strong attraction to other men and, although I can say that I have also come to feel a lot of attraction and a lot of chemistry towards women, it is men who ultimately awaken what is instinctive, the animal in me."
Martin says that the fear of being rejected and the fear of his career going down the tubes was what kept him in the closet, despite family members and close friends being accepting of his sexual identity.
"Socially, there are so many prejudices against homosexuals that I thought nobody would understand me, that I'd be rejected, since those are the codes I heard and learned as a child. So since my adolescence, when these desires I first began to manifest themselves, I had to deal with this great conflict between my emotions and my thoughts."
It wasn't until his 30's, Martin writes, that he began to feel comfortable with his sexuality but, even then, the singer admits he began to enjoy the 'spice' of keeping his sexual encounters secret.
He didn't know how he would say it, but he wanted to say it, so he began to loosen the ropes little by little. The provocative video from the opening of his "White and Black" concerts, in which he appeared with words painted on his body such as "accept yourself" and "discover yourself" was the start of his coming out of the closet.
But it was the birth of his children, Mateo and Valentino, that gave him the final push . "When I held them in my arms for the first time, I not only realized just how simple and beautiful life could be, but I felt the need to be transparent with them," says [Martin], who establishes his own commitment to defend the human rights of gays, lesbians and transgender people. He rejects discriminatory words such as "maricón", "puto" and "pato" [words that can be interchangeably translated as "fag" in areas of Latin America].
[Martin] says that as soon pressed the button "send" he shut down the computer and went to his room to sleep for half an hour, but [he says] curiosity killed the cat. He then called a friend and asked her to look at his Twitter time-line and tell him what was happening. Then he experienced more relief. "She said, 'Kiki, it's pure love..."
"And then all that fear I felt, the fear many people have at the moment they come out of the closet, it was just in my head. I know that maybe this is not the case with others when they decide to do it - there are those who are faced with a painful wall of misunderstanding and rejection - but I can say my own experience was nothing but positive and empowering," he says.
"We met at a radio station and from the moment we saw each other it was like a great encounter between souls, at least for me. I was traveling out of Los Angeles and went to the station for an interview. The moment I opened the door to the studio, I found myself face to face with the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen," narrates the Puerto Rican singer in his biography.
The relationship occurred at the end of 1993 when Martin was about to join the cast of "General Hospital" and ended some time later when the couple realized that it couldn't survive Martin's constant touring. Martin says he offered to end his music career and perhaps let the world know he was gay but says that his partner was the one who convinced him that he should not cut his career short even if it meant and end to the relationship.
Martin apparently also puts to rest a question repeatedly raised by gossip magazines when it comes to his current domestic situation: He indicates he does not have a current partner and is raising his children on his own.
He also only addresses his relationship with Mexican news anchor and actress Rebeca de Alba - a relationship that played out in public for some time even as rumors swirled around Martin that he was gay - without directly mentioning her name.
He also talks about Barbara Walters asking him if he was gay - and his denial.
Martin, who was featured on a groundbreaking Fathers Day People en Español cover posing with his twin boys back in June, spends the later part of the book describing the road to becoming a father.
In the closing chapter, Martin says that writing the book taught him to embrace and love his entire life, with it's ups and downs.
"I think everyone should accept the life they were given," he says, ". That doesn't mean they shouldn't try to live it as fully as they want to live it,but - in the end - what matters is to accept yourself, to love yourself, to be happy and to do good."
What's next: Martin has been hunkered down working on his next album, which features songs in English and Spanish a laShakira. For the project, he has reunited with producer Desmond Child who also produced "Living la Vida Loca".
A new single, "The Best Thing About Me is You" featuring Joss Stone, debuts on Ryan Seacrest's radio show this Monday. You can hear the FULL SONG here. The Spanish version of the song, "Lo Mejor de Mi Vida Eres Tu" features Natalia Jimenez. :30 second clip here.
It certainly seems to have been a tumultuous week for ex-Menudo boyband member and now out gay man Angelo Garcia.
On Sunday, popular blogger Matthew Rettenmund posted an item from the June 8th issue of Spanish language gossip magazine TV Novelas on his Boy Culture blog in which Garcia spoke openly about being a gay man. He also posted an update featuring photos Garcia sent to him in which he appeared posing with his boyfriend.
The post was quickly picked up by several blogs, including Blabbeando, and then got tremendous play in Brazilian mainstream media (don't ask). It was only later in the week that Spanish language media such as Univision, People en Español and MTVtr3s picked it up and it's only now spreading throughout Latin America.
If Ricky Martin's coming out received what amounted to indifferent shrugs in the United States, the reaction to Garcia have mostly been associated to his pumped up physique and not his music. After all, he never really had the musical cross-over that Ricky Martin enjoyed in the United States during his "Living La Vida Loca" days.
But most reactions, including mine, have also focused on the fact that he is the second Menudo member to come out.
Actually, according to Garcia, that's erroneous: He says he came out two months before Ricky Martin did.
"Let me clear something up with all my friends and Fans," he wrote yesterday in a Facebook Fan Page post, "Ricky Martin might have been the most Famous Menudo to ever come out but I was the FIRST! I am getting a lot of attention about this now because of Ricky's Revelation so having 2 Menudo boys be GAY I guess is NEWS WORTHY but I spoke publicaly (sic) about my Sexuality 2 months before he came out. It is funny how the press TWISTS the TRUTH".
If that sounds snooty, petty or a stab at attention-grabbing, he explains in another post why he felt he needed to make the statement. "I did not expect all this media attention and I am not looking for attention or trying to ride coat tails or steal other's THUNDER! I am TIRED of The RUDE IGNORANT comments and RUDE Emails people are sending. I Love myself just the way I am. Like Christina aguilera says 'AND IF ...YOU DONT LIKE IT F*** YOU!'"
And he is right. Some replies on message boards and online articles have been vicious and more than a few have accused him of trying to ride the Ricky Martin's coattail to fame.
As I wrote in my previous post, I did find a previous interview in which Garcia openly discussed his sexual orientation, and in which he also discussed his experiences as a male stripper at Manhattan's now gone Gaiety Theater in Times Square. But it wasn't clear to me if the interview had been conducted in April when he did an erotic photo shoot for Paragon Men - 2 months before Ricky Martin came out - or after Ricky had come out. In any case, the interview went unnoticed and it's only now that media is focusing on Garcia.
In those interviews, Garcia also mentioned he was working in new solo material. He'd previously released a solo album titled "Cool" but that was in 2006. I checked out some of the tracks out there and found some promise but was not impressed overall. I also thought he was bluffing a bit when he said he was working on new material. Apparently, I was also wrong.
Last night on YouTube, Garcia released two demo tracks he is working on for his upcoming English-language release "Scandalous". I imagine he wants to take advantage of the attention he has been getting this week and who could blame him? It's also probably a way to try to turn attention away from his Menudo past as well as put a spotlight on his music. But is it good?
In interviews, Garcia has described himself as a gay male version "Lady Gaga" but in the cover art and in the song stylings he actually reminds me more of Adam Lambert. Both songs obviously needs some additional production work but I think they show great potential and build up on the promise he showed in his past solo work.
First up, the better of the two demos, "The Morning After"...
And then, "Fallin 4 U". Funny, one of the lines in the song says "I wanna explain it to the world that you are my favorite girl"... I guess if gay actors can play straight, gay singers can play straight too? Or will the lyrics be changed once the album is released?
Dictatorship Versus Democracy.
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