Speaking to alleged music guru Molly Meldrum in an interview to screen tonight on Fox8's Premiere at 9.30pm, Martin reveals a clairvoyant predicted his relocation.
"I saw a psychic seven months ago and she told me that Australia would be my home.
"I will definitely be coming back ... I feel a connection here and perhaps one day I will live here for a while."
Meldrum, himself no stranger to discussions about sexuality, raises the hoary old debate of "is he or isn't he?"
There's a lot of speculation," says Meldrum. "Is he gay? Is he straight? No-one can be that nice!"
"I am an artist," replies Senor Martin, somewhat predictably.
"You can fantasise about me however you want. I have no control of people's thoughts.
"I am just going to be myself."
Latino pin-up Ricky Martin oozes sex appeal and looks every inch the fiery and passionate wild man of pop. But the star, who set a million hips swaying with his international chart-topper Livin' La Vida Loca, would happily leave behind the crazy days to start a family of his own.
The birth of pal Madonna's son Rocco in August has pushed his paternal instincts into overdrive. "I haven't seen Rocco yet," he admits regretfully. "But when I do, I will buy him a tree that can grow with him. Kids need spiritual things and time-things that money can't buy."
Perhaps that's why, at the height of his commercial success, Ricky admits he would consider taking a break of up to two years if it meant starting the family he dreams of. "I've got my career and my life, but many of my old friends back in Puerto Rico have growing families of their own," he says wistfully. "It is really important to me to be able to plan to be a father who is there. My mother used to keep asking about when I would have kids but she's stopped now. Recently, the idea of becoming a dad is more and more real to me."
And when he does have children of his own, Ricky 28, is determined not to be a long distance dad, always on the road or holed up in the recording studio.
"I want to be there when their diapers need changing," he says with feeling. "I want to be able to teach them about the world and that means not just packing them off to school. When I started to travel with my early band, Menudo, I learned a lot about life and the world-lessons I would never have got from my Catholic upbringing."
In fact, Ricky's looking forward to seeing more of the world than he's encountered on tour, but in the company of his future offspring. "I often sit back and picture myself trekking across Asia with two kids and a backpack. I want to be with them as they experience things in the world around them."
One major stumbling block in fine-tuning his family planning, though, is the absence of a special woman in his life at the moment. But then considering his high standards that's hardly surprising.
Aside from his big buddy Madonna, he claims his dream girl would be a mixture of Michelle Pfeiffer and Jennifer Lopez. Nothing special! Ricky wants his woman to be a dominant type too, to compensate for, wait for it, his lack of self-confidence!
"I can be quite shy and I'm terrible at chatting up women," he insists. "I think it's because I have to be so loud and be the boss in my working life, that when I'm not working I want someone else to take the lead."
But what Ricky wants more than anything, he says, is a bit of tender loving care. "I'm the type of boyfriend who needs lots of cuddles and warmth. I'm emotional and am just learning that it's okay to cry and let off steam." Ricky's luxury multimillion-pound pad in Miami is ready and waiting for a family to move in.
"The family room is already in place. It's simple-all white with wooden tables," he says "I have a huge painting hanging on the wall that is mainly blue. There are four bedrooms too."
At the moment, though, Ricky's not spending much time there. He's on the road as part of an exhausting 12-month word tour. Almost nightly, he performs high-energy stage shows complete with dazzling effects and, of course, those essential Latin rhythms. When he's not singing, he's busy writing and recording tracks for his new album.
Up close, he looks fresh faced and vital, but he says he has to work hard to keep up the image when he's on tour. A few weeks ago, the strain of being such a high-profile star got too much for him and he broke down in tears and fled the stage during a concert.
"I lost control that night and it frightened me-I thought I was going mad," he says "I was touring, recording, and because I'm a perfectionist I was lying in awake at night worrying about how to keep everything going."
Ricky fled the stage, leaving the majority of his ecstatic audience blissfully unaware of his pain. A make-up lady witnessed him struggling to breathe with the classic symptoms of a panic attack.
"I ran to my dressing room and told her you can't tell anyone about this because the boss doesn't cry!" he confesses. The person Ricky needed the most during this moment of crisis was his beloved mother, Nerida who has toured with him since quitting her job as an accountant.
The bond between them was forged in the wake of his parent's marriage breakdown. The couple split when he was two and at times his relationship with his dad has been strained.
Indeed on the night of his breakdown, he had just made an emotional phone call to his dad. "I had a really intense conversation with my father, which made me feel very emotional" he admits "There is a real peace between us now." So, that just leaves the issue to find Miss Right, and Ricky is convinced he'll know the woman for him as soon as he sets eyes on her.
"I'm still waiting for that feeling when your heart flutters and skips," he confesses. So, lets hope that the future Mrs. Ricky Martin is the maternal type. "It's up to my wife to decide how many kids we will have," the Latin Lover concedes. "But having a family is really important to me."
Also in this article... Celebrities on Ricky...
Robbie Williams, Singer
"I envy his hips. Ricky really is king on stage. You can learn a lot from watching him do a performance."
Tom Jones, Singer
"He works really hard and everyone gets off their feet for him. He appeals to all ages. His music hits all your body."
Davina McCall, TV Presenter
"Ricky is sexy... Those hips, those songs, those trousers."
Julio Inglesias, Singer
"He is like a son to me. It's not a biological thing, of course. He is a great star and a great friend."
Ricky on...
Madonna
"When I worked with Madonna she was very strong willed and focused. She shouted and made me cry but we got the work done and I admired and enjoyed that."
Shopping
"I don't need to go because Armani give me so many things, but I love to pop into stores like Prada. I hate to look scruffy."
Dancing
"It keeps you fit and everyone should do it. People shouldn't be self-conscious or care what anyone else thinks."
Yoga
"It's given me inner peace. Now I know what silence really means."
MOST international superstars bring a scaled-down version of their world tour to Australia.
Not Latin sensation Ricky Martin. He rises from under the stage on a vintage car, dances in front of a mammoth video screen and sets off a big burst of fireworks. And that's just in the first song, his personal anthem Livin' La Vida Loca.
In today's music world Martin occupies a role somewhere between Elvis Presley and the Chippendales, leaving women of all ages screaming.
Continually moving around the enormous Colonial Stadium stage, complete with its own travelator and lifts to different levels, Martin was every inch the star.
While he spouted cheesy but heartfelt new-age sentiments -- "leave your ego at the door, you are part of the stage, we are part of the audience" -- an energetic Martin treated fans to several songs performed in his native Spanish tongue.
His music may rarely stray out of the Latin party sound or big ballads but, as long as he's wearing something tight, no one cares.
Last night was the final show of his world tour. But the success of the crowd-pleasing new single She Bangs and anticipation for his new album proves he's not going anywhere in a hurry.
While his tickets may be expensive, no one could say they didn't see where their money went. And with Martin literally drenched in sweat, he certainly gave his all.
By: Darrin Farrant
More energy than the battery bunny. Possessing a pelvis in perpetual motion. Ricky Martin brought a touch of the Latin carnival to Melbourne last night.
The weather might have been shocking, the roof might have been closed, but that didn't stop Martin, his dancers, back-up singers and his band holding a giant party at Colonial Stadium.
As soon as he arrived in stage, across the bonnet of an old car, Martin meant business. He worked the crowd delivering song after song as though his life depended on it.
There were fireworks, there were streamers, there were ascending stages, there were dancers sliding down poles, there were costume changes (seven alone for Martin). This show was loud, energetic and, above all, fun: all the important ingredients of a successful big-stadium show.
All the hits of Martin's short solo career were there, including Livin' La Vida Loca, Maria, Private Emotion and an extraordinary finale with The Cup of Life. Martin performed his songs with a fizz that defied the show being the last concert of an 18-month world tour.
No one sweats for their supper literally quite like the Puerto Rican, whose songs might sound the same, but when heard live leave you with an irresistable urge to have fun.
THERE may be a very public walkout by senior record industry executives if Ricky Martin performs at the ARIA Awards Tuesday night.
Martin, who is touring the country, has been thrown into a controversy concerning international artists performances at the ARIAs.
The debacle began when Sony chairman Denis Handlin proposed that Martin, who is touring Australia, perform at the ARIA ceremony.
Because the awards have, for the past five years, featured performances only by Australian artists, the idea came as something of a rude shock to rival record industry executives.
The reason for this is twofold: Sony represents Martin, and Handlin is the chairman of the ARIA board. A conflict of interest, one might say.
So after the notion was initially dismissed at an ARIA board meeting, record company execs were astounded when, at a subsequent meeting, the idea was raised again and put to a vote.
Voting was deadlocked when the eight board members, all heads of rival recording companies, voted four-for and four-against. Handlin naturally voted in favour of his star client.
But by late last week, after the Martin idea was discarded a second time, suspicions were raised that Sony may have been fuelling a media campaign to push support for the idea.
It seems the record company is not content with Martin merely presenting an award - and rival execs are seeing red.
If international artists are indeed to get a guernsey on Tuesday night, why not Green Day, The Cure or Lou Reed, all of whom are here and whose musical depth certainly overshadows the buffed pecs of Martin?
Siobhain Ryan and Ben Ryan
THE Cure's lead singer Robert Smith flew into Brisbane last night looking more tired than usual.
Maybe it was the flight. Maybe it was the plane food. Maybe it was the fact he has been travelling with his parents."They kill me. They stay up late and get up early," Smith said. For a man who stays up all night after a concert, it takes its toll."That's why we're a bit touchy," Smith said. Smith, who has a cult following in the Gothic music scene, took a low-key approach to his Brisbane stopover. Dressed in black bicycle shorts, boots and heavy make-up, the main attraction of today's Livid music festival at the Brisbane showgrounds waited at the baggage claim to collect his luggage before walking out the front door of the terminal.
It was a far cry from Latin legend Ricky Martin who flew into Coolangatta yesterday by private jet and was collected from the tarmac by a limousine.
Looking like extras from Miami Vice, Martin and his entourage jetted in and less than an hour later he was relaxing in a VIP suite at the Sheraton Mirage.
Martin has received rave reviews for his two performances in Sydney this week that have featured singing, dancing, bongo playing and regular shirt changes.
The 28-year-old sex symbol brings his show to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre tonight and is hosting a spot at the ARIA awards on Tuesday night.
Olympic stars Michael Klim, Matt Shirvington, Lauren Jackson and Shelley Sandie from the Opals, swimmer Matt Welsh, Melinda Gainsford-Taylor, Zali Steggall and Kristen and Julie Towers from the Hockeyroos all turned up as special guests at the Entertainment Centre.
Klim was given a standing ovation as he looked for his seat, stopping to sign autographs.
"It was a great surprise, it's great to see the Olympic spirit is still around," Klim said after the show.
"I'm a huge Ricky Martin fan, I was dancing away with my own moves."
The Games guests were taken backstage for a special chance to meet the man whose life is almost as crazy as theirs has been of late.
Jackson, from the silver-medal winning Opals, was looking forward to meeting Martin.
"He was awesome, he's incredibly sexy, I'd give him a rating of 10," Jackson said.
Shirvington also got the chance to go backstage but had to leave fiancee Jessica Pagent behind due to tight security.
Being a straight man at a Ricky Martin concert is like watching a Hal Hartley film with the sound down: it has all the elements of normality but you just don't get it.
But then again single blokes aren't meant to get it. All they need to know is that they would be well advised to "accidentally" find themselves loitering outside the Entertainment Centre tonight about 10.40. Take this line overheard in the post-show crush, as one flushed, giggling early 20s woman turned to her equally frisky friend and said loudly: "I really want to accidentally on purpose bump into someone and grab them." Two words, boys: estrogen rising.
The only person to generate this much hormonal (and glomesh and lam��) action this year was Tom Jones - and it's not an accidental comparison. While Ricky doesn't have anywhere near the voice of the big man (and if one was to be picky, he also doesn't appear to have the same, um, lead to swing, if you catch my drift) it's a similar audience of girls, women and women of a certain age, all up on their feet, beaming, hands in the air like they just do care.
And an audience with a sense of humour, too. One held up a sign saying "He's looking at me, not you".
From the opening moments of Ricky emerging from beneath the stage, Travolta-like on top of a convertible, singing Livin' La Vida Loca, to the closing strains and vigorous audience hand movements of Cup of Life (or "that bloody ole ole ole song") they got what they wanted, and then some. This was easily one of the most spectacular shows seen at the Entertainment Centre, beaten by AC/DC but probably shading Prince. There were descending stages, eight dancers - four of whom finished the night in harnesses dancing four or five metres in the air against the back of the stage - an excellent band not only playing live but lively participants in both costume changes and dance steps, big screens playing video footage, multiple set changes, moving walkways on both sides. Oh yes, and 10 - count 'em, 10 - changes of clothing for Ricky.
Still, he needed to change, for there are few more enthusiastic movers than our Ricky and all that action causes glistening sweat on his well- formed biceps, droplets to be mopped from the chiselled cheekbones, moistening of those clinging half-unbuttoned shirts and maybe a little squishing in those tight leather pants.
Like Tom Jones, Ricky can't really dance that well but he sure can swing those hips. A wiggle here, a grind there, a lot of shots of his behind and who's going to notice that the moves elsewhere are more gym than barre?
And anyway, he is a sensitive man, you know. Spiritual, even. He gave us a long introduction to a song which he explained was his prayer to "my higher power", earnestly encouraging us to find our own way to speak to our higher power. As he turned to compose himself, a pair of knickers landed at his feet. Though Ricky studiously ignored the unmentionables, it suggested one woman had found her own higher power, thank you.
Latin pop superstar Ricky Martin played to a packed house in the first of three concerts at Sydney's Entertainment Centre last night.
Martin made a spectacular entrance, emerging from beneath the stage on top of a convertible car.
He was dressed in all black with a see-through top and leather pants, but changed his outfit several times during the performance.
He opened the show with his hit song Living La Vida Loca with a group of about 10 dancers in a high-energy, choreographed routine.
Among the high profile faces in Martin's audience was Australian singing sensation Vanessa Amorosi.
"I love Latin music," Amorosi said. "He's a Latin icon, so I've come here to support him."
The rest of the 11,000-plus audience showed they were there for the same reason.
They screamed at each of Martin's on-stage pelvic thrusts and very few fans stayed seated throughout the two-hour show
.
Martin told the audience he wanted his performance to be one big party. "I'm talking about bringing a bit of the Caribbean to this place," he said. The crowd also gave an enthusiastic reception to support act Leah Haywood.
He shakes! He wiggles! He lives la vida loca! Ohmigod, Ricky's back!
He may have been off the pop scene for a while but don't think for a second that the god of tight trousers, Ricky Martin, has been slacking. He's about to release a cracking new single, She Bangs, and a new album is just around the corner. So what else is up? We tracked down the Latino lovely to a New York hotel room to find out ...
You've been a bit quiet of late - what have you been up to?
People think I've been lazing around, but I've been very, very, very busy. I've been touring all around the world and visiting lots of new places, which has been fantastic, 'cos I love travelling and experiencing different cultures. And of course, I've been recording my new album, so things have been as crazy as ever. Thankfully, I've managed a few days off here and there.
What did you do on your days off?
I relaxed. Sometimes things get very intense and you have to take time out and get away from everything. So I made sure I got away from the craziness whenever I got the chance. I also like to spend time doing things like going out to dinner with friends or shopping, so I did that. I prefer New York to London 'cos London is so expensive! But I do love London as a city, I think it's very beautiful.
Creep! Are you excited about your new single, She Bangs?
Oh yes, I've had a great reaction from people so far and I love the single. It's definitely one of those songs that will have people dancing as soon as they hear it. I like to make people happy through my music. I put my heart and soul into this song, and I hope people will be able to hear that when they listen.
When did you learn to shake your bon bon so saucily?
Hahaha! When I was about three or four. It's all to do with my culture back in Puerto Rico. I learnt how to do it from watching everyone else. I could barely dance but I'd shake my hips around and everyone would shout and clap. My parents would literally have a party every time I did it, which made me do it more and more. I loved attention even at that age! Now I love to be on stage doing it in front of thousands of people. There's nothing better than looking into a packed audience and seeing everyone shaking their bon bons.
Did you have any dodgy jobs when you were growing up?
I was in showbusiness from the age of 12 when I joined Menudo so I never had to do any what you would call 'normal' jobs. I guess I was lucky! Then again, it was quite scary performing in front of thousands of people when I was so young.
Is it true you're going to remake the classic '80s film Dirty Dancing with Britney Spears?
No! I only found out about it during an interview. Someone asked me about it and I just looked at them blankly. The amazing thing is not only was the story made up, but they made up the stuff about how I was really happy that Britney was acting opposite me, and all this stuff about how we had met up to discuss the film and everything! The press even printed quotes from me. I was stunned! I literally know nothing about it and I haven't got a clue where the story started. Straight after the interview, I called my agent and said, "What's up? Apparently I'm making Dirty Dancing! When did all this happen?"
Back when you started in the American soap General Hospital you had a cracking mullet (key-ay-zee short on top, long at back hairstyle - Hair Ed). Now they're coming back in fashion, do you have any plans to cultivate another one?
Hmmm. I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't go for the exact hair I had in General Hospital, but maybe someday I will have longer hair. I might end up with long white hair with beads and stuff, and a long beard to match. I'll be a real hippy! I'll be riding across America on a big bike with my long hair flowing in the wind. Who knows what might happen?
