Picture this—it’s 1998, it’s hotter than hell, and Ricky Martin still won’t swap his leather chaps for a nice pair of slacks. Who doesn’t think of those chaps when the topic of the Latin pop-sensation comes up? And of course… who can stop themselves from mouthing all the words to that blasted “Livin’ La Vida Loca”?   

Unfortunately one-hit-wonders take their sweet time to burn out, and nine years later we’re still hearing about Enrique Martín Morales. Sure he has a pretty face and is somewhat talented, but enough is enough. Our only saving grace this time is that he’s not promoting his music (not for the moment anyway).  He’s actually cautioning the world about something totally random: human trafficking and sexual exploitation in The Dominican Republic. How bizarre is that?   

Actually, you may be surprised to hear that Ricky has his very own foundation, named, cunningly, The Ricky Martin Foundation.  The organization focuses on human trafficking issues, with a special emphasis on protecting children.  The foundation also provide education and has contributed extensively to the relief efforts for Katrina, the tsunami, and other recent byproducts of global warming.    

"To see thousands of afflicted faces after the fateful pass of hurricane Katrina by Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, is very moving. It gives a sense of smallness before Mother Nature," said Ricky on his website after visiting the Katrina disaster area. "Experiences such as this are a reminder that only when making human bonds we create hope." 

Looks like Ricky felt he had to do something conscientious with all his spare time.  You go girl!            

For the next six months Ricky will appear on Dominican radio and television, doing public service announcements advocating a phone line that offers free help and information about trafficking. This campaign “Llama y Vive (Call and Live)” has done work in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Peru. Along with the ads, posters and flyers will be distributed throughout the Dominican.  

According to Yahoo.com, Jemini Pandya of IOM (the International Organization for Migration, which is working with Martin’s charitable foundation) says, “…More women are trafficked from the Dominican Republic than from any other country in the Western Hemisphere.”             

How refreshing to see a celebrity who actually cares about something (Brangelina notwithstanding). It should be a rule that if you’re making fifty thousand dollars for showing up at a high-profile club for twenty minutes, you must give back somehow. It’s entirely too easy to make your millions and then spend the rest of your time counting your checks, sittin’ pretty, sipping your skim-café-latte-double-whatever (Paris Hilton anyone?).   

Now that we know about the compassionate, deeper, new and improved Ricky, perhaps we’ll give his next album a shot.

In the meantime, we’ll be holding our breath for the “reformed” Paris Hilton’s public service campaign.  

- Carolyn French

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