Friday, October 24, 2008

kids, calendars and ricky martin

I got an email a couple of weeks ago about my celebrity clicks post from Julie - who was putting together a 2009 calendar for Ricky Martin to celebrate his 25th year anniversary in show business. She found me online and saw my photo of Ricky's foundation trip here in Cambodia. She mentioned that she would like to use my photos for the calendar - the proceeds of which will benefit children's programs at the Centros Sor Isolina Ferre in Ponce, Puerto Rico - a charity that Ricky has supported in the past. The photo(s) she said, would illustrate his continued work on behalf of children in need around the world.

With such a noble cause and the opportunity to work with people around the globe, then by all means, count me in.

So I am making this post for Julie who I am bidding good luck for the success of the calendar. For more information on Ricky Martin's work on the children of the globe, visit http://www.rickymartinfoundation.com/

Ricky's trip in Angkor started at the children's shelter of Friends International. At the gate, kids rushed out to greet him and give him the traditional Cambodian "sompeah" where you greet one another with a clasp of two hands and a bow.

Inside the center, Ricky took time to learn more about the center up close and spent some time with the kids... including a game of petanque!

This little kid did a Khmer rap for Ricky to his amusement... he's probably contemplating of taking him to his next world tour (just thinking out loud)!

After that, we made a swing to the Old Market for some shopping... Friends International had a great shop there that sold interesting items and recycled fun stuff that Ricky and the gang simply couldn't resist! I guess "pasalubongs" are actually a very Latin thing...


Next stop after lunch and siesta was a shelter and transient center that handes cases of abuse, traficking and maltreatment to women. Ricky was galant enough to remove his shoes to go inside!


Ricky doing his version of the Cambodian "sompeah"...


This is perhaps the most used photo from my shoot. Found this published in several newspapers and magazines here already...


Ricky was indeed a natural with babies and kids! He truly had a way with them...


The most hilarious thing that happened was him signing a CD for a fan which turned out to be a bootleg copy from the fake DVD/CD shop in the market! He did it anyway!


As far as I can remember, my only recollection of Ricky as a singer/performer are his massive global hits and their much publicized tour in the Philippines in the 1980's way back when he was still part of the group Menudo. Of course, I was up on my feet in Latin parties as soon as his tracks are played. But when I had an opportunity to meet him, I was indeed humbled by his presence and his conviction to use his fame and good fortune to be a force in changing the world. Meeting and hanging around with his entourage was also a refreshing experience - from his manager and friend for decades, his foundation president, and even the people from the US embassy in Phnom Penh who accompanied him for the entire Cambodian leg... they are experiences worth more than their weight in gold.


41 comments:

the spool artist said...

there is something strangely wrong with how blogger has reconfigured my photos... help! anybody!

chezza said...

Sorry I'm not good with troubleshooting :( but anyway, re: Ricky Martin, if I was there, I would've died in his presence and be the happiest corpse ever! he,he,he...

rainboy said...

i loved the most used photo and the one above it..
nice shots man.
gr8

tc

Sharon said...

Somehow for me "Ricky Martin=pop star." I didn't know he was involved in charities,sort of impressed!! Good job, the photographs are nice anyway:)

eDreGiN said...

Wow! Shushala ulet! Nice pics...

You know what sinundan nya ako actually nung andyan ako kaso di nya alam nung padating sya dyan pabalik na ako ng BKK...Hahahaha! Nag-iilusyon ano?

the spool artist said...

@chezza: grabe ka naman, ang iba, nabubuhayan nung makita siya... ikaw mamamatay na lang? sabihin ko na lang sa kanya wag magpakita sa yo! hahahaha...

@rainville: thanks, man! how's it going?

@sharon: i had that idea too in my mind but when i got to meet him up close, he was way beyond that...

@edregin: halata ko nga na sinusundan ka nya... sabi nya before coming to cambodia, he was in india but may kutob ako na pumunta sya ng maldives para habulin ka! lol...

RedLan said...

Despite the busy schedules, celebrities are still take time na magshare ng blessings nila and their time. It's nice to know Ricky Martin is one of them. He is nice talaga. May mga pirated cds and dvds rin pala dyan sa Cambodia.

Bravo for Ricky Martin and to you for the great job!

Keep it up!

RedLan said...

The best talaga yung picture seven! So candid! Sompeah!

gillboard said...

wow, working for charity, and meeting celebrities... i think im jealous of your job now...

the spool artist said...

@redlan: yup, it really does change your perception of celebrities knowing that they use their fame for good... oh yes, there's pirated versions of anything here in cambodia... even my artworks here in the gallery are being copied!

@gillboard: it's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it! lol... thanks for dropping by!

Dennis Villegas said...

i saw ricki martin in 1986 in manila..he was a young boy then...ngayo mukha ng mama! hehehe

great photography as usual!

pusangkalye said...

a big man, a big person with a big feet and a very big heart. As I said he looks very different in this photo. I love him more here though, and I admire him more for what he is doing....we need more people like him.....

pusangkalye said...

sana pumunta din sya sa PINAs and do some charity work here.keke

the spool artist said...

anton, i actually encourged them to! told them the philippines needs more people like ricky!

the spool artist said...

@dennis: yeah, he really matured enough from that time... even from his days with livin la vida loca... i guess his charity work really took a toll too in his physical self... he had been traveling for several months already when he came in here!

rainboy said...

studying all day man.Scared of being jobless after my masters

rest is fine.

how's you mate

the spool artist said...

ey don't worry too much about that... i'm sure you're gonna land a great job after your masters. we all have to start somewhere you know!

cheers!

brooklyn. said...

american media spends way too much time chronicling the question of this man's sexuality and no wear near enough time discussing his immense charity work. god bless him and this calendar that exhibits the facet of ricky martin that is truly relevant-not his physical attributes-his humanity and selflessness, and the work that he has contributed to these causes.

Dennis Villegas said...

Maybe you can try resizing your photos while editing in blogger...just click on the photo and then hold and drag according to your desired size..Hope this helps...

the spool artist said...

@brooklyn: that is so true! it's amazing the amount of time and effort thatt was done to sort of "uncover" that, when as a matter of fact, it doesn't do the world any good.

thanks brooklyn, i hope the calendar comes out succesful too!

@dennis: i tried that a couple of times already but doesn't seem to work! :-)

Anonymous said...

bakit loven?? napuputol yung images??? if so just tweak html to make the post section wider...

HAHA someone made him sign a pirated copy!!! priceless hhee

the spool artist said...

oo nga no, i'll try to edit it thru html... thanks alex! you're a genius!

Anonymous said...

always great to see people trying to do good in the world. :)

it's hilarious that he actually signed the pirated copy. :D that was quite kind of him. :)

escape said...

you indeed have kept some really good photos of ricky. it's good that you allowed them to grab it for a cause.

the spool artist said...

@kouji: yes, it was actually me who reacted more on the incident, but he really didn;t mind at all! really cool of him...

@the dong: thanks man! i'd definitely do it again if its for a good cause!

Looking For The Source said...

ricky martin is till hot. hahaha...

Anonymous said...

true. that was pretty cool of the guy. :)

KRIS JASPER said...

I was in pre-school when Menudo was a huge hit.

Mukha na syang matanda ngayon.

the spool artist said...

@looking for the source: let's just say he is ageing gracefully!

@kouji: :-)

@kris jasper: aha! so i now know how old you are! hehehehe...

Four-eyed-missy said...

Wow - we in PP didn't have an inkling he was in Siem Reap! Totoo, sinusundan niya si Edregin??? Bungga ka, Sisterette *lol*

eunice said...

You mean your photos are truncated by blogger? Perhaps your photos are too big?

U saw Beckam n Victoria that day. Now Ricky Martin. Cooool @_@

the spool artist said...

@zj: a lot of people didný know actually and were so surprised to bump into him here... i guess it was a very low key visit... oo nga, sinundan nya talaga si edregin! hehehe

@eunice: i usually link the photos through my flickr site and haven't had any problems then on until this post came along!

thanks! :-)

Gilbert Semillano said...

Lol @ Ricky signing a bootleg CD.

the spool artist said...

gilbert, yup, imagine that!

Rafe Totengco said...

I'm sure he was just as touched by meeting all of you as well. He looked like he was having a great time and what a great way to give back. Ugh, he is cuter than ever!

the spool artist said...

He did have a great time as much as we did! You can feel his sincerity in every aspect... and we truly admire him for that.

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