WA2K Radio is now on the air

Take your pick.

TZENA, TZENA, TZENA
(Gordon Jenkins / Ross Spencer -
- Adapted from a popular Israeli song)

The Weavers with the Gordon Jenkins Orch. - 1950
Mitch Miller & His Orch. - 1950
Vic Damone - 1950
Ralph Flanagan & His Orch. - 1950
Edmundo Ros & His Rumba Band - 1950

Also recorded by: Bing Crosby & Judy Garland;
Sid Phillips; Richard Tucker; Stanley Black;
Chet Atkins; Mantovani; Smothers Brothers.


Tzena, Tzena, Tzena, Tzena
Can't you hear the music playing
In the city square
Tzena, Tzena, Tzena, Tzena
Come where all our friends will find us
With the dancers there

Tzena, Tzena join the celebration
There'll be people there from every nation
Dawn will find us laughing in the sunlight
Dancing in the city square

Tzena, Tzena, come and dance the Hora
One, two, three, four
All the boys will envy me for
Tzena, Tzena, when the band is playing
My heart's saying
Tzena, Tzena, Tzena

Tzena, Tzena, Tzena, Tzena
Can't you hear the music playing
In the city square
Tzena, Tzena, Tzena, Tzena
Come where all our friends will find us
With the dancers there

Tzena, Tzena join the celebration
There'll be people there from every nation
Dawn will find us laughing in the sunlight
Dancing in the city square

Tzena, Tzena, come and dance the Hora
One, two, three, four
All the boys will envy me for
Tzena, Tzena, when the band is playing
My heart's saying
Tzena, Tzena, Tzena

(Orchestral Interlude)

Tzena, Tzena join the celebration
There'll be people there from every nation
Dawn will find us laughing in the sunlight
Dancing in the city square

Tzena, Tzena, come and dance the Hora
One, two, three, four
All the boys will envy me for
Tzena, Tzena, when the band is playing
My heart's saying
Tzena, Tzena, Tzena

Tzena, Tzena, come and dance the Hora
One, two, three, four
All the boys will envy me for
Tzena, Tzena, when the band is playing
My heart's saying
Tzena, Tzena, Tzena

Tzena, Tzena, come and dance the Hora
One, two, three, four
All the boys will envy me for
Tzena, Tzena, when the band is playing
My heart's saying
Tzena, Tzena, Tzena

Tzena, Tzena, Tzena

(Transcribed from the Vic Damone
recording by Mel Priddle - August 2005)


******


TZENA, TZENA, TZENA (1950)
(Music by Issachar Miron & Julius Grossman)
(Hebrew Lyrics by Yehiel Haggiz)
(English Lyrics by Mitchell Paris)



Tzena, Tzena, Tzena, Tzena,
How can anything be plainer than my love for you?
Tzena, Tzena, Tzena, Tzena,
Don't you know your eyes contain a look that thrills me thru?

Tzena,Tzena, ev'ryone is waiting,
For a wedding they're anticipating,
Ev'ryone is happy celebrating,
People dancing in the streets!

Clap your hands and (Clap) raise your voices higher,
Make a circle while we dance around the fire
Dance the Hora (Clap) to your heart's desire
All the world's in love with Tzena, Tzena.

(Contributed by Ferda Dolunay - August 2005)

Wow! Raggedy, you are somethin' else, gal. I see now that your second version is Jewish.

I have danced the Hora, and it's fantastic.

From Romania:

Da haida hai si numa lin,

Damdi ridi ridi ridi raa,

Hora mindra so pornim,

Damdi ridi ridi ridi raa,

Da usurel si leaganat,

Damdi ridi ridi ridi raa,

Casai din batrini lasat,

Damdi ridi ridi ridi raa.

Si astai hora sa tului mai,

Si hora Compulunglui.

Si iar verde busuioc,

Damdi ridi ridi ridi raa,

Haideti gospodari la gioc,

Damdi ridi ridi ridi raa,

Hora mindre sa rasuna,

Damdi ridi ridi ridi raa,

Pisti meleaguri stra bune,

Damdi ridi ridi ridi raa.

Hahora mindra romaneasca mai,

Si cineo joaca sa traiasca mai.

Dragu mii la hora mare,

Damdi ridi ridi ridi raa,

In zile de sarbatoare,

Damdi ridi ridi ridi raa,

Cind in fetele la gioc,

Damdi ridi ridi ridi raa,

Si miroa sea busuioc,

Damdi ridi ridi ridi raa.

Si haid hai sa ne pornim mai,

Si hora mindra so gatim,

Si hora mindra satului mai,

Si hora Cimpulungului.

Translation
Come, with light steps,

With soft and rocking movements,

Let us begin the proud Hora,

Danced in the way it has always been danced.

This is the Hora from this area,

The Hora from Cimpulung.

The basil leaf is green,

Our proud Hora should be heard everywhere,

Come folks, we dance.

In the area of our forefathers,

O, proud and beautiful is the Romanian Hora,

Long live those who dance the Hora.

I like to dance in the big Hora circle,

With the girls during the holidays,

And the scent of basil all around.

Come, let us finish and dance this beautiful,

Hora from this area till the end,

The Hora from Cimpulung.

Happy holidays!

A Baby Just Like You
John Denver, J. Henry (c) 1975

The season is upon us now
A time for gifts and giving
And as the year draws to its close
I think about my living

The Christmas time when I was young,
The magic and the wonder,
But colors dull and candles dim,
And dark my standing under

O little Zachary, shining light
You've set my soul to dreaming
You've given back my joy in life
And filled me with new meaning

A Savior King was born that day,
A baby just like you,
And as the Magi came with gifts,
I come with my gift too

That peace on Earth fills up your time,
That brotherhood surrounds you.
That you may know the warmth of love,
And wrap it all around you

It's just a wish, a dream I'm told
From days when I was young
Merry Christmas, little Zachary
Merry Christmas, everyone
Merry Christmas, little Zachary
Merry Christmas, everyone

Wonderful seasonal song by John Denver, Try. I had no idea that John did that one. Thanks, buddy.

News from the Cape:

Florida homecoming caps shuttle mission
By Irene Klotz Sat Dec 23, 3:46 AM ET

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Space shuttle Discovery flew through gray Florida skies and safely touched down on a Cape Kennedy runway.
Shuttle commander Mark Polansky gently nosed Discovery through partly cloudy skies over the spaceport before settling the 112-ton ship onto a canal-lined runway at 5:32 p.m. EST (2232 GMT).
"We're thrilled to have you in Florida," astronaut Ken Ham, at Mission Control in Houston, radioed to Polansky as the shuttle rolled to a stop after its 5.3 million-mile journey.

Commander, Polansky, we're just thrilled to have you safely home.

Folks, I never thought that Letty would sit through a three hour movie on dvd, but I did and I am delighted that I did so.

The Da Vinci Code was nothing like I expected. Tom Hanks did a wonderful job, as did the others, but more than that, I enjoyed trying to unravel the puzzles myself. Who would have thought that it was.....



I am certain that wasn't a spoiler.

Hi Letty and all the WA2K Radio team.

I'm very happy just living life , but I was thinking about Nina Simone and the way she could sing the blues, so here "tis.


I'll try something more festive before Christmas. Promise.

Welcome back, Diane. It doesn't need to be festive, gal. We always enjoy your contributions.

I love Nina Simone, as do many of our listeners.

Speaking of Simone, folks, here is a poem by another Simone:

when from the depth
of our being,
we need, we seek a sound

which does mean
something: when we cry out
for an answer

and it is not granted, then,
we touch the silence of God---

Some begin to talk,
to themselves, as do the mad;
some give

their hearts to silence.

Simone Weill.

from the mind of allan sherman

When I Was A Lad
(Parody of "Ruler Of The Queen's Navy" from Gilbert & Sullivan's "HMS Pinafore")

When I was a lad I went to Yale,
And I knew then that I could never fail.
For I studied very hard and furthermore,
I polished up the apple for the professor.
(He polished up the apple for the professor)
I polished up the apple so frequently,
That soon I had a Phi Beta Kappa Key.
(He soon had a Phi Beta Kappa key,
From polishing the apple very frequently.)

On graduation day I made a stop
At a very exclusive clothing shop.
I opened up a charge account and asked them for
The best grade flannel in the clothing store.
(The best grade flannel in the clothing store.)
That suit was a part of a great intrigue,
For it proved I was a member of the Ivy League.
(It was part of a great intrigue,
For it proved he was a member of the Ivy League.)

Then I got a crew cut and a sincere tie,
And for my first job I did apply.
A job in an advertising agency,
Sharpening the pencils of a big VP.
(Oh he honed a lot of pencils for a big VP)
I sharpened all the pencils so pointedly,
That now I am a partner in the agency.
(He sharpened all the pencils so pointedly,
That now he is a member of the agency.)

I kept my ears open and my big mouth shut,
And I learned all the agency's scuttlebutt.
I learned who was going out with whom,
And who had the keys to the powder room.
(And who had the keys to the powder room.)
For the key to the powder room you see,
Is the key to the structure of the agency.
(The key to the powder room is the key
To the structure of the agency.)

I worked real hard for the dear old firm,
I learned most every advertising term.
I said to the men in the dark gray suits,
"Let's run it up the flagpole and see who salutes."
(Let's run it up the flagpole and see who salutes.)
I ran it up the flagpole perfectly,
So now I am a partner in the agency.
(He ran it up the flagpole perfectly,
So now he is a partner in the agency.)

Now I have a big office at the end of the hall,
With very fancy carpeting from wall to wall.
I keep my mouth open and I keep my ears shut,
And I've got a little palace in Connecticut.
(And he's got a little palace in Connecticut.)
So I thank old Yale, and I thank the Lord,
And I also thank my father who was Chairman of the Board,
(And he's grateful to his father,
Yes he's grateful to his father,
Yes he's grateful to his father,
Who was Chairman of the Board.)

Little Blue
The Beautiful South

You can't write a novel from a briefcase
You can write a poem from a trench
You can dream a dream from A to B
But you can't catch a bus from a bench

You don't back a horse called Striding Snail
You don't name your boat Titanic II
So why when I see your happy smiling face
Do I always end up singing Little Blue

Little Blue, how do you do
Your smile looks like heaven
but your eyes hold a storm about to brew
Little Blue
How can a flower so pretty
be so laden down with dew
Little Blue

How can a flower so beautiful
be so laden down with dew
Little Blue

You can't build a brewery on a cemetery
You can build a pub on a church
And people fall quicker than buildings do
You have to decide what comes first

You don't call a plane the Flying Roman
'Cause the Romans always walked and never flew
So why when I see your happy smiling face
Do I always end up singing Little Blue

Little Blue, how do you do
Your smile looks like heaven
but your eyes hold a storm about to brew
Little Blue
How can a flower so pretty
be so laden down with dew
Little Blue

Well Bukowski wrote a story from a barstool
And Keats from the top of a hill
So I'm going to save my special song for you
From a grave where it's quiet and it's chill

'Cause there's a queue of clouds assembled
On the horizon of your smile
When most think that you're holding back
I know you're holding bile

Little Blue, how do you do
Your smile looks like heaven
but your eyes hold a storm about to brew
Little Blue
How can a flower so pretty
be so laden down with dew
Little Blue

How can a flower so beautiful
be so laden down with dew
Little Blue

Invisible Ink
Aimee Mann

There comes a time when you swim or sink
So I jumped in the drink
Cuz I couldn't make myself clear

Maybe I wrote in invisible ink
Oh I've tried to think
How I could have made it appear

But another illustration is wasted
Cuz the results are the same
I feel like a ghost who's trying to move your hands
over some ouija board in the hopes I can spell out my name

What some take for magic at first glance
Is just sleight of hand depending on what you believe
Something gets lost when you translate
It's hard to keep straight
Perspective is everything

And I know now which is which and what angle I oughta look at it from
I suppose I should be happy to be misread-
Better be that than some of the other things I have become

But nobody wants to hear this tale
The plot is clichéd, the jokes are stale
And baby we've all heard it all before
Oh I could get specific but
Nobody needs a catalog
With details of love I can't sell anymore

And aside from that, this chain of reaction,
baby, is losing a link
Though I'd hope you'd know what I tried to tell you
And if you don't I could draw you a picture in invisible ink

But nobody wants to hear this tale
The plot is clichéd, the jokes are stale
And baby we've all heard it all before
Oh I could get specific but
Nobody needs a catalog
With details of love I can't sell anymore

Kit Carson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Kit CarsonKit Carson (December 24, 1809 - May 23, 1868), born Christopher Houston Carson, was an American frontiersman.


Early life

Born in Madison County, Kentucky near the city of Richmond, Carson was raised in Franklin, Missouri, where his family moved before his second birthday. At fifteen, Carson left an apprenticeship to a saddle maker and traveled west to New Mexico. There, he established himself as a trader and trapper in New Mexico, Arizona, California, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana and Utah.

In addition to his work as a trapper, Carson served as a guide, military scout, Indian agent, shepherd, farmer, soldier (rising to the rank of brigadier general), and rancher during his time in the southwest. His reputation grew when he guided John C. Frémont on an expedition to map the western trails to the Pacific Ocean. In 1842, Frémont described Carson with the following words: "I was pleased with him and his manner of address at this first meeting. He was a man of medium height, broad-shouldered and deep chested, with a clear steady blue eye and frank speech and address; quiet and unassuming." (Frémont's Memoirs, p. 74) Descriptions in Frémont's popular report of his expeditions made Kit Carson famous.

After ending his career as a trapper, Carson became a hunter for Bent's Fort. While taking his daughter back to Missouri to receive an education, he again met John C. Frémont and agreed to serve as his guide on three major expeditions in 1842, 1843 and 1845. In the meantime, Carson re-settled in Taos, New Mexico. After receiving instruction from Padre Antonio José Martínez, he was baptized into the Catholic Church in 1842. When he was 34, he married 14-year-old Josefa Jaramillo, his third wife, on February 6, 1843. They raised fifteen children, the descendants of whom remain in the Arkansas Valley of Colorado.


Military service

Carson was active in military service, reaching the brevet rank of brigadier-general. He fought against the Mexicans in California in the 1840s alongside John C. Fremont. Under indirect orders from Fremont, Carson presided over the cold-blooded killing of three Californio citizens at Point San Pablo: the two young De Haro twins and the elder Jose de los Reyes Berreyessa. Carson also fought in the Battle of San Pascual, where General S. W. Kearny and a small force of Americans were surrounded. He and Lieutenant Beale crawled two miles (3 km) through prickly pear and rocks and finally reached San Diego to report the siege to Commodore Stockton who immediately sent a relief force.


Civil War

When the American Civil War began in April 1861, Kit Carson resigned his post as federal Indian agent for northern New Mexico and joined the New Mexico volunteer infantry which was being organized by Ceran St. Vrain. Although New Mexico Territory officially allowed slavery, geography and economics made the institution so impractical that there were only a handful of slaves within its boundaries. The territorial government and the leaders of opinion all threw their support to the Union.

Overall command of Union forces in the Department of New Mexico fell to Colonel Edward R. S. Canby of the Regular Army's 19th Infantry, headquartered at Ft. Marcy in Santa Fe. Carson, with the rank of Colonel of Volunteers, commanded the third of five columns in Canby's force. Carson's command was divided into two battalions each made up of four companies of the First New Mexico Volunteers, in all some 500 men.

Early in 1862, Confederate forces in Texas under General Henry Hopkins Sibley undertook an invasion of New Mexico Territory. The goal of this expedition was to conquer the rich Colorado gold fields and redirect this valuable resource from the North to the South.

Advancing up the Rio Grande, Sibley's command clashed with Canby's Union force at Valverde on February 21, 1862. The day-long Battle of Valverde ended when the Confederates captured a Union battery of six guns and forced the rest of Canby's troops back across the river with losses of 68 killed and 160 wounded. Colonel Carson's column spent the morning on the west side of the river out of the action, but at 1 p.m., Canby ordered them to cross, and Carson's battalions fought until ordered to retreat. Carson lost one man killed and one wounded.

Colonel Canby had little or no confidence in the hastily recruited, untrained New Mexico volunteers, "who would not obey orders or obeyed them too late to be of any service." In his battle report, however, he did commend Carson, among other volunteer officers, for his "zeal and energy".

After the battle at Valverde, Colonel Canby and most of the regular troops were ordered to the eastern front, but Carson and his New Mexico Volunteers were fully occupied by "Indian troubles".


Navajo campaign

Brigadier General James H. Carleton, the new commander of the Federal District of New Mexico, ordered Carson to lead an expedition against the Navajo Indians who continued to raid Pueblo Indians and European newcomers throughout the Rio Grande Valley. The Navajos should be told, Carleton instructed Carson, "You have deceived us too often, and robbed and murdered our people too long, to trust you again at large in your own country. This war shall be pursued against you if it takes years, now that we have begun, until you cease to exist or move. There can be no other talk on the subject."

Under Carleton's direction, Carson instituted a scorched earth policy, burning Navajo fields and homes, and confiscating or killing their livestock. He was aided by other Indian tribes with long-standing enmity toward the Navajos, chiefly the Utes. Carson was pleased with the work the Utes did for him, but they went home early in the campaign when told they could not confiscate Navajo booty.

Carson also had difficulty with his New Mexico volunteers. Troopers deserted and officers resigned. Carson urged Carleton to accept two resignations he was forwarding, "as I do not wish to have any officer in my command who is not contented or willing to put up with as much inconvenience and privations for the success of the expedition as I undergo myself."

There were no pitched battles and only a few skirmishes in the Navajo campaign. Carson rounded up and took prisoner every Navajo he could find. In January 1864, Carson sent a company into Canyon de Chelly to attack the last Navajo stronghold under the leadership of Manuelito. The Navajo were forced to surrender because of the destruction of their livestock and food supplies. In the spring of 1864, 8,000 Navajo men, women and children were forced to march or ride in wagons 300 miles (480 km) to Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Navajos call this "The Long Walk". Many died along the way or during the next four years of imprisonment. In 1868, after signing a treaty with the U.S. government, remaining Navajos were allowed to return to a reduced area of their homeland, where the Navajo Reservation exists today. Thousands of other Navajo who had been living in the wilderness returned to the Navajo homeland centered around Canyon de Chelly.


Southern Plains campaign

In November 1864, Carson was sent by General Carleton to deal with the Natives in western Texas. Carson and his troopers met a combined force of Kiowa, Comanche, and Cheyenne numbering over 1,500 at the ruins of Adobe Walls. In what is known as the Battle of Adobe Walls, the Native force led by Dohäsan made several assaults on Carson's forces which were supported by ten mountain howitzers. Carson inflicted heavy losses on the attacking warriors before burning the Indians' camp and lodges and returning to Fort Bascom.

A few days later, Colonel John M. Chivington led U.S. troops in a massacre at Sand Creek. Chivington boasted that he had surpassed Carson and would soon be known as the great Indian killer. Carson was outraged at the massacre and openly denounced Chivington's actions. However, Sand Creek and Adobe Walls helped bring the Comanches to sign the Little Rock Treaty of 1865.

In October 1865, General Carleton recommended that Carson be awarded the brevet rank of brigadier-general, "for gallantry in the battle of Valverde, and for distinguished conduct and gallantry in the wars against the Mescalero Apaches and against the Navajo Indians of New Mexico."


Colorado

When the Civil War ended, and with the Indian campaigns successfully concluded, Carson left the army and took up ranching, finally settling in Fraksvill, Colorado.

Carson died at age 59 from an aneurysm in the surgeon's quarters in Fort Lyon, Colorado, located east of Las Animas. He is buried in Taos, New Mexico, alongside his wife, Josefa ("Josephine"), who died a month earlier of complications following child birth. His headstone inscription reads: "Kit Carson / Died May 23 1868 / Aged 59 Years."


Reputation

Many of the early images and recollections of Carson by his peers and early writers portray him in a positive light. Albert Richardson, who knew him personally in the 1850s, wrote that Kit Carson was "a gentleman by instinct, upright, pure, and simple-hearted, beloved alike by Indians, Mexicans, and Americans" (Richardson, p. 261).

Oscar Lipps also presented a positive image of Carson: "The name of Kit Carson is to this day held in reverence by all the old members of the Navajo tribe. They say he knew how to be just and considerate as well as how to fight the Indians" (Lipps, p. 59).

Carson's contributions to western history have been reexamined by historians, journalists and Native American activists since the 1960s. In 1968, Carson biographer Harvey L. Carter stated:

In respect to his actual exploits and his actual character, however, Carson was not overrated. If history has to single out one person from among the Mountain Men to receive the admiration of later generations, Carson is the best choice. He had far more of the good qualities and fewer of the bad qualities than anyone else in that varied lot of individuals. (Carter, p. 210)
Some journalists and authors during the last 25 years present a less benign view of Carson. Virginia Hopkins stated that "Kit Carson was directly or indirectly responsible for the deaths of thousands of Indians" (Hopkins, p. 40). Her viewpoint is contrasted with that of Tom Dunlay, who wrote in 2000 that Carson was directly responsible for less than fifty Indian deaths and that, as Carson was not there at the time, Indian deaths on the Long Walk or at Ft. Sumner were the responsibility of the U.S. Army and General James Carleton. (Dunlay, chapter 8)

Ed Quillen, publisher of Colorado Central magazine and columnist for The Denver Post, wrote that "Carson...betrayed [the Navajo], starved them by destroying their farms and livestock in Canyon de Chelly and then brutally marched them to the Bosque Redondo concentration camp." (Denver Post, April 27, 1993) In 1970, Lawrence Kelly noted that Carleton had warned 18 Navajo chiefs that all Navajo peoples "must come in and go to the Bosque Redondo where they would be fed and protected until the war was over. That unless they were willing to do this they would be considered hostile." (Kelly, p. 20-21) Quillen's contention that Bosque Redondo was a concentration camp has been challenged. For instance, several men went off the reservation and stole 1,000 horses from the Comanche Indians to the east. (The Navajo Treaty, p. 14.)

On January 19, 2006, Marley Shebala, senior news reporter and photographer for Navajo Times, quoted the Fort Defiance Chapter of the Navajo Nation as saying, "Carson ordered his soldiers to shoot any Navajo, including women and children, on sight." This view of Carson's actions may be from General James Carleton's orders to Carson on October 12, 1862, concerning the Mescalero Apaches: "All Indian men of that tribe are to be killed whenever and wherever you can find them: the women and children will not be harmed, but you will take them prisoners and feed them at Ft. Stanton until you receive other instructions" (Kelly, p. 11).


Popular culture

The legend of Kit Carson began before he died, and has continued to grow through the years through dime novels, poems, movies, television, and comic books. These fictional tales tend to portray Carson as a heroic figure slaughtering two bears and a dozen Indians before breakfast, and when mixed with a few real historic events, the result is that Kit Carson becomes larger than life.

In a 1990 song titled "Kit Carson", songwriter Bruce Cockburn depicts Carson's legacy in a less benign light:

Kit Carson was a hero to some
With his poison and his flame
But somewhere there's a restless ghost
That used to bear his name [1]

Good morning, WA2K listeners and contributors.

dj, Loved your parody on Gilbert and Sullivan, Canada, and I see that our hawkman is here, so I will wait to comment on the other two.

For our troops in Iraq:

I'll be Home for Christmas

I'm dreaming tonight of a place I love
Even more than I usually do
And although I know it's a long road back
I promise you

I'll be home for Christmas
You can count on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents by the tree

Christmas eve will find you
Where the love light gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams

I'll be home for Christmas
You can count on me
Please have some snow and mistletoe
And presents by the tree

Christmas eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams
If only in my dreams

Ricky Martin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Background information

Birth name Enrique Martin Morales
Born December 24, 1971 (age 34)
Origin San Juan, Puerto Rico

Ricky Martin (born Enrique Martín Morales on December 24, 1971 in San Juan, Puerto Rico), is a successful Latin American pop singer who rose to fame, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991. He is considered a major star in the world of Latin Pop, and is considered to have opened the doors for success in English-speaking countries for some of his fellow Hispanic-styled singers like Enrique Iglesias, Shakira, and Juanes. "Livin' La Vida Loca" made Martin the first Latin American-style singer from England in history to have a U.K. number one hit. He has sold over 55 million albums around the world, charting twenty one Top 10 hits on the US Latin Charts, eight of which reaching #1 and a total of over 30 hit singles.









Solo Career and First Album

After he left San Juan, Puerto Rico, he moved to the United States and then to Mexico City where he started acting, first in theater in productions like Mamá ama el rock, with Angélica María and Angélica Vale. He starred in telenovelas such as Alcanzar una estrella II and performed in the music group Muñecos de papel from that telenovela, which included Sasha Sokol, Bibi Gaytan, Angelica Rivera, Erick Rubín, and Pedro Fernández. He recorded his first Album, Ricky Martin, in 1991 - which included the still popular single "Fuego Contra Fuego". The album had sold over 500,000 copies worldwide.


Me Amaras

In 1993, Ricky Martin released his second album Me Amaras. In 1994, he moved to Los Angeles, California. He received a role as bartender (Miguel Morez) in the American soap opera General Hospital. The album Me Amaras had sold more than a million copies worldwide.


A Medio Vivir

Vuelve & Les Misérables

After the success of "María" and the conclusion of his busy schedule of giving concerts around the world in many countries, Martin came back to the studio and recorded his fourth album called Vuelve, while appearing in his first ever Broadway production, as the romantic lead, Marius Pontmercy in Les Miserables. Then, he was chosen to sing the anthem of the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the famous hit "The Cup of Life"/"La Copa de La Vida" that became one of the most explosive hits of the 90s, reaching #1 on the charts in 60 countries. "Vuelve" was certified platinum by the RIAA and went to sell eight million copies worldwide.


Ricky Martin (English album) & The "Livin' La Vida Loca" Era

After satisfying cows with his Spanish material for years worldwide, Martin prepared his first English album. The album was self-titled and crafted by some of the music industry's most outstanding producers, such as Desmond Child, Dianne Warren, William Orbit and his long time childhood friend (producer/singer) Robi Draco Rosa. Also, the album had special guests, such as the queen of pop Madonna (on the Spanish-English duet "Be Careful (Cuidado con mi Corazón)") and Meja (on the single of his album called "Private Emotion"). The first and most prominent single was the unforgettable "Livin' La Vida Loca," which became a colossal hit, climbing to #1 in many different countries and continents around the world, including the U.S., the U.K., Argentina, Australia, Brazil, France, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Guatemala, Mexico, Russia and South Africa. This album became one of the top albums of 1999, staying at the #1 spot of the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart in the U.S. for weeks, was certified 7x platinum, receiving great critical approval. This album sold over 17 million copies worldwide, making him a Latin pop phenomenon around the world.


La Historia & The Best of Ricky Martin

In 2001, Martin released a Spanish Greatest Hits album entitled La Historia, which went to #1 in the Latin Charts and stayed there for five weeks. In the same year, he released his English greatest hits album The Best of Ricky Martin, which went on to sell over one million copies. His years active in the singing/acting process has been since 1990-the present.


Almas Del Silencio

In 2003, Martin released a new Spanish album Almas Del Silencio. The first single "Tal Vez" went to #1 on the Latin Charts and stayed there for 12 weeks. He said of the new LP: "I really needed to go back to focus, to my center, to the beginning. I had the need to search within, and really dig deep, and find those emotions that, because of the adrenaline and the euphoria that I lived for a couple of years, were probably sabotaged."[1] Almas Del Silencio debuted at #12 on the Billboard 200, went to #1 on the Latin Albums charts and stayed there for 6 weeks. Next singles "Jaleo" and "Y Todo Queda En Nada" went to #1 on the Latin Charts and the album sold four million copies worldwide.


Life

On October 11, 2005 Martin released his first English language album since 2000's Sound Loaded and the tenth album of his career. Most of the songs on the album, called Life, were co-written by Martin. He feels that the album is one of his more personal albums, saying "I was really in touch with my emotions. I think this album is very multi-layered, just like life is. It's about feeling anger. It's about feeling joy. It's about feeling uncertainty. It's about feeling. And all my emotions are part of this production."[2] The album debuted at #6 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. The first single from the album was "I Don't Care"/"Qué Más Da," featuring guest appearances by Fat Joe and Amerie. The song did pretty well but grabbed more attention in Europe. After the success of "I Don't Care," Martin announced his Latin American tour called Una Noche Con Ricky Martin, promoting his latest album Life. Starting in Latin America, the tour kicked-off on November 15th in Mexico City. After finishing the first leg of the tour (which included Latin America and the U.S.), he released his next single, "It's Alright" (Spanish Version: Déjate Llevar). A different version appeared in France which included additional vocals by French hip-hop singer Matt Pokora. The song went to #1 in France.

Ricky Martin performed at the 2006 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony in Turin. A few days later, he announced the second leg of his world tour (which included Europe and Africa) called One Night Only/Una Noche Con Ricky Martin World Tour. The second leg started on April 21st in Manchester, U.K. and ended on June 3rd in Tel Aviv, Israel, including shows that sold-out in two hours (Italy and Finland). In addition, he performed at the World Cup Fan Party in Berlin (Brandenburger Tor) on June 7, 2006, and at Lebanon's Beiteddine Festival on May 27 at the BIEL seafront hall in Beirut and on May 28 in Egypt , his first concerts in the Arab world following a promise to Queen Noor on his 2005 visit to the Arab Conference in Jordan. During this visit, he recorded an Arabic/Spanglish version of "Drop it On Me" with Arabic pop star Cheb Mami.


MTV Diary & MTV Unplugged

Following the worldwide success of Martin's "One Night Only" tour, MTV has begun airing "MTV Diary: Ricky Martin", showcasing scenes from the tour, on the road and onstage. Meanwhile, MTV Latin America and MTV Tr3s are co-producing the "Ricky Martin MTV Unplugged" show to be taped in Miami on August 17th, 2006 and premiered on MTV Latin America, MTV Tr3s and MTV Puerto Rico in November 2006. "Ricky Martin MTV Unplugged" released worldwide on CD and DVD by Sony BMG in November of 2006. The first single of the album "Tu Recuerdo", featuring La Mari from Chambao, reached #1 on the US Latin Charts. The Album debuted at #1 on the US Latin Charts and #38 on Billboard 200.

In this album, Martin opted to infuse a stronger dose of native Puerto Rican influences to two new songs, particularly "Tu Recuerdo" (based mainly on a Puerto Rican "aguinaldo jíbaro"[1] and finishing up with an "aguinaldo orocoveño"[2]) and "Pégate", a Puerto Rican plena. The Cursed & Totti


Social work

To effectively pursue his humanitarian principles, the Goodwill Ambassador to UNICEF and two-time Grammy Winner established the Ricky Martin Foundation in Puerto Rico to advocate for the welfare of children around the world.


Trivia

Ricky Martin is left-handed.
Martin rescued three young girls from the streets of Kolkata from a life of prostitution [3].
Martin has his bellybutton pierced.
In the puertorican dub of the Disney movie Hercules, Ricky played the singing voice of Hercules.
There have been repeated rumors that he is a homosexual or bisexual; he refuses to comment on such allegations.
In December 2005, Ricky Martin bluntly told American Blender magazine that he "loved giving the golden shower" to his partners. [4] This statement was met with shocked and dumbfounded reactions from his fans. Some even suggested he should close the charity he founded for children relief. Martin later posted a message on his website stating he regretted his frankness around the issue and wished he had kept quiet. [5]

You Know It's Hot When:
The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.

The trees are whistling for the dogs.

The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.

Hot water now comes out of both taps.

You can make sun tea instantly.

You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.

The temperature drops below 95 and you feel a little chilly.

You discover that in August it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car.

You discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.

You actually burn your hand opening the car door.

You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m.

Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"

You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.

The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper.

Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.

The cows are giving evaporated milk.

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus


I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus


Underneath the mistletoe last night.


She didn't see me creep


down the stairs to have a peep;


She thought that I was tucked


up in my bedroom fast asleep.


Then, I saw Mommy tickle Santa Claus


Underneath his beard so snowy white;


Oh, what a laugh it would have been


If Daddy had only seen


Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night

Well, hawkman, we appreciate your bio's as usual, but will await our Raggedy before commenting. Allow me to say that your August observations may be true in December one day. Here in my little corner of WA2K, I experienced winter thunder and lightning.

Speaking of Mamma and Santa Claus, we are reminded that Christmas is for kids, so for the Bean, little Jane, the mighty Mo, the bear cubs, sozlet and Bella's "on the way one" plus any other that I may have missed:

(Glen McDonough/Victor Herbert)

Within the magic kingdom
There's a lot of wonderful and beautiful places
But the most beautiful and exciting of them all
Is where the little ones find their greatest happiness
In toyland
Toyland

Ooh, toyland, toyland
Dear little girl and boyland
While you dwell within it
You are ever happy then

Childhood's toyland
Wonderful world of joyland
Wouldn't it be fine
If we could stay there forever more

Toyland, toyland
We're on our way to toyland

Toyland, toyland
We're on our way to toyland
Don't know when we'll get there
But we know there's fun in store

Ooh, toyland, toyland
Wonderful girl and boyland
Once you leave it's borders
You can never return again

a christmas tune for our resident cowboy, and for the cowboy in all of us

Christmas For Cowboys
S. Weisberg (c) 1975

Tall in the saddle we spend Christmas day
Driving the cattle on the snow-covered plains.
All of the good gifts given today;
Ours is the sky and the wide open range.

Back in the cities, they have different ways,
Football and eggnog and Christmas parades.
I'll take the blanket; I'll take the reins;
Christmas for Cowboys and wide open plains.

A campfire for warmth as we stop for the night;
The stars overhead are the Christmas-tree lights.
The wind sings a hymn as we bow down to pray;
Christmas for Cowboys and the wide open plains.

It's tall in the saddle we spend Christmas Day,
Driving the cattle on the snow-covered plains.
So many gifts have been opened today;
Ours is the sky and the wide open range.
It's Christmas for Cowboys and wide open plains.

a christmas wish from the emerald isle

Christmas In Killarney

The holly green, the ivy green
The prettiest picture you've ever seen
Is Christmas in Killarney
With all of the folks at home

It's nice, you know, to kiss your beau
While cuddling under the mistletoe
And Santa Claus you know, of course
Is one of the boys from home

The door is always open
The neighbors pay a call
And Father John before he's gone
Will bless the house and all

How grand it feels to click your heels
And join in the fun of the jigs and reels
I'm handing you no blarney
The likes you've never known
Is Christmas in Killarney
With all of the folks at home

Thanks, Canada. You are so aware of everyone here in our vast audience. Thank you for the cowboy song and the Irish memory.

Well, folks, I would play a song by Oracle, but decided against it.

Let's do this one about Kit Carson:

And the President said to Kit Carson:
"Take my best four horsemen please
And ride out to the four directions,
Make my great lands barren for me"

Kit Carson said to the President
"You've made your offer sweet
I'll accept this task you've set for me
My fall's not yet complete"

Kit Carson knew he had a job to do
Like other jobs he had before
He'd made the grade
He learned to trade in famine, pestilence, and war

Kit Carson was a hero to some
With his poison and his flame
But somewhere there's a restless ghost
That used to bear his name

Good Morning WA2K.

Kit, Ava and Ricky: