Loco for Ricky!

"You know what, buddy? If you have it, take advantage of it, 'cause it's not gonna be there forever!"

 For Ricky Martin, those words of wisdom come courtesy of Latin singing pal Gloria Estefan, who was probably most responsible for introducing the former Menudo member and one-time General Hospital star to the world.

 From the moment Martin did some serious hip-swivelling when he performed The Cup of Life (the 1998 World Cup song) in front of television audiences at the 1999 Grammy Awards, it's been nothing but Ricky-mania. Not since Michael Jackson moonwalked his way to megastardom at the 1983 American Music Awards has there been such an uproar over a singer.

 La Vida Loca

 Long after the rest of the world was introduced to the 28-year-old Latin singing sensation (already popular with Americans), and long after Livin' La Vida Loca and Shake Your Bon-Bon became etched in the psyche, Ottawa's chance to see Ricky Martin is finally here.

 Martin already has caused fever-pitch frenzies in Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Toronto. Tonight, Ottawa fans get their chance to show their true Ricky spirit when he hits the Corel Centre stage at 7:30.

 Like any fast-rising superstar of his calibre, there will be those critics who will sluff Martin off as nothing more than a passing fad, a one-hit wonder, a non-music entity. And that's not even mentioning barbs deemed unfit for print.

 So how does Martin respond to all this backlash?

 "I'm grateful to whatever people are saying," he tells the current issue of TV Guide. "Being grateful to critics both good and bad and being willing to say, 'Hi, nice to meet you' to anyone."

 Keeping himself grounded, Martin is coy about his sex-symbol status. "It's something I have to deal with, unfortunately," he says.

 "I'm not going to waste all my energy thinking about whether people think I'm a sex symbol."

 Obviously, Martin devotes his energy to giving his fans one heck of an entertaining show. "Being on stage is not something I wanna let go of," he says. "It's just amazing -- this feeling of control."

 The star-making machinery doesn't let up from here.

 After Ottawa, it's off to Montreal on Friday. From there, he heads to Honolulu for a show on March 26, the same night that TV viewers will see him interviewed by Barbara Walters on her pre-Oscars special (airing 7 p.m. CJOH-ABC).

 Following that he returns home to Miami "for a month of time to himself," before embarking on a European tour that goes from April 23-May 13.

 Then it's into the studio to work on the follow-up to his 1999 self-titled English-language debut, which has sold 1.2 million copies in Canada and 15 million worldwide.

 Martin starts the second leg of his U.S. tour June 9 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and wraps it up on July 27 in Portland, Ore.

 -- With files from Jane Stevenson