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Ricardo Montaner is still here keeping us company. The guitar was your first love, wasn't it?

Yes. I wrote a song while I was on the beach when I was about 13. Noche de primavera... It was something like that.

En las afueras está la luna llena, está el mar y tú.

A terrible song.

[laughing]

I was getting inspired!

The chorus went:

Es amor, amor, amor, es un milagro de amor. Es amor, amor, amor... Horrible.

[laughing]

I wrote that song when I was 13 or 14 years old.

I don't know if everyone here knows, but you are living a great love story with your wife Marlene.

Yes.

You have a music loving family with her.

Five children.

You are always talking about her. You are always with her. She directs your videos. How did you two meet?

She directs my videos and my real life as well. Marlene has this ability to do many things at the same time. She controls me as if I had strings, like this... Especially this part of me. The part of me that says, "Yes". She manages that part perfectly.

Where did you two meet?

At the office.

Your office?

Si tengo que contar de amor, la conocí en la oficina, ella era, era de todo, siempre le dejaba una nota sin firmar. La mujer de mi vida no es normal, demasiado sublime, demasiado, ¿qué hice yo para ganarme el milagro?, ¿cómo puede caberme tanto amor?, si apenitas la... pruebo y sabe a cielo y su luz puede alumbrar con sus ojos, con un beso el pueblo entero. For her.

Did you write that song for her when you met her?

Not when I first met her. I wrote that song about 8 or 10 years ago. I dedicated the song to her, but I wrote it for a soap opera here in the United States called "La Mujer de mi Vida".

Was it love at the first sight?

Totally. We met at the office where she... Her brother signed my first recording contract. He was the president of the label I recorded my first five albums with, Rodven.

Yes.

I fell in love with her right away, and I asked her parents for her hand in marriage...

I think that's good.

and they gave me their blessing.

Ricardo, many people already know that Alejandro and Héctor, your oldest children, are singers. Besides that, your youngest children are also musicians. Tell us a little about what they are doing, and what your role is in this musical family. You are almost like the Osmonds or the family from The Sound of Music.

It's crazy, yes. Alejandro, the oldest one, started singing and writing songs. Nowadays, he is more dedicated to composing and working for a record label. He works for EMI Publishing. Héctor is still working on his singing career. He has released two records. It's been hard for him, but he is still writing songs and knocking on doors,... waiting for the right time to come, ok? That is the moment when the light goes on and stays on.

Yes.

Ricky and Mau are in the middle. I mean,... Ricky is the oldest of my younger children. I also say he is the youngest of the older ones. How can that be? He plays the guitar and writes. Mauricio plays the drums and sings with Ricardo. They are working on a duet.

You always talk about knocking on doors. Your career is completely international and that includes Spain. What was the hardest door for you to open? I mean, what country resisted you?

The most difficult country for me has been Spain. Even today, my music is more popular because of artists who have recorded my songs, instead of the songs I sing with my own voice. Right now, I am dedicating even more time to promoting myself in Spain. I think I will have to move there for a few months. I think that's a good idea. I think I'll have to move to Spain for at least six months.

What do you prefer being called, a singer or a writer?

I prefer being called a composer and singer of the songs that I write.

...that you write. But you have also sung songs by other musicians,... just like on your two new records.

Yes. The thing is... These records are a concept that one day Adrián and I...

The records, I want to mention, are Las Mejores Canciones del Mundo, which was released last year, and the new one is Las Mejores Canciones del Mundo, parte 2.

Exactly. The concept about the greatest hits was so well received that we decided to work on a second disc. It's called Las Mejores Canciones del Mundo, volumen 2. It includes some songs of mine.

Some songs of yours. Some...

I just wanted to say they are not part of the greatest hits songs. That's why I said...

You are very modest.

People are going to say, "This guy is very cocky." He thinks he's all that.

Now that you mentioned you have songs that have been more popular when sung in other people's voices... This record has a song that you wrote for Selena.

I wrote a song called "Una Mujer Solitaria". I wrote it for her when she was working on the record that she wouldn't be able to finish. I was about to work on the demo. In fact, I had sent her a demo with a melody, and I was about to add the voice when she died. I kept this song for a long time and...

I guess you didn't want to record it, did you?

No, I never wanted to record it. But then I produced a movie with Servando and Florentino. When I worked on the soundtrack for that movie, I came up with this idea that the title should be "Un Muchacho Solitario," and I had to bring back the song that I had saved for 8 years.

I know you have made songs for more than 25 years, and all of them are like your children, etc...

That is what everyone has told you, right?

Yes. Everyone says, "Please, don't make me choose one because..." But, there's got to be one that is... I'm not going to say favorite because favorite is a strange word, but there's got to be one that is special to you,... special for any reason.

Well, I'm going to try to be original. No, don't ask me about that stuff. Songs are like children to me. I couldn't tell you which child I prefer. We all answer that because it's true. That is the problem, and it is a reality. I do have songs that cause different reactions in the audience,... like, for example...

Aquí no corre el tiempo tras la prisa, jamás se ven pasar las mismas golondrinas.

That song is called "Al Final del Arco Iris." Let's call it the second part of "Déjame Llorar", which is a song I wrote about a couple in which the woman dies and goes to heaven. "Al Final del Arco Iris" is the answer she sends him from heaven. It goes:

Te esperaré en la última página del libro a media tarde urgente de cariño, te esperaré en la altura sublime del silencio para hacer el amor en una nube, en una nube, en una nube al final del arco iris.

Everyone cries then.

That's when people cry. I cry, too. And then, the show is over.

[laughing]

Is there any other song...?

People justify having bought the tickets by saying, "Ok, I cried already, so I can go now." I'll sing a little part of "El Poder de Tu Amor".

What is the story behind "El Poder de Tu Amor"?

I wrote it with Bebu Silvetti.

A close friend of yours.

Yes. This song reminds me of Bebu Silvetti every time I sing it. I can't avoid singing this song, and I can't avoid remembering Bebu. He told me, "Listen to this, chatito," and he sat at the piano. [humming] I stood by his side, and I told him, "That song is going to be called 'El Poder de tu Amor,'" and I left. He told me, "Chatito, how can you leave? You just said that, and now you are leaving?" I said, "It's going to be called 'El Poder de tu Amor'". I was in my car, my cell phone rang, and he said, "Chatito, you are driving me crazy. What do you mean?" I answered, "Bebu, I will write it tonight. And tomorrow, by noon at the latest, you will have the lyrics." And that is what I wrote.

Tengo que reconocer que me sorprendió el amor, que me enamoré de sed, que tú eres el agua. Do you know the lyrics? Kind of? Desnudo al aire libre estaba mi corazón, hablando solito con su corazón. We're going to do a falsetto. *El poder de tu amor que me eleva a lo profundo como un globo hasta el cielo, el poder de tu amor me sumerge a las alturas y me corta la respiración. Te juro, no miento que tu amor... tiene el poder. They know it already. Very pretty.

Wow, now I am going to cry. Stay tuned. We'll be back with more of Ricardo Montaner's story.

Oh, my God.

We continue talking with one of the most iconoclastic voices of Latin music. Ricardo, besides being a singer, a composer, and a producer, you also have...

Te regalo una copia de mi llave para que me abras con confianza el alma, te regalo un pasaje hasta mi almohada para que sea mi cuerpo tu parada. Soy tuyo, soy tuyo.

Ah.

That one was for you.

Thanks! My own personal serenade.

Personal serenade. Ok, what were you saying? Repeat the question, please.

I wanted to talk about your foundation. I don't know if everyone here knows that you have a foundation. In fact, Billboard awarded you "The Spirit of Hope" award because of the unselfish work you do with children. It has a very specific job. Tell us a little bit about what "La Ventana del Cielo" does.

As you know, I have had the foundation "Los Hijos del Sol" for 17 years now. I have worked in your country, in Venezuela, in Argentina, in Chile,... in almost all of Latin America.

Why with Latin American children specifically? Was there anything that made you...?

No, no, no. I always had... As I was saying before, I have always cared about children. Ever since I was 14, there was something appealing about working with them, specifically those who have Down's syndrome. That started in Maracaibo when I was very young. All of those years we wanted... When Marlene and I moved to Miami, we wanted to have a foundation like that. With "La Ventana de los Cielos," we cater specifically to children with different types of syndromes,... Down's, autism, brain paralysis.

You have your own location.

Yes. We bought some land here in the south Florida, on the way to Homestead. It is a farm. We have more than 200 animals, and the kids go visit there. As a friend of mine said some time ago, "Children with different kinds of syndromes are the most forgotten among the forgotten". It is true that Latin American children have been neglected. The governments are not responsible enough to help make Latin American children feel really cared for. I hope we won't have countries with children dying of starvation,... countries where children die from the measles because they don't have proper vaccinations.

It's true.

Despite all of this, there are children who have been even more forgotten than them. They are the last ones people care about. These are the children with some kind of a so-called "disability". We don't call it that. We decided to dedicate ourselves to the most forgotten among the forgotten.

Throughout your career, you have given thousands of concerts and thousands of charitable performances. In December, in Miami... I am going to mention this because this show is seen in many places. In Miami, in December 2007, there is going to be a concert specifically for the foundation.

Yes. Later, I will tell you the artists who are going to be there. Our main goal is to help children. We have this sort of coalition. Let's call it that. We started last year with a charitable concert for Juanes' foundation, "Colombia Sin Minas." That is Juanes' foundation. It is a amazing idea that has had unbelievable success. We have been able to collect a lot of money to be able to buy prostheses for all of the children who have been victimized by mines. This year it's my foundation's turn. We are going to have Juanes, Juan Luis Guerra, David Bisbal, Luis Fonsi, Alejandro Sanz, and Niña Pastori performing. And I will be performing as well.

Hopefully.

It's going to be hosted by Susana Jiménez and Don Francisco. It will be on December 19. None of them will charge a penny. All of the money we raise there will go to "La Ventana de los Cielos" foundation. Our main goal is to open our offices in at least three countries in South America next year.

Hey, it's about time.

For what? Saying goodbye, right?

No, not yet. Before you say goodbye, I am going to torture you a little.

Go ahead.

This is the Billboard Top 20.

Ok.

They are questions. It is like a ping pong questionnaire. I ask questions first, and you answer without thinking about it.

Ok, you said, "No thinking!"

Yes. Queen or The Who?

The Who.

What poster did you have in your room when you were a teenager?

She's too old now. I can't tell you.

What do you keep in the drawer of your nightstand?

What do I keep? My nasal drops. In case it gets stuffed up at night.

What is the strangest rumor you have heard about yourself?

About me?

Yes.

That I'm getting married.

What is the biggest lie you have ever told in an interview?

I am going to tell you something, honestly, just between you and me...

Shoot.

I don't tell lies. I'd rather tell the truth, even if it hurts.

So, you can't lie to me when answering this... Describe your perfect night.

My perfect night? I can describe it perfectly. My perfect night is away from home, with my wife, in some hotel room, because at home... It is very complicated. It's an entire production, as I told you before. Understand? There are so many people, children all around,... so I can't be very creative. Do you know what I mean?

Two records to take to a desert island in case there is a CD player.

Where do I plug it in? No. If you are going to ask me to answer that,... First tell me where I can plug in the CD player.

So... Two records you would take to that hotel room when you go with Marlene for your perfect night.

Ok. Let's see... One of the CDs I'm taking with me is by El Puma, José Luis Rodríguez, where he has... It's called "Big Hits by El Puma". It has "Agárrense de las Manos", "Crucemos el Jordán", "Voy a Perder la Cabeza por Tu Amor" and... It also has... What? "Numerao!" § Numerao! Eee! § § Viva la numeración! § I'm taking the CD by El Puma so I can practice...

Chévere, qué chévere, qué chévere, qué chévere, qué chévere.

That one is for exercising. And I'm also taking an instrumental one. It can be the one by Arthur Hanlon.

Wonderful choice.

Yes.

I love it.

And...

What song makes you cry?

When I am alone?

What song makes you cry?

One that makes me cry?

Yes.

¿Quién dijo que todo está perdido? hoy vengo a ofrecer mi corazón. Tanta sangre que se llevó el río, hoy vengo a ofrecer mi corazón.

That song was written by Fito Páez, and it's one of the songs I like the most.

What do you spend your money on?

Cell phone bills.

Do you sleep with or without pajamas?

Ese-lular que tiene...

Do you sleep with or without pajamas?

With pajamas.

What is it that men will never understand about women?

What will we never understand about you?

Yes.

Everything.

Ok. Your worst fault?

Mmm... Do I have to tell you as an Argentinean or as a Venezuelan? I also have an Argentinean part.

Your worst fault?

My worst fault? Self-criticism is the worst one...

Ok. Your best virtue?

I'm able to get over anything that tries to drag me under emotionally, ok? I am able to overcome crisis. I keep my head high and... It doesn't mean I never break down, right? It happens every now and then, but I usually bounce back with renewed energy.

Most treasured possession?

Jesus Christ.

Ok. What do you do right before going on stage?

Praise God, and glorify him for what I am going to find when I get out.

Finally, your favorite vice?

Pizza and wine.

I like those vices. And,... We ran out of time.

Audience: Oh...

Leila, but...

I'm sorry.

Is that why you brought me here?

[laughing]

Ok, start playing....

We like to say goodbye with music. Are you going to say goodbye with some music? Wonderful.

Y llevarte a la cima del cielo... Sing with me, ok? donde existe un silencio total, donde el viento te roza la cara y yo rozo tu cuerpo al final. Again, again! Y llevarte a la cima del cielo, donde el cuento no puede acabar, donde emerge sublime el deseo y la gloria se puede alcanzar, y la gloria se puede alcanzar. Oooh.

Bravo! Thanks. Thanks to Ricardo Montaner, and to the audience who sang along with him.

Thank you, girl! God bless you. Good luck.

Thanks to you, and to our viewers. See you soon.

Brothers, may it grow!

Ha, ha, ha.

THE END

Ricardo Montaner in Estudio Billboard [1] [2]