Ricky Martin's bravura, swivel-hipped performance of "The Cup of Life" at the 41st annual Grammy Awards handily stole the spotlight from the evening's platinum-edged superstars, positioning him as poster boy for a Latin pop crossover boom that dominated media for months to follow. Like most "overnight" sensations (or, for that matter, "brand new" pop trends), Martin's impact was actually the payoff for an extended apprenticeship: anything but a novice, this Puerto Rican native was already a major star in the Spanish-speaking pop realm, having graduated from his early stint as a plump-cheeked member of Menudo to become a sleek heartthrob.

He shakes his bon bon! He lives la vida loca! He probably even bangs, too! But if you're expecting to see or hear Ricky Martin singing the songs by those names, you're going to be disappointed. That's because Europa chronicles the Martin phenomenon as it was in 1997, when his audience was still largely Spanish-speaking and before he recorded his huge crossover hits. And since the bulk of this 70-minute concert-cum-documentary was filmed in Spain (other countries such as Germany, Italy, and France are visited, but most of the actual performances appear to be in front of Spanish audiences), the Puerto Rico-born singer sings entirely in his native language.

What can I say? Wow....this DVD is stunning! I picked this up at the video store because I like Ricky's music. Being a video freak I then started to take it back because I later discovered that it's not widescreen. I'm really glad that I didn't. I saw this live on my old television set, but since my new HDTV and 5.1 Surround Sound purchase, I wanted to view it on DVD. The quality of the video and audio is outstanding, and it really gives you the feeling that you are on the front row of a live concert in New York City.

He is the Mozart of pop, the Orson Welles of rock, the George Gershwin of his generation. You'll see and hear exactly why on An All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson, a celebration of Wilson's artistry held at New York's famed Radio City Music Hall on March 29, 2001. This once-in-a-lifetime gathering of superstars and legends takes us on an amazing musical journey through an unparalleled body of work--and along the way, we learn the uplifting story of the heroic survivor who has brought us a lifetime...

RICKY MARTIN DVD STORE