Ricardo Montaner
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Ricardo Montaner Ricardo Montaner is one of pop’s steadier, most seasoned artists and recognized singer- songwriters from Latin America and the Spanish-speaking world. His fans reach the millions, not only for his caliber as an artist but also because of his genuine personality. He has earned multiple accolades throughout his career and his albums have sold over 65 million copies, becoming multi-award winners as well as being Multi-Platinum, Platinum and Gold certified. Montaner is the recipient of several Golden and Silver Seagull Awards of the prestigious Viña del Mar Festival in Chile, as well as the Silver and the Golden Torch Award. In November 2016, he received a Lifetime Achievement Latin Grammy Award in Las Vegas for his continuous musical excellence and his great legacy to Latin American music. Born in Argentina, raised in Venezuela, he has been named Singer of the Year by specialized entertainment magazine Billboard, and was considered as Best Artist in Venezuela numerous times. For his sold-out venue performances, he has received special recognitions, including from the Luna Park Stadium in Argentina (2009) for being one of the artists with the highest ticket sales in that venue in a year. With the worldwide success of television reality show The Voice, Montaner has served as coach on its Latin America editions, La Voz Colombia (2012), La Voz Colombia Season 2 (2013), La Voz Argentina (2018) and La Voz Mexico (2019 & 2020). For his philanthropic work and advocacy to children, the Billboard Awards honored him with his maximum prize of the Hope Award in May 2007. His full commitment is to La Ventana de Los Cielos, a foundation he created with his wife Marlene in South Florida in 2005. This non-profit organization provides free alternative therapies to children with Down Syndrome, Autism and Cerebral Palsy. In November 2007, UNICEF appointed Montaner as a Goodwill Ambassador for children. Since then, the singer-songwriter has increased his social work by meeting throughout the Americas with world leaders to realize his dream of helping children in need. On February 23, 2011, he was named World Health Champion by PAHO in Washington, DC and, in May of that same year, he was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of the International Special Olympics, an organization chaired by Dr. Thomas Schriver. Currently, he serves as Special Ambassador for the Special Olympics. In June 2019, the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) and the Organization of the American States (OAS) appointed him as Ambassador for the Rights of Migrants and Refugees in Washington, D.C. Also, at the end of 2019, the award-winning singer-songwriter joined PeaceTech Lab, the innovation center of the United States Institute of Peace, to educate and raise awareness about the need to use technology for social good (PeaceTech). "Technology is the antidote to digital war, it only requires that you and I use it to spread love, not hate." On January 17, 2021, Montaner will be named by this global organization "Ambassador for Peace" in Washington, D.C. Since February 2012, he has been an exclusive artist of multinational label SONY MUSIC, under which he has already released four successful albums, Viajero Frequente (Frequent Traveler), Llanto Agradecido (Grateful Crying), Ida y Vuelta (Round Trip) and now, his 24th studio album, Montaner. In Viajero Frequente, he included the song La Gloria de Dios (The Glory of God), a duet with his daughter Evaluna Montaner, whose video became viral surpassing a whopping 531 million views on YouTube/Vevo. On the other hand, Montaner features the singer’s collaborations with some of the more renowned urban artists such as J Balvin, Nicky Jam, Farruko, the Argentine actress and singer Lali, two of his sons, who make up the duo Mau and Ricky, and his son-in-law, Colombian singer-songwriter Camilo. As a composer and songwriter, Montaner has written and edited more than 300 songs, and his exceptionally valuable song catalog includes musical hits such as La cima del cielo, Tan enamorados, Bésame, En el último lugar del mundo, Me va a extrañar, Déjame llorar, El poder de tu amor, and La Gloria de Dios, among many. Currently, Montaner is in the midst of new several contract negotiations including Sony Latin, and Sony ATV, the music publisher whose roster he is a part of. On November 28, 2020, he streamed a live show from Altos de Chavón, La Romana, Dominican Republic, reaching six continents, over 50 countries, and more than half a million people, becoming the first Latin American act to have achieved this milestone. Along with his children Evaluna, Mau and Ricky, and his son-in-law, Camilo, Montaner released the single Amén on December 23, 2020. The song was written, produced and sung by all these family members, respecting the music style of each and taking different elements throughout the song in composition, lyric and intention. The video, which has already accumulated 70 million views on YouTube, was directed by Marlene Montaner, keeping the visual production in the family as well. As a fearless advocate of family unity, his greatest treasures are his children Alejandro, Héctor, Ricardo Andrés, Mauricio and Eva Luna; and his grandchildren Antonella, Alejandro Jr, Salomé and Matías. .