Almas del Silencio

Almas del Silencio (English: Souls from the Silence) is the seventh studio album and the first Spanish language album recorded by Puerto Rican performer Ricky Martin since 1998's Vuelve. It was released by Sony Discos and Columbia Records on May 20, 2003. The album was released in 38 non-Hispanic countries and reached top ten in Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, Norway and Finland.[2]

Almas del Silencio
Studio album by Ricky Martin
Released	May 20, 2003
Recorded	September 2002 - February 2003
Studio	Bogart Studios Crescent Moon Studios Critiera Moon Studios Diginote Studios EG's Studios Gallery Studios Macondo Studios Normad Music Studios Outline Studios Peaceful Planet Studios (Miami, Florida) Record One Capitol Studios (Los Angeles, California) Soundstage Studios (Nashville, Tennessee) The Hit Factory (New York, New York)
Genre	Latin pop
Length	50:23
Language	Spanish
Label	Sony Discos · Columbia
Producer	Tommy Torres Emilio Estefan, Jr. Juan Vicente Zambrano Luis Fernando Ochoa Estéfano George Noriega Danny López
Ricky Martin chronology
The Best of Ricky Martin (2001) Almas del Silencio (2003) Life (2005)
Singles from Almas del Silencio
"Tal Vez" Released: March 25, 2003 "Jaleo" Released: May 2, 2003 "Asignatura Pendiente" Released: August 12, 2003 "Juramento" Released: September 15, 2003 "Y Todo Queda en Nada" Released: February 2, 2004

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]

Background and development

Martin initially planned to release an English-language album, which was supposed to be his first complete work in the field of songwriting. He changed his mind:

I woke up five months ago, and I said 'We're doing an album in Spanish.' Everyone went nuts. They said, 'You don't have time; you have to release an album in English because of timing issues with your career.' And that's fine. But I told them, 'In five months, you'll have a kick-ass album' [in Spanish].[3]

Martin noted about the language: "Many countries are releasing [this album] simply as Ricky Martin's next album, period. They know me as a Latino who recorded an album in English. And the next English-language album will be Ricky Martin's next album, period."[4]

Martin said of the new album: "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."[5] Therefore he asked the songwriters for tracks that "reflect his own state of mind, expressing his yearning for his native Puerto Rico and for the simpler things in life."[4]

Singles

"Tal Vez" was released as the main single of Almas del Silencio on March 17, 2003, it was written by the Venezuelan singer-songwriter Franco De Vita, who wrote Vuelve, the title track of the last album in Spanish from Martin. "Tal Vez" is a radical ballad that never turns cloying.[6] The single debuted at No. 1 on the US Hot Latin Songs, It was the first time that list has seen a No. 1 debut since February 7, 1998, when Los Temerarios "Porque Te Conoci" (Why Did I Meet You) bowed in the top slot, then spent 11 weeks on top of the Hot Latin Songs. "Tal Vez" also debuted at No. 1 on the Latin Pop Airplay (thirteen weeks on top) and at No. 4 on the list of Tropical Airplay (weeks later it reached number one).[7] It also reached number seventy-four on the Billboard Hot 100, thanks to its seventy-three peak on the Hot 100 Airplay. In the year Maybe he stayed with the number 1 of Billboard Top Latin Songs Year-End Chart.[8] Also reached number 1 in Argentina, Chile, Central America, Mexico and Venezuela. Martin performed "Tal Vez" at the Latin Billboard Music Awards on May 8 in Miami.[9]

"Jaleo" it was the first international single and the second single from the album. It was released on May 2, 2003 internationally and in July 2003 in the United States. "Jaleo", a Spanish word with various definitions, but it basically means "to clap" or, rather, yell out words of excitement such as "¡olé!" and "¡eso!" usually during flamenco and merengue performances. The song has reached number one on the Billboard Hot Latin Song and number two on the Latin Pop Songs. He also entered the charts in Belgium, Germany, France, Norway, Sweden and Japan with the single achieving the top 10 positions in Spain (# 1 for four weeks), Italy and Sweden and Top 30 entries in Denmark, Holland and Switzerland.[9]

"Asignatura Pendiente" was released as the third single on August 12, 2003. The song was written by Ricardo Arjona and produced by Tommy Torres, is about the artist's experiences, whatever it may be, not only Ricky Martin, but in the mouth of the Puerto Rican singer. This refers to his beginnings with the famous group Menudo", how success has influenced his life and the nostalgia he feels far from his native Puerto Rico, which also applies to Ricardo Arjona, due to his ex-wife and very good friends of the island. In "Asignatura Pendiente" lovelessness, sacrifice and lived rewards are evidenced.[10] The song has reached number five on the Billboard Hot Latin Song and number four on the Latin Pop Songs.

"Juramento" it was the second international single and the fourth single from the album. It was released on September 15, 2003. The Spanglish version is called "Juramento (The Way to Love)". The song reached number eleven in Spain, number forty-five in Italy, number fifty-seven in Switzerland and number ninety-two in Germany.[11]

"Y Todo Queda en Nada" is the fifth single from the album. It was released as a promotional single on December 2, 2003 in Latin territories. The song reached number one on the Hot Latin Songs in the United States and stayed at the top for one week. It arrived at peak number nine on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100, it also peaked at number two on the Latin Pop Airplay and Tropical Songs. In 2004 the song he stayed with number 4 of Billboard Top Latin Songs Year-End Chart.[8] On February 26, in Miami, Martin performed "Y todo Queda en Nada" along with "Jaleo" at the Premio Lo Nuestro.

Commercial performance

Almas del Silencio released by Sony Discos debuted at number one on the US Top Latin Albums and stayed there for six weeks. The album has also made the highest charting debut on the Billboard 200 (# 12) of any Spanish-language album in the SoundScan era, selling more than 65,000 copies the first week.[12]

In total, he sold 261,000 copies in the US.[13] It was certified 4× Platinum Latin award by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), indicating shipments of over 400,000 copies in the country.[14] Outside the United States, it was certified Platinum in Spain and Argentina, and Gold in Mexico and Switzerland. The album has sold over one million copies worldwide.[15]

Awards and nominations

Year	Ceremony	Award	Result
2003	Premios Tu Música	Best Ballad Album	Won
	American Music Awards[16]	Favorite Latin Artist	Won
2004	Lo Nuestro Awards[17]	Pop Album of the Year	Nominated
	Latin Billboard Music Awards[18]	Latin Pop Album of the Year, Male	Won
	Latin Grammy Awards[19]	Best Male Pop Vocal Album	Nominated
	Premios Juventud	CD To Die For	Nominated

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Jaleo"	Antonio Rayo "Rayito" José Miguel Velásquez	Tommy Torres	03:41
2.	"Tal Vez"	Franco De Vita	Torres	04:39
3.	"Jamás"	Emilio Estefan, Jr., Tony Mardini Ricardo Gaitán Alberto Gaitán Nicolás Tovar	Estefan, Jr.	03:09
4.	"Si Tú Te Vas"	Juanes	Luis Fernando Ochoa	04:20
5.	"Nadie Más Que Tú"	Daniel López Torres Ricky Martin Raul del Sol	Torres López	04:20
6.	"Besos de Fuego"	Yasmil Marrufo Juan Vicente Zambrano	Zambrano López	04:23
7.	"Asignatura Pendiente"	Ricardo Arjona	Torres	03:56
8.	"Juramento"	López George Noriega Jon Secada	Noriega	03:32
9.	"Y Todo Queda en Nada"	Estéfano Julio Reyes Copello	Estéfano	04:36
10.	"Si Ya No Estás Aquí"	Estefan Jr. Mardini R. Gaitán A. Gaitán Tovar	Estefan, Jr.	03:04
11.	"Raza de Mil Colores"	López Marrufo Zambrano	Zambrano	03:33
12.	"Las Almas del Silencio"	Alejandro Sanz	Torres	03:29
13.	"Jaleo" (Spanglish)	Rayo Velásquez Jodi Marr	Torres	03:41
14.	"Exclusive Interview Footage"

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2003) Peak position Argentinian Albums (CAPIF)[20] 1 Australian Albums (ARIA)[21] 21 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[22] 28 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[23] 34 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[24] 29 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[25] 28 European Albums (Top 100)[26] 16 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[27] 9 French Albums (SNEP)[28] 35 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[29] 17 Greek Foreign Albums (IFPI)[30] 1 Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[31] 27 Italian Albums (FIMI)[32] 3 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[33] 59 Polish Albums (ZPAV)[34] 14 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[35] 6 Portuguese Albums (AFP)[36] 4 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[26] 2 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[37] 17 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[38] 2 US Billboard 200[39] 12 US Top Latin Albums (Billboard)[40] 1 US Latin Pop Albums (Billboard)[41] 1

Year-end charts Chart (2003) Position Norwegian End of School Period Albums (VG-lista)[42] 19 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[43] 40 US Top Latin Albums (Billboard)[44] 2 US Latin Pop Albums (Billboard)[44] 2 Decade-end charts Chart (2000s) Position US Top Latin Albums (Billboard)[45] 50

Certifications and sales

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[46]	Platinum	40,000^^
Mexico (AMPROFON)[47]	Gold	75,000^^
South Korea (RIAK)	—	14,197[48]
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[49]	Platinum	100,000^^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[50]	Gold	20,000^^
United States (RIAA)[51]	4× Platinum (Latin)	400,000^^
Summaries
Worldwide	—	1,000,000[15]
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format	Catalog
Japan	June 18, 2003[52]	Sony Music Japan	CD	SICP-363

References

1. AllMusic review
2. "Ricky Martin to Receive This Year's Premio Lo Nuestro Excellence Award". Retrieved July 31, 2020.
3. Cobo, Leila (June 3, 2003). "Ricky Martin Hits No. 1 Again; Almas Del Silencio Sets Sales Record, Latin Star Returns After 2-Year Hiatus". Toronto Star. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
4. "Ricky Still Packs Star Sales Punch". June 7, 2003. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
5. Gurza, Agustin (May 17, 2003). "Livin' The Serious Life; Ricky Martin's New Album Matches His Outlook". Los Angeles Times.
6. "Ricky Martin's 'Almas del Silencio' is a triumphant Latin return". THE BALTIMORE SUN. June 5, 2003. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
7. "Ricky Martin Returns With A Bang". Billboard. April 4, 2003. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
8. "2003 Year End Charts: Hot Latin Tracks Titles". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
9. "'Almas del Silencio' de Ricky Martin es el # 1". Retrieved July 31, 2020.
10. ""Asignatura Pendiente" Ricardo Arjona". Retrieved July 31, 2020.
11. "danishcharts". Retrieved July 31, 2020.
12. Staind Marked For #1 On Billboard Albums Chart. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
13. "Ask Billboard - Viva la 'Vida' singer". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. January 28, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
14. "American certifications – "Martin, Ricky"". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
15. Adams, Steve (November 4, 2006). "Martin's World View". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.: 66–. ISSN 0006-2510.
16. http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/2003/amas2.htm
17. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20040114_es_1003388_generatedID/es/
18. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20040429005729/en/Latin-Musics-Brightest-Stars-Honored-2004-Billboard
19. https://articles.latimes.com/2004/jul/15/news/wk-latingrammylist15
20. "Argentina lista semanal". CAPIF. Archived from the original on June 9, 2003. Retrieved June 9, 2003.
21. "Australiancharts.com – Ricky Martin – Almas del Silencio". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
22. "Austriancharts.at – Ricky Martin – Almas del Silencio" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
23. "Ultratop.be – Ricky Martin – Almas del Silencio" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
24. "Ultratop.be – Ricky Martin – Almas del Silencio" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
25. "Dutchcharts.nl – Ricky Martin – Almas del Silencio" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
26. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
27. "Ricky Martin: Almas del Silencio" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
28. "Lescharts.com – Ricky Martin – Almas del Silencio". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
29. "Offiziellecharts.de – Ricky Martin – Almas del Silencio" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
30. "Top 50 Ξένων Άλμπουμ". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on August 6, 2003. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
31. "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2003. 26. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
32. "Italiancharts.com – Ricky Martin – Almas del Silencio". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
33. リッキー・マーティンのアルバム売り上げランキング (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on October 30, 2014. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
34. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
35. "Norwegiancharts.com – Ricky Martin – Almas del Silencio". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
36. "Portuguesecharts.com – Ricky Martin – Almas del Silencio". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
37. "Swedishcharts.com – Ricky Martin – Almas del Silencio". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
38. "Swisscharts.com – Ricky Martin – Almas del Silencio". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
39. "Ricky Martin Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
40. "Ricky Martin Chart History (Top Latin Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
41. "Ricky Martin Chart History (Latin Pop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
42. "Topp 40 Album Skoleslutt 2003" (in Norwegian). VG-lista. Archived from the original on November 25, 2015. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
43. "Swiss Year-end Charts 2003". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
44. "The Year in Music: 2003" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
45. "Best of the 2000s: Latin Albums". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
46. "Discos de Oro y Platino" (in Spanish). CAPIF. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2013.
47. "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved November 17, 2013. Type Ricky Martin in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Almas del Silencio in the box under TÍTULO
48. ":: Best Selling Foreign Album in Korea (1999-Now)". January 2004. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
49. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
50. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Ricky Martin; 'Almas del Silencio')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved November 17, 2013.
51. "American album certifications – Ricky Martin – Almas del Silencio". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 17, 2013. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click Type, then select Latin, then click SEARCH. 
52. https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/SICP-363