In April 1992 Martika wrapped up her world tour in front of tens of thousands of screaming fans in Seville, Spain.
She walked off the stage and just kept walking. Turning her back on a career that any self respecting pop diva would give their last feather boa for.
She had it all. Her debut album catapulted her into superstar status, her sophomore Long Player brought her the artistic credibility that only a handful of bona-fide pop stars have managed.
She achieved the impossible, she was an artist respected by the music press, lauded by fellow artists, and yet she somehow still managed to top the pop charts in every major territory in the world.
But she walked away.
She kept walking…away from her multi-platinum sales…away from her multi million dollar record deal…away from the industry and into the pop abyss.
After just 2 albums, Martika called time on one of the most promising careers to emerge from the 80s.
The songs have endured. Her Iconic hit “Toy Soldiers” was back at the top of the charts in 2004 (i.e. A few days ago) courtesy of Eminem , and Delta Goodrem had a hit in 2014 with her cover of the Martika/Prince composition “Love…Thy Will Be Done”
In recent years Martika has dipped her toe in the retro waters, with occasional one-off gigs, before embarking on a full Australian Tour earlier this year, her first full tour for….well ages.
The reception she received in Australia was unprecedented. Playing to packed theatres, the public and the press were in total agreement that She had returned triumphant; with the ‘Sydney Morning Hereld’ declaring that:
“… the night belonged to Martika, the long-missing Cuban-American one-off whose powerhouse pop-rap-soul style managed to elude the clutches of kitsch to simply sound great. She looked great, too, in her bike shorts and bob. But maybe tunes like Love … Thy Will Be Done and Toy Soldiers were always bigger than pants and hair.”
News travels fast in 2016 and her unprecedented success in Australia was noted by promoters around the world, for no sooner had she wrapped up her first tour in 24 years than it was announced she would be bring her live magic back to the U.K.
It’s been a long time coming, but if the Australian tour is any indication, Martika is back and ready to pick up where she left off in Spain 1992.
Welcome back ❤️❤️❤️
#Memory Playing the B-side to “Toy Soldiers” (“Exchange of Hearts”) and getting that feeling of joy when the B-side was a cracker.
Click here To hear my most recent interview with Martika.
Martika UK tour 2017
MARCH 2017
Thursday 2nd
RHYL Pavilion
Box office: 01745 330000
Friday 3rd
LEICESTER De Montfort Hall
Box office: 0116 233 3111
Saturday 4th
STOKE The Victoria Hall
Box office: 0844 871 7649
Sunday 5th
EDINBURGH Playhouse
Box office: 0844 871
Tuesday 7th
SHREWSBURY Theatre Severn
Box office: 01743 281281
Thursday 9th
CHATHAM Central Theatre
Box office: 01634 338338
Friday 10th
MALVERN Theatres
Box office: 01684 892277
Saturday 11th
BASINGSTOKE The Anvil
Box office: 01256 844244
Sunday 12th
BIRMINGHAM Town Hall
Box office: 0121 345 0600
Monday 13th
GUILDFORD GLive
Box office: 01483 369350
Wednesday 15th
AYLESBURY The Waterside
Box office: 0844 871 7607
Thursday 16th
LONDON Indigo2
Box office: 0844 856 0202
Friday 17th
HUDDERSFIELD Town Hall
Box office: 01484 225755
Saturday 18th
NEWCASTLE City Hall
Box office: 08448 112121
http://www.newcastlecityhall.org
Sunday 19tth
LIVERPOOL Philharmonic
Box office: 0151 7054 183
