Jenni Rivera was an American vocalist, musician, creator, altruist, representative, and performer born Dolores Janney Rivera Saavedra. The incredible voice was known for her distinct style of Banda and Ranchera music. Therefore, regarded by certain media outlets as one of the most influential performers in the development of Mexican music on the planet. She had been designated the ‘Top of the line Latin craftsman of 2013’ and the ‘Top Latin craftsman of 2013’ by the prestigious Billboard magazine. She was acknowledged for her vast commitment to the largely male-dominated kind of Banda music. Rivera released eleven studio albums over her two-decade music career. Including ‘Parrandera, Rebelde y Atrevida’ and ‘Jenni,’ which propelled her to the top of the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. She got nomination for many Latin Grammy Awards and was honored on the Las Vegas Walk of Fame for being one of Mexico’s best-selling musicians.
However, she was also noted for her work on television in addition to her singing career. She starred in the Mexican-American unscripted television shows ‘I Love Jenni,’ ‘Chiqui’s and Raq-C,’ and ‘Chiqui’s ‘n Control,’ among others. She is also popular for her charity activity. The Los Angeles City Council has designated August 6 as ‘Jenni Rivera Day’ in her honor.
Childhood & Early Life
On July 2, 1969, Dolores Janney Rivera Saavedra entered the world in Long Beach, California. Rosa Saavedra and Pedro Rivera raised their five siblings in friendly surroundings. Rivera’s relatives introduced her to the melodic form of Banda and Mexican music. She got pregnant when she was fifteen. Still, her teachers persuaded her to continue with her exams. Since they believed it would be a complete waste of her abilities if she became a nonconformist. Before working in the land industry, she attended California State University and earned a degree in business administration.
Career
- Jenni Rivera had started singing at an early age. But it was on Father’s Day in 1992 that she recorded her first album, a tribute to her father.
- Rivera believes that breaking into the predominantly male-dominated Mexican music industry is challenging. She once admitted that a Los Angeles radio software developer dumped her music CD into the trash bin because of her poor quality.
- She gave a free performance of ‘Goodbye to Selena,’ a tribute to the ‘Sovereign of Tejano Music’. Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, who was assassinated in 1995.
- She contracted with Sony Music and released her major-label debut studio album, ‘Si Quieres Verme Llorar,’ in 1999, followed by her second studio album, ‘Reyna de Reynas,’ in 2000. The volumes did not prove to be commercially successful, which must have caused Rivera a great deal of disappointment.
- ‘Que Me Entierren Con la Banda,’ her third studio album, was launched in March 2000 on Fonovisa Records. It included songs like ‘Las Malandrinas,’ which was a tribute to her adoring female followers. Finally, Rivera was promoted to her current position in the company as a result of the collection.
- ‘Dejate Amar,’ her fourth studio collection, and ‘Se las Voy a Dar an Otro,’ her fifth studio collection, were both released around the same time (2001), and both were thriving.
- Her album, ‘Parrandera, Rebelde y Atrevida,’ was launched in 2005 and ended in the top ten on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. The Recording Industry Association of America approved the album two times platinum (RIAA). It featured the well-known hit ‘De Contrabando,’ which topped Billboard’s U.S. Regional Mexican Songs chart at number one.
- In 2007, Rivera released her tenth studio album, ‘Mi Vida Loca’. It topped the Regional Mexican Albums chart and got her a Latin Billboard Music Award in 2008 for Regional Mexican Album of the Year.
- Her most notable achievement came a year later, in 2008, when she released ‘Jenni,’ her tenth studio collection. The collection earned her a few grants and was also one of her most successful business ventures. It gave her a Lo Nuestro Award for Banda Artist of the Year for the second time.
- ‘La Gran Seora,’ her studio album, was released in 2009 and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums in the U.S. It got nomination for the Latin Grammy Award for Best Ranchero Album. Rivera has also been in a few televisions’ talent shows, including ‘Jenni Rivera Presents: Chiqui’s and Raq-C,’ ‘El Show de Jenni Rivera,’ and ‘I Love Jenni.’
- She made her film debut in ‘Filly Brown,’ directed by Youssef Delara and starring Michael D. Olmos. In the movie, which won the Best Feature Film award at the 2013 Noor Iranian Film Festival, Rivera portrayed the personality of ‘Maria Tenorio.’
- Filly Brown’ was also selected for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. It was delivered after Rivera’s death, and it captured a moment of silence in her memory during the 2013 American Latino Media Arts Awards.
- Rivera not only advocated for committed females in the public light through her songs. But she also lobbied for women’s rights. In 2010, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence as a representative chose her. The Los Angeles City Council announced August 6 as ‘Jenni Rivera Day.’
Personal Life
- Jenni Rivera fell pregnant with José Trinidad Marin’s child while still in school and gave birth to their daughter, Janney Marn Rivera, at fifteen. In 1984, the couple married and had two more children, Jacqueline and Michael.
- Marin physically and verbally assaulted Rivera at times. Later, discovered through a psychological examination that their young daughter Janney had also abused by her father.
- In 1992, the pair called it quits on their marriage. Rivera eventually compiled a body of evidence against him, and her ex-husband spent nine years as a criminal before being apprehended. He got a 31-year prison term without the opportunity to appeal due to his fear.
- She married Juan López in 1997 and has two children, a son named Juan Angel and a daughter named Jenicka. In 2003, the couple divorced.
- Esteban Loaiza, a former Pittsburgh Pirates baseball player, was her third and final husband in 2010. After two years of marriage, they registered for legal separation, but it was never finalized due to Rivera’s death.