Jerry Rivera
Jerry Rivera | |
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EMI Latin (2007) (2011–present) |
Jerry Rivera (born Gerardo Rivera Rodríguez[note 1] on July 31, 1973[1]) is a Puerto Rican salsa singer and songwriter.
Early years
Rivera was born in Humacao, a town located on the eastern coast of Puerto Rico. He moved with his family to Levittown in the town of Toa Baja, where he received his primary and secondary education. His entire family consists of musicians, including tropical recording artists Edwin Rivera [es] and younger sister Saned. Two other brothers, Ito and Jose, are professional instrumental musicians.[2] His parents, also musicians, inspired him to become a musician and as a child he would often accompany his mother Dominga, a singer, and father Edwin, a guitarist and director of Los Barones Trio, during their shows.
In 1986, when he was 14 years old, he accompanied his father who was performing at a hotel in Isla Verde, San Juan. Frankie Ruiz, who was a guest at the hotel, appeared and sang a couple of songs with them and had his picture taken alongside Rivera. In 2003, this picture was used by Rivera to make the album cover for his tribute Canto a mi Idolo... Frankie Ruiz ('I sing to my Idol... Frankie Ruiz'), who had died in 1998.[3]
Singing career
In 1988, Tommy Olivencia heard Rivera sing alongside his father and recommended that he sing solo. When Rivera was 16, his father made a demo and presented it to the CBS music department. They signed Rivera.[4]
Rivera began to be known as "El Bebé de la Salsa" (the baby of salsa) after recording his first album, Empezando A Vivir, . This project generated the hit, De La Cabeza A Los Pies ("From Head to Toe"). His second album, Abriendo Puertas ('Opening Doors'), produced the hit songs Esa Niña ('That Girl'), Dime ('Tell Me'), Nada Sin Ti ('Nothing Without You'), and Como un Milagro ('Like a Miracle') became
populations in the United States and finally across Latin America.His third album,
The introduction of Amores Como El Nuestro has been sampled twice in hip hop, first by American East Coast hip hop duo Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz, also used as the introduction for their 1997 song "Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)", and by Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean in his 2004 song "Dance Like This" from the soundtrack of Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights which would later become the worldwide number-one 2006 hit "Hips Don't Lie" by Wyclef and Colombian-singer Shakira. The introduction of "Amores Como El Nuestro" can also be heard on MTV's animated series Daria episode "Fair Enough' of its second season.
In 1993, he released Cara de Niño ('Baby Face') with ¿Qué Hay De Malo? ('What's Wrong About This?'), Cara de Niño, No Hieras Mi Vida as being major hits of the year. In 1994, as his popularity was rising, he released his first compilation album, Lo Nuevo y lo Mejor (The New and the Best), and contained the single hit Me Estoy Enloqueciendo Por Ti ('I'm Going Crazy For You'). The following year, "Magia" was released with the self-titled album and Ahora Estoy Solo (Now That I'm Alone) In 1996, Rivera released "Fresco" and Una y Mil Veces (One Thousand and One Times) and Lloraré (I Will Cry) were the album hits. Ya No Soy El Niño Aquel was released in 1997. In 1999, Rivera recorded De Otra Manera ('Another Way'), his first attempt at ballad music, which featured the bolero Ese (Him). Jerry sang the song with his father at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan.[4]
In 2000, Rivera recorded Para Siempre ('Forever'). This was his last album on
Rivera played a small role in the movie
Rivera has performed in Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras, Panama, the United States, Spain, Ecuador, Argentina, Peru, Mexico, Sweden, France, and Japan.
In 2011 he was one of the four judges for Idol Puerto Rico. (The Puerto Rican Version of American Idol).
Accident in Ecuador
On August 25, 2018, Rivera suffered a fall during a concert in Milagro, Ecuador, a city near Guayaquil. Rivera was performing on top of an elevator when it broke, causing him to fall underneath the concert's stage. He broke a quadriceps tendon on his right leg and was hospitalized at a nearby hospital.[7] He later underwent surgery in the United States.
Discography
External audio | |
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You may listen to Jerry Rivera's Cuenta Conmigo here. |
Albums
- Empezando a Vivir ('Beginning to Live') (Released: 1989) Sony Music
- Abriendo Puertas ('Opening Doors') (Released: 1990)
- Cuenta Conmigo ('Count On Me') (Released: 1992)
- Cara de Niño ('Baby Face') (Released: 1993)
- Lo Nuevo y lo Mejor ('The New and the Best') (1994)
- Magia ('Magic') (Released: 1995)
- Fresco ('Fresh') (Released: 1996)
- Ya No Soy el Niño Aquel ('I'm Not That Child Anymore') (Released: 1997)
- De Otra Manera ('In Other Ways') (Released: 1999)
- Oro Salsero ('Salsa Gold') (Released: 2000)
- Historia 1 ('History 1') (Released: 2000)
- Para Siempre ('Forever') (Released: 2000)
- Rivera('Rivera') (Released: 2001) 'also available in box set' BMG
- No Me Olvidarás ('You Won't Forget Me') (Released: 2001)
- Vuela Muy Alto ('Fly Very High') (Released: 2002)
- Canto a Mi Ídolo... Frankie Ruiz ('Singing to My Idol... Frankie Ruiz') (Released: 2003)
- Ay Mi Vida ('Oh My Life') (Released: 2005) Sony BMG
- Caribe Gardel (Released: 2007) EMI Music
- El Amor Existe ('Love Exists') (Released: 2010) VeneMusic
- Jerry Christmas (Released: 2012) Universal Latino
- Sólo para Mujeres (Released: 2014) Sony U.S. Latin
Singles
Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Latin | U.S. Latin Pop | U.S. Latin Trop
| |||
1991 | "Esa Niña" | - | - | - | Abriendo Puertas |
"Dime" | 26 | - | - | ||
"Nada Sin Ti" | - | - | - | ||
"Mas Que Tu" | 35 | - | - | ||
1992 | "Casi un Hechizo" | 22 | - | - | Cuenta Conmigo |
"Amores Como El Nuestro" | 16 | - | - | ||
"Cuenta Conmigo" | 24 | - | - | ||
1993 | "Me Estoy Enamorando" | - | - | - | |
"Una en un Millón" | 22 | - | - | ||
"Que Hay de Malo" | 4 | - | - | Cara de Niño | |
1994 | "Cara de Niño" | 14 | - | - | |
"No Hieras Mi Vida" | 11 | - | - | ||
"Dia y Noche Pienso en Ella" | 31 | - | - | ||
"Me Estoy Enloqueciendo Por Ti" | 33 | - | 2 | Lo Nuevo y Lo Mejor | |
1995 | "Magia" | 16 | - | 2 | Magia |
"Ahora Que Estoy Solo" | 23 | - | 2 | ||
1996 | "Un Amor Verdadero" | - | - | 20 | |
"Suave" | 16 | - | 1 | Fresco | |
"Loco de Amor" | 11 | 11 | 1 | ||
"Una y Mil Veces" | 23 | - | 1 | ||
1997 | "Fresco" | - | - | 7 | |
"Lloraré" | 29 | - | 7 | ||
"Te Recordaré" | - | - | 10 | ||
"Ya No Soy el Niño Aquel" | 20 | 20 | 8 | Ya No Soy el Niño Aquel | |
"El Amor Nunca Pregunta" | 27 | - | 10 | ||
"Vuela Libre" | - | - | - | ||
1998 | "Ese" | 1 | 2 | 1 | De Otra Manera |
1999 | "De Que Vale Ser un Rey" | 24 | 29 | 7 | |
"Si Tu Me Faltas" | 17 | - | 3 | ||
2000 | "Amor de Novela" | - | - | 28 | Para Siempre |
2001 | "Quiero" | 1 | 1 | 1 | Rivera |
"Muero" | 13 | 12 | 7 | ||
"No Me Olvidarás" | - | - | 18 | No Me Olvidarás | |
2002 | "Vuela Muy Alto" | 3 | 4 | 1 | Vuela Muy Alto |
2003 | "Herida Mortal" | 7 | 10 | 3 | |
"Mi Libertad" (Featuring Voltio )
|
20 | 28 | 1 | Canto a Mi Idolo...Frankie Ruiz | |
2004 | "Puerto Rico" | 48 | - | 7 | |
2005 | "Ay Mi Vida" | - | - | 4 | Ay Mi Vida |
"Rios de Dolor" | - | - | - | ||
2007 | "Cuesta Abajo" | 42 | - | 1 | Caribe Gardel |
2008 | "Yira Yira" | - | - | 25 | |
2009 | "Quien de Los Dos" | - | - | 2 | single release only |
2011 | "Solo Pienso En Ti" | 25 | - | 1 | El Amor Existe |
"Solo Con Un Beso" | 34 | - | 1 | ||
2012 | "El Amor Existe" | - | - | 2 |
De La Cabeza A Los Pies ("From Head To Feet").
See also
Notes
- Spanish name, the first or paternal surnameis Rivera and the second or maternal family name is Rodríguez.
References
- ^ "Jerry Rivera – Fundación Nacional para la Cultura Popular | San Juan, Puerto Rico". Prpop.org.
- ^ "Jerry Rivera". IMDb.
- ^ "Canto a mi Idolo". Archived from the original on October 30, 2007.
- ^ a b c d "Artists – Rivera, Jerry – Music of Puerto Rico". musicofpuertorico.com.
- ^ "Biografías – Jerry Rivera". Fundación Nacional para la Cultura Popular. Retrieved December 29, 2006.
- ^ "Jerry Rivera Biography". Puerto Rican Popular Culture (in Spanish). Retrieved July 4, 2018.
- ^ "Jerry Rivera tendrá que ser operado tras sufrir un accidente en el escenario". People en Español.
External links
- Jerry Rivera at the Music of Puerto Rico website Archived November 10, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
- Jerry Rivera's Official Website at the Library of Congress Web Archives (archived November 13, 2002)