Jenni Rivera Essay

Music icons that speak to my soul and still continuing to inspire me; are Jenni Rivera Mexican-American singer, American singer-songwriter and dancer Michael Jackson. The qualities of these singers which make them appealing to me include; their unique voices, powerful lyrics, and music. These are artist to me are consider legendary for their hard ethic music work.

Jenni Rivera is well known for “La Diva De la Banda” meaning “Queen of the Band”. Her music is Banda and Norteña Music with a mix of Mariachi. Several media outlets such as, Billboard, CNN, and Fox News, just to name a few, have labeled her the most important female figure and top selling artist in the Mexican music genre. Jenni Rivera began recording music in 1992, her music is

about social issues, infidelity, and relationships. Rivera received twenty-two Billboards Latin music awards. she is the best-selling regional music artist; selling more than 20 million records worldwide.

Aside from her music, Jenni Rivera was involved in her community. She dedicated her time in civic causes The National Coalition Against Domestic violence. She was recognized for her involvement and charity work in the community, Los Angeles city council gave her a proclamation naming August 6 as a “Jenni Rivera Day”. She was the first female Banda artist to sell out The Gibson Amphitheater in Los Angeles, California in 2006 (Bastidas 2), and the first Latin artist to sell out The Nokia Theatre in 2009 (Bastidas 2) and the first female regional Mexican artist to headline the Staples Center in 2011(Bastidas 2).After her sudden death in December 2012, along with her team the plane crashed into Mexico (Milliot, 1), while fans, family, mourning her death she still became the most top selling artist in the regional music. Rivera would put her life on stage; she laughed, she cried, and she also interacted with her fans through their emails,

letters, and stories. She gave her fans a concert they would not forget, she gave her heart on stage and that is why her fans loved her. She was single mother of five which lead her to provide for her children that is why she wanted to pursue her dreams in becoming a music artist. Without any help from men in her life, Rivera managed to push and strive for her children. Her unique voice is what attracted me to become her fan although I never got see her in concert, I feel like her soul lives. My emotions suddenly disappear when I listen to her music. I can think thoroughly and not let anyone get to me. One of her line lyrics that I love is from her song “Mariposa del Barrio”, “Aqu estoy vengo desde muy lejos el camino fue negro pero al fin ya triunfe” meaning “Here I’am I came from a dark long road and I finally succeed” this line lyric of hers means a lot to me as for her too, she come from the bottom and she succeed all the way the top. And as for me I still need a long way to become what I what to be, but I know the sacrifices that I’m making are going to pay off as I go.
The “King of Pop”, Michael Jackson he was one of the most popular entertainers in the world in the early and mid-1980s (Vincent 1), and was the best-selling music artist at the time of his death.

The night of May 16, 1983, almost 50 million people watched one of the most spectacular performance on television (Scott 1). Jackson won 40 Billboard music awards (Scott 1). His lyrics are powerful he also talks about social causes, human race, and relationships. He inspired millions of people with the music he wrote. Since I was a little girl I listened to his music couple of my favorite songs are “Bad”, “Dirty Diana”, Make that Change”, “You are not alone”, “Billie Jean” “Smooth Criminal”. These songs where inspiring to me growing up to this day I listen to him. My siblings and me loved his movie called “The Moonwalker,” It’s about his music career when he was five years old till he went solo as an artist at the age of thirteen. I would watch his movie repeatedly. My sisters and me would try to follow his dance moves but we were always unsuccessful it was a great memory growing up. I loved the part when he turns himself into a bunny as a little girl I thought that was awesome. I would think I had magic And, I remember telling my mom “I wanted to be like Michael Jackson because he has powers” my mother would just laugh. One of his quotes from his lyrics that is powerful to me is “If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, then make that change,” this

quote comes from the song “Man in the Mirror.” This quote is straight forward because we live in a world full of hate and if we want to change the world, the change starts within ourselves. Aside from music Michael Jackson created his own 2,700-acre Mini-Disneyland amusement park, that features a three-story Tudor style house in Santa Y’nez Valley an hour away from Santa Barbara, California. It’s The park would be open for 24-hours a day; it contained a library, one room is filled with dozens of dolls, and another with toys and games, coloring books and crayons, toy trucks and cars, and spaceships. This amusement park had a bit of everything. Jackson created this place because he missed his childhood. His music life started when he was just five and didn’t have time to play like a normal child. Michael Jackson once told an interviewer “When I was little it was always work, work, work, form one concert to the next”. (Scott 20). There was no doubt Michael Jackson had brought such joy to millions of kids that is why I admire his music and the love he has for children.