In the 1970s, Rivera had such hits as Jesucristo from Roberto Carlos, Mi Viejo (My Old Man) from Argentinian Piero and Vecino, Dame la Mano (Neighbor, Give me Your Hand) from Puertorrican actor/composer Samuel Molina. Another of his hits at those times was "Mi Pueblo" (My People). This song went so deep into the hearts of "His People" that a group of youngsters at the San Juan Airport sung "Mi Pueblo" to him on one of his arrivals from Venezuela!
Rivera sported an afro then, and he became one of the first male public figures in Puerto Rico to wear an earring. The hair and the one earing became the trademark of Danny Rivera for many years.
During the 1980s, he relocated to Cayey. In 1988, he married model Alexandra Malagon, whom he later divorced.
In 2001, Rivera was arrested and incarcerated for one month in a federal prison for trespassing on the military campgrounds at Vieques. He was one of the most outspoken and recognizable anti-military protesters at the height of national protests. His prison diary and poems were published in a book titled "Enamorado de la Paz" ("In Love with Peace") in 2002.
He has shared the stage with Julio Iglesias, Will Smith and Plácido Domingo, and he has headlined at the Madison Square Garden and Carnegie Hall in New York and the Caribe Hilton hotel in San Juan.
He received the citizenship of the Dominican Republic in a ceremony in Santo Domingo on March 13, 2008.
El Cardenalito
Danny Rivera Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A sacarle espina llegó un pajarito
Manchó su plumaje con sangre de Cristo
Y por eso es rojo, y por eso es rojo el cardenalito
Si el niño está triste, se contentará
Y si el niño llora, se consolará
La virgen lo arrulla con su dulce manto
Y un cardenalito le brinda su canto
Estando en la cruz nuestro redentor
A sacarle espina llegó un pajarito
Manchó su plumaje con sangre de Cristo
Y por eso es rojo, y por eso es rojo el cardenalito
El cardenalito cruzó el ancho mar
Cruzando fronteras llegó hasta Belén
Y le dijo al niño que aquí en Puerto Rico
Toditos los niños lo adoran también
Toditos los niños lo adoran también
Estando en la cruz nuestro redentor
Al sacar la espina llegó un pajarito
Manchó su plumaje con sangre de Cristo
Y por eso es rojo, y por eso es rojo el cardenalito
Estando en la cruz nuestro redentor
A sacarle espina llegó un pajarito
Manchó su plumaje con sangre de Cristo
Y por eso es rojo, y por eso es rojo el cardenalito
Cantaba en su jaula triste un cardenal
Cuando el preso canta, es por no llorar
Llegó un muchachito, las puertas le abrió
Y a la libertad contento voló
Y a la libertad contento voló
Estando en la cruz nuestro redentor
A sacarle espina llegó un pajarito
Manchó su plumaje con sangre de Cristo
Y por eso es rojo, y por eso es rojo el cardenalito
Estando en la cruz nuestro redentor
A sacarle espina llegó un pajarito
Manchó su plumaje con sangre de Cristo
Y por eso es rojo, y por eso es rojo el cardenalito
The song El Cardenalito tells a beautiful story rooted in religious symbolism. The lyrics describe a small bird, the cardenalito, who flew to the cross where Jesus was being crucified. As he removed a thorn from Jesus' brow, the bird's feathers became stained with the blood of Christ, and so to this day, the bird is known for its red plumage. In the first verse, the song suggests that if a child is sad or crying, the Virgin Mary will comfort them, and the bird will sing to bring them joy.
The second verse shifts the focus to Puerto Rico, the birthplace of the song's composer, Danny Rivera. The bird crossed the ocean and arrived in Bethlehem to tell baby Jesus that all the children in Puerto Rico adore him too. The song's final verse tells the story of a sad bird in a cage, who finds his freedom when a boy opens the door.
El Cardenalito is a poignant tribute to the power of faith, music, and nature to comfort us in times of trouble. The song's description of the red bird's sacrifice and its ability to bring joy to children serves as a reminder of Jesus' saving grace and the enduring power of our faith.
Line by Line Meaning
Estando en la cruz nuestro redentor
While our redeemer was on the cross
A sacarle espina llegó un pajarito
A little bird came to remove a thorn
Manchó su plumaje con sangre de Cristo
His feathers got stained with Christ's blood
Y por eso es rojo, y por eso es rojo el cardenalito
That's why the little cardinal is red, that's why it's red
Si el niño está triste, se contentará
If the child is sad, he will be happy
Y si el niño llora, se consolará
And if the child cries, he will be comforted
La virgen lo arrulla con su dulce manto
The Virgin Mary rocks him with her sweet cloak
Y un cardenalito le brinda su canto
And a little cardinal offers him his song
El cardenalito cruzó el ancho mar
The little cardinal crossed the wide sea
Cruzando fronteras llegó hasta Belén
Crossing borders, he arrived at Bethlehem
Y le dijo al niño que aquí en Puerto Rico
He told the child that here in Puerto Rico
Toditos los niños lo adoran también
All the children adore him too
Cantaba en su jaula triste un cardenal
A cardinal sang sadly in his cage
Cuando el preso canta, es por no llorar
When the prisoner sings, it's to hold back tears
Llegó un muchachito, las puertas le abrió
A little boy arrived and opened the doors
Y a la libertad contento voló
And happily flew away to freedom
Writer(s): Adelis Pastor Freites
Contributed by Caden R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.