Siblings include Saned, Edwin, Ito, and José, who all have careers in salsa (one of his brothers was with Puerto Rican Power). In an interview with Maria Conchita Alonso (for "Al día con Maria Conchita"), Jerry talks about how sure his father was that he would succeed.
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.
His favorite singers are Eddie Santiago, Lalo Rodriguez and, in particular, Frankie Ruiz. In 1986, when he was 13 years old, he accompanied his father who was performing at a hotel in Isla Verde, San Juan. 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.
In 1988, Tommy Olivencia heard Rivera sing alongside his father and recommended that he sing solo. When Jerry was 14, his father made a demo and presented it to the CBS music department. They signed Rivera.
With his first album, Empezando A Vivir, Jerry Rivera earned the title "El Bebé de la Salsa" (the salsa baby). This project generated the hit, De La Cabeza A Los Pies (loosely translates to "From Head To Toes").
His second album, Abriendo Puertas ('Opening Doors'), produced the hit songs Esa Niña ('That Girl'), Dime ('Tell Me') and Como un Milagro ('Like a Miracle') became number one hits first in Puerto Rico, then among the Hispanic populations in the United States and finally across Latin America.
His third album, Cuenta Conmigo ('Count on Me'), won three Platinum Record awards in the United States, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Colombia. It became the most-sold salsa album in history, a record previously held by Willie Colon,[1] and held the number-one spot in the Latin American Billboards for three consecutive months. Its hit songs included the Cuenta Conmigo, Me Estoy Enamorado ('I am in Love') and Casi Un Hechizo. The number one hit for the album was Amores Como El Nuestro (Loves Like Ours) which is considered to be the best song by Rivera. Rivera was awarded two Premio Lo Nuestro Awards for "Singer of the Year" and "Album of the Year" and Sony Records presented him with three Crystal Awards.
The introduction of Amores Como El Nuestro was sampled 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 Colombian-singer Shakira and Wyclef, too.
In 1993, he released Cara de Niño ('Baby Face') with Que Hay De Malo ('That There of Bad') and Cara de Niño as hits.
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.
In 1996, Rivera released "Fresco" and Una y Mil Veces (One Thousand and One Tries) became another hit for Rivera.
In 1999, Rivera recorded De Otra Manera ('Another Way'), which featured the bolero Ese. Jerry sang the song with his father at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan.
In 2000, Rivera recorded Para Siempre ('Forever'), and the hits were Amor de Novela, Navegándote, and Puerta Abierta. This was his album on Sony Latin records.
He has performed in Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras, Panama, the United States, Spain and Japan.
In 2001, he released his self-titled album Jerry Rivera, which would include ballad songs for the first time in his salsa career, and Quiero (I Want) would be the only hit. The year after, he recorded Vuela Muy Alto (She Flies High) which brought him a new fanbase all over Latin-America and the U.S., with the title track hit the top spot and the top 10 in many charts. The following year he released Cantando A Mi Idolo... Frankie Ruiz ('Singing To My Idol... Frankie Ruiz'), a tribute album to one of his idol Frankie Ruiz. The album ganer him a Latin Grammy nominatation and his hit was Ruiz's Mi Libertad featuring Voltio.
Rivera played a small role in the movie I Like It Like That and will appear as himself in a Latin American soap opera titled Mi destino eres tu ('You are my destiny') slated to air on Univision in the US during on November 2005. Rivera has also appeared in various Banco Popular de Puerto Rico productions, including Al Compas de un Sentimiento (dedicated to the late Puerto Rican composer Pedro Flores) and Con la musica por Dentro. Amores Como El Nuestro and Magia is another of his hit songs.
Discography
Empezando a Vivir (Beginning to Live) (1989)
Abriendo Puertas (Opening Doors) (1991)
Cuenta Conmigo (Count On Me) (1992)
Cara de Niño (Baby Face) (1993)
Jerry Rivera: Lo Nuevo Y Lo Mejor (Jerry Rivera: The New and the Best)
Magia (Magic) (1995)
Fresco (album) (Fresh) (1996)
Ya No Soy El Niño Aquel(I'm Not That Child Anymore) (1997)
De Otra Manera (In Other Words) (1998)
Oro Salsero (Salsa Gold) (2000)
Historia 1 (History 1) (2000)
Para Siempre (Forever) (2000)
Jerry Rivera (Rivera) (2001)
No Me Olvidaras (You Won't Forget Me) (2001)
Vuela Muy Alto (Fly Very High) (2002)
Cantando A Mi Idolo... Frankie Ruiz (Singing To My Idol... Frankie Ruiz) (2003)
Ay Mi Vida (Oh My Life) (2005)
20 Exitos Originales (20 originals) (2007)
Official Website
http://www.jerryrivera.com/
Chiquilla
Jerry Rivera Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chiquilla tan sencilla why tan sutil
Has despertado en mi, los deseos de vivir
Pues muerto estaba yo why tu me has hecho revivir
Chiquilla que romantico es sentir
Chiquilla tu corazon latir
Es una sensacion inigualable
Chiquilla tu eres la luz que me ilumina
Tienes esa fuerza que domina
Todos los sentidos de mi vida
Chiquilla tu eres el faro que me guia
Quiero estar contigo noche why dia
Why quiero que sepas vida mia
Que si me dejaras moriria
Chiquilla, chiquilla
The song starts with the singer declaring that the girl is everything to him. He describes her as simple and subtle, but that she has awakened his desire to live. The singer confesses that he was dead inside before meeting her and that she has revived him. He finds it romantic to feel her heart beating and describes it as an unbeatable sensation. He promises that nothing will stop him from loving her.
The chorus emphasizes just how important the girl is to the singer. He describes her as the light that illuminates his life, a guiding lighthouse that dominates all his senses. He declares that he wants to be with her night and day and that if she ever left him, he would die.
Overall, the song portrays the intense emotions that come with falling in love. The lyrics describe the girl as a life-changing force that ignites passion and brings meaning to the singer's existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Chiquilla tu eres todo para mi
My dear, you are everything to me
Chiquilla tan sencilla why tan sutil
You are so simple and subtle, my darling
Has despertado en mi, los deseos de vivir
You have awakened the desires to live within me
Pues muerto estaba yo why tu me has hecho revivir
Because I was dead inside, but you have brought me back to life
Chiquilla que romantico es sentir
It's so romantic to feel, my dear
Chiquilla tu corazon latir
Your heart beating, my darling
Es una sensacion inigualable
It's an incomparable feeling
Why nada impedira que yo te ame
And nothing will stop me from loving you
Chiquilla tu eres la luz que me ilumina
My darling, you are the light that illuminates me
Tienes esa fuerza que domina
You have that strength that dominates
Todos los sentidos de mi vida
All the senses of my life
Chiquilla tu eres el faro que me guia
You are the lighthouse that guides me, my dear
Quiero estar contigo noche why dia
I want to be with you day and night
Why quiero que sepas vida mia
And my dearest, I want you to know
Que si me dejaras moriria
That if you were to leave me, I would die
Chiquilla, chiquilla
My darling, my darling
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: QUINONES, SOTTO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cristobal Montalvo
El dia que un cantante de estos de ahora haga un álbum tan perfecto como este podemos recuperar la fe en la música.
Camilo Andres Cervera Tellez
El mejor álbum de Jerry Rivera de este álbum me acuerdo que 5 canciones pegaron fuerte aquí en Ibagué Colombia cuando estaba pequeño como Casi un hechizo, Cuenta conmigo, Amores como el nuestro, Me estoy enamorando y A ti mi nena.
Yamo Heza
De este disco pegaron todas las canciones. Al menos en mi país. Y sé que en otros también Y eso es algo que muy pocos artistas pueden decir. El disco más vendido de la historia de la salsa. Certificado.
Aneudi Hidalgo
Cuenta Conmigo una de las mejores producciones del genero salsero.
abelino ortiz
Lo mejor de la salsa, y los recuerdos de la juventud.
Eliseo Quintanilla
la verdad que vivir de la nostalgia no se puede pero es imposible no recordar cada momento cuando de Joven cometía tantas cosas locas y sobre todo recordando esta música enamorado de cuanta chica se aparecía una fantasía imposible de olvidar y de dejar de recordar gracias Jerry por estos momentos que vivimos juntos tu en tu mundo yo en el mío pero gracias por que aun ahora los recuerdo!!! saludos desde el Salvador....
Ruth Elena Fory Hurtado
Que voz y esas canciones me remontan a mi adolescencia por cierto bella época ahh
durlione ramalho
A mi también. Que precioso!
armando david zavala
hermosa canción .. has despertado en mí los deseos de vivir.. pues muerto estaba yo y tu me has hecho revivir... chiquillaa que romántico es sentir. . chiquilla tu corazón latir
nina cardenas
espectacular mi jerry amo tus canciones todas.