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/
Vuela Muy Alto
Jerry Rivera Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lo que has podido
Y a veces nos engaña el corazón
Por un capricho
Este no era el lugar
Y nuestro destino
Mejor no ser amantes
Y tan sólo ser amigos
No hay quien pueda contar
Las piedras en un río
Ni la arena del mar
Ni lo que yo he perdido
Si un día fuiste aquella
La dueña de mi alma
Hoy tengo que ser fuerte
Y dejar que tú te vayas
Aunque me arranques la piel
Vuela muy alto, no te detendré
Y cada quien que tome su camino
Aunque me arranques la piel
Vuela muy lejos
Dios sabe por qué, por qué
Nos despedimos por tu bien y el mío
Y si te digo adiós
No es porque quiera
Te dejo ser feliz
Aunque muera de pena
Aquí no hay pecadores
Ni hay delito
No era tu obligación amarme
Te lo he dicho
Gracias por tanto y todo
Te llevaré muy dentro
Tú has sido lo mejor
Y yo de nada me arrepiento, eh
Aunque me arranques la piel
Vuela muy alto
No te detendré
Y cada quien que tome su camino
Aunque me arranques la piel
Vuela muy lejos
Dios sabe por qué, por qué
Nos despedimos por tu bien y el mío, uoh
Y si te digo adiós
No es porque quiera
Te dejo ser feliz
Aunque muera de pena
Adiós adiós
Y que te vaya bien
Adiós adiós
Y que te vaya bien
A mí me quedan esos días para recordar
Adiós adiós te vas
Adiós adiós
Y que te vaya bien
Es duro yo lo sé
Y aunque no siento más
Si que ambos lo intentamos
Lo que hicimos
Y aquí estamos
Dejándonos en un adiós la vida, ieh
Aunque me arranques la piel
Vuela muy alto
No te detendré
Y cada quien que tome su camino
Aunque me arranques la piel
Vuela muy lejos
Dios sabe por qué, por qué
Nos despedimos por tu bien y el mío, uoh
Y si te digo adiós
No es porque quiera
Te dejo ser feliz
Aunque muera de pena
Adiós adiós
Y que te vaya bien
Que te vaya bien
In "Vuela Muy Alto," Jerry Rivera is singing about the end of a romantic relationship but also the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. He starts by acknowledging that they both gave their best effort and sometimes, our hearts deceive us into thinking we want something that isn't meant to be. He suggests that their destiny was not to be lovers, but to remain friends. Despite the pain of letting go, he encourages his former partner to pursue their dreams and fly high, even if it means leaving him behind. The chorus repeats the idea that he will not hold them back from their path, and they must each go their separate ways. Despite the sadness and heartache, he wishes them well and hopes they find happiness.
Throughout the song, Rivera is grappling with conflicting emotions - he is struggling to come to terms with the end of the relationship, but he also realizes that it's for the best. He acknowledges that there was no wrongdoing in their parting ways and that his former partner was never obligated to love him. He expresses gratitude for their time together and cherishes the memories they made, even though it's time to say goodbye.
"Vuela Muy Alto" is a melancholic ballad that perfectly captures the bittersweet feeling of letting go of someone you love for their own good. It's a poignant reminder that sometimes, the most loving thing you can do is to set someone free.
Line by Line Meaning
Sé que has dado de ti
I know you have given your best
Lo que has podido
What you could
Y a veces nos engaña el corazón
And sometimes the heart deceives us
Por un capricho
By a whim
Este no era el lugar
This was not the place
Y nuestro destino
And our destiny
Mejor no ser amantes
Better not to be lovers
Y tan sólo ser amigos
And just be friends
No hay quien pueda contar
No one can count
Las piedras en un río
The stones in a river
Ni la arena del mar
Nor the sand of the sea
Ni lo que yo he perdido
Nor what I have lost
Si un día fuiste aquella
If one day you were that
La dueña de mi alma
The owner of my soul
Hoy tengo que ser fuerte
Today I have to be strong
Y dejar que tú te vayas
And let you go
Aunque me arranques la piel
Even if you tear my skin off
Vuela muy alto, no te detendré
Fly very high, I won't stop you
Y cada quien que tome su camino
And each take their own path
Dios sabe por qué, por qué
God knows why, why
Nos despedimos por tu bien y el mío
We say goodbye for your sake and mine
Y si te digo adiós
And if I say goodbye to you
No es porque quiera
It's not because I want to
Te dejo ser feliz
I let you be happy
Aunque muera de pena
Even if it kills me
Aquí no hay pecadores
Here there are no sinners
Ni hay delito
Nor is there guilt
No era tu obligación amarme
It wasn't your obligation to love me
Te lo he dicho
I've told you
Gracias por tanto y todo
Thank you for everything and more
Te llevaré muy dentro
I will carry you deep inside
Tú has sido lo mejor
You have been the best
Y yo de nada me arrepiento, eh
And I regret nothing, huh
Adiós adiós
Goodbye goodbye
Y que te vaya bien
And may you fare well
A mí me quedan esos días para recordar
Those days remain for me to remember
Es duro yo lo sé
It's hard, I know it
Y aunque no siento más
And though I don't feel anymore
Si que ambos lo intentamos
We did try
Lo que hicimos
What we did
Y aquí estamos
And here we are
Dejándonos en un adiós la vida, ieh
Leaving our lives in a goodbye, yeah
Que te vaya bien
May you fare well
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: F Estefano Salgado
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind