Jenni Rivera

Jenni Rivera (July 2, 1969 – December 9, 2012) was an American singer-songwriter and entrepreneur who became one of the defining voices in banda and regional Mexican music. Raised in Long Beach, California, she recorded and released early material in the 1990s, opening her catalog with the album La Chacalosa (1995) and continuing with releases that built her reputation as a plainspoken storyteller in corridos, banda, and ranchera styles. Her breakthrough era arrived in the mid-2000s, led by Parrandera, Rebelde y Atrevida (2005), followed by widely circulated projects such as Mi Vida Loca (2007), Jenni (2008), and La Gran Señora (2009), alongside signature songs including “De Contrabando” and “No Llega el Olvido.” In 2011, she expanded her range with the two-part concept Joyas Prestadas—one set in banda arrangements (Joyas Prestadas: Banda) and another in pop stylings (Joyas Prestadas: Pop)—while also broadening her public profile through Spanish-language TV appearances and her own reality series, I Love Jenni. Rivera’s touring power and awards recognition made her a central figure for women in the genre before her death in a plane crash in 2012; several live and posthumous releases kept her work in circulation afterward.