In a musical genre that is dominated by both men and masculine-driven paradigms, Mexican-American Music Diva Jenni Rivera is breaking new ground and taking millions of female fans along for the ride.
A few weeks ago, in my Yoga blog, I wrote about a fantastic all-female Mariachi band I had seen in Taos called Buena Ventura and the great line-up of female artists spreading that powerful feminine energy through their music at Lilith Fair. Well last night, I had the pleasure of meeting and experiencing the dynamic musical force know as Jenni Rivera. To a sold-out house of nearly 80% Latino women (Nokia Live Concert Hall, Los Angeles), and backed by an 18 piece big band PLUS a 10 piece Mariachi band, she rocked the house. The audience was right there with her – singing along and clearly identifying with her justifiably outspoken lyrics that would put any womanizing, weak or disrespectful male right in his place.
But Jenny is not just doing it all for show. Her story is real (an ex-husband who sexually abused their children and escaped the law), more common than we are willing to believe and something she feels needs to be told. It is a bold move for a female artist in any genre, but seems particularly rare in Latin Pop Music culture. Jenni is telling her stories for the many women and abused children who have been long been suppressed or simply afraid to tell their own. The fearless candor of Jenny’s lyrics, along with her empowering presence, her unstoppable passion and her incredible voice and performance skills, is building a following of millions, especially women. I would have had to be deaf and blind not to recognize the talent and force in front of me, or feel the power of the collective feminine force all around me. It was a beautiful experience to behold and I expect to hear a lot more about Jenni and a whole new generation of Latin female artists she is likely to inspire.
Despite my being previously in the dark about Jenni Rivera, she is no newcomer to the Latin Music lovers. With the release of her tenth studio album, Jenni (2008), Rivera became the first artist in the history of Billboard Latino to have all of her albums debut at number one on theU.S. Top Latin Albums chart. Rivera has since released a new album titled “La Gran Señora”, her first completely Mariachi album.
