By Jorge I. Pérez |
Miami (EFE).- “Mission Accomplished”, the posthumous album by the American singer, actress, composer, and producer of Mexican origin Jenni Rivera (1969-2012), honors her beginnings as a banda singer in Sinaloa (Mexico) with all his “stage presence and energy,” three of his children told EFE.
Of the 16 songs on the album released this Friday, nine are songs that he recorded and come to light for the first time.
“I think this record is much more like how she was heard on stage with her Banda La Divina, which was from Mazatlán, Sinaloa, so I feel that the sound suited them very well,” Johnny López, one of of the five children of the artist.
The album, whose cover features several photographs from different periods in the life of Jenni Rivera, one of the most important female figures in the Regional Mexican genre, is produced by the founder and leader of La Banda MS, Sergio Lizárraga, and the musician Pavel Ocampo.
“Yes, they were very reserved until now and thank God we chose Sergio Lizárraga to produce the album and, the truth is, he took it to a high level like those songs deserve”, affirms Johnny.
The son of “La Diva de la Banda” highlights songs like “Aparentemente bien”, “Motivos” and “Engañémoslo”.
A posthumous album with the essence of Jenni Rivera
“On the album there are completely new songs -he says- that were left in my mother’s files. When an artist leaves music recorded, the essence of him can very easily be disconnected, but I feel that we managed to capture the essence of my mother very well, not only in the voice and in the music, but in the whole concept of the record ”.
As Jacqie Rivera told EFE, the concept of this album is to honor the beginnings of her mother in a Sinaloan band.
The album begins shipping this Friday along with a video for “Pedacito de mí,” a song written by Jenni Rivera that was “saved” and “completed” by her children for this album.
“Fans had known for years that this song already existed, but they didn’t know that my mom recorded it, and I didn’t know either,” Johnny confesses. This song was written for him when he was 7 years old, he noted.
“Being with you would make me so happy / you are my angel, my gift, my life…”, says a part of the text that reveals the feelings of a mother.
“Being an artist was not in his plans”
“We chose that song because my mom always said that she never thought to be in this place. Being an artist was not in her plans. The song was written for him (Johnny) and he chose that the three sisters could complete it with our mother, ”adds Jacqie during a promotion for the album in Miami with her brothers Johnny and Jenicka.
“It was my first time, I didn’t go to school to do this, it was more out of faith and love for our mom. On the record there are many moments in which you can feel that she took part, that she is very present in the harmonies”, Jacqie pointed out.
She highlights the song “The one who is in your place today”, for being “very festive”, while Jenicka bets on “Pedacito de mí”.
In a statement, Chiquis Rivera, also Jenni’s daughter, stressed that for the children it was an “honor” to help their mother, who “sacrificed so much.” “We were finally able to finish this project that his fans have been waiting so patiently for,” she added.
Tragedy in 2014
The strength of Jenni Rivera, born in Long Beach, California (USA) in 1969 and who died in a plane crash in Mexico in 2012, can also be found on the album cover, according to her daughter Jacqie.
“That stage presence is felt more on the cover. We wanted to put a summary of his artistic career, its beginnings and the end. I think it’s a very strong cover because she’s like praying and you can feel it,” she noted.
“I feel that my mom deserves quality. I also think it’s better for (the record) to be released closer to her birthday (July 2) than the day she left,” Johnny comments.
“As children, it means completing a project. She sacrificed her entire life to get us through and now we can complete this work for her fans. She also feels that we heal a lot internally during the whole process, ”summed up Jacquie.