Dolores Jenney Rivera
July 2, 1969 – December 9, 2012
Jenni Rivera was a highly regarded Mexican American singer who, over a career that began in the early ’90s, earned the moniker of “La Diva de la Banda.” Born into a musical family in Long Beach, California, Rivera began singing at an early age. In 1996, she signed with EMI/Latin Records and went on to sell over 20 million albums worldwide. Popular on both sides of the US/Mexican border, Rivera became the first female Banda artist – a genre strongly dominated by men – to sell out the Staples Center in Los Angeles. She could also easily fill larger theaters for multiple nights throughout many US and Mexican cities. Throughout her career, Rivera was nominated for a Latin Grammy three times – in 2003, 2008, and 2010. In the early morning hours of December 9, 2012, the Learjet which was taking Rivera from Monterrey, Mexico to the Mexico City area for a concert, fell off the radar. The plane vanished about ten minutes into the 3:15 a.m. flight and never reached its destination, so a search was launched at daybreak. The wreckage of the plane, which was carrying two pilots and five passengers was reportedly found several hours later with no survivors. Jenni Rivera was 43.
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Chavela Vargas was a Costa Rico-born singer who grew up to be one of the most respected singer of Mexican Rancheras the world has ever known. When she was just 14, Vargas moved to Mexico to pursue her dream of singing, but it wasn’t until 1961 that she recorded her first album, Noche de Bohemia. She spent the next 50 years making up for lost time with the release of more than 80 albums. She was immensely popular during the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, keeping company with the likes of Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Augustin Lara. Vargas more or less retired during the late ’70s, but came back to the stage strong in 1991. In 2003 – at the age of 83 – Vargas made her Carnegie Hall debut. Chavela Vargas was 93 when she passed away on August 5, 2012.
Yomo Toro was a beloved Puerto Rican musician whose prowess with the cuatro – a mandolin-type of stringed instrument – helped define the New York City Latin music scene of the ’50s and ’60s. Toro was just six when he picked up the instrument, and by 15 he was already fronting his own band. He commuted between Puerto Rico and New York City beginning in 1953, and ultimately moved there in 1957. During the ’70s, he recorded with and traveled the world as part of the legendary Salsa group, the Fania All-Stars. Fania Records is considered the finest Salsa label the world has ever known. During the ’60s and ’70s, Toro hosted his own local television program, The Yomo Toro Show. Over the course of his career, he released over 20 albums and appeared on more than 150 others. He recorded with the likes of Willie Colon, Hector Lavoe, David Byrne, Paul Simon, Harry Belafonte, and Linda Ronstadt. Yomo Toro was 78 when he died of kidney failure on June 30, 2012.
Wando was a popular Brazilian singer-songwriter who launched his career in 1969. A classically trained guitarist, he went on to release numerous albums over the next three decades. Throughout his career, his songs were recorded by several other Brazilian singers, and one even appeared in a popular Brazilian soap opera. His last album, Fêmeas was released in early 2012. On February 8, 2012, Wando died in a local hospital of heart related issues. He was 66.