Remembering Jenni Rivera

Jenny Dolores Rivera Saavedra (July 2, 1969 - December 9, 2012)
Rivera died in a plane crash near Iturbide, Nuevo León, Mexico, on December 9, 2012.

In the '90s, vocalist/songwriter Jenni Rivera established herself as a major star in the regional Mexican market. Rivera's specialty is banda, which is also known as corrido, and is one of the various Mexican styles that is extremely popular in Mexico as well as the southwestern part of the United States. Rivera is well aware of other Mexican styles, such as norteño, tejano, mariachi, and ranchero; in fact, the Mexican-American singer has recorded norteño versions of some songs, but banda/corrido is her main focus. And the fact that Rivera is a major female star makes her a rarity for the banda/corrido field. While Mexican music has had plenty of famous female artists over the years -- everyone from Rocio Durcal to Lola Beltrán to Selena to the controversial Gloria Trevi -- banda has tended to be male-dominated. In the Mexican market, Rivera has been given such titles as "La Diva de la Banda" and "la Primera Dama del Corrido."

Geena The Latina talks about the loss of Jenni Rivera on Fox 5