Quiero (2001) – Jerry Rivera

Puerto Rican Jerry Rivera is back again, this time with his enticing hit Quiero (I Want). Unlike his previous entries here entailing ’emblematic’ romantic Salsa music, ‘Quiero‘ is a stand alone love ballad. I find it hard not to be carried away by the lure and charm of his voice and the music which conveys this light and happiness of someone ‘in love’. Quiero has become one of Jerry Rivera’s most popular and enduring songs, and it continues to resonate with fans especially here in Latin America.
Rivera was one of the first Latin music artists who I took an immediate liking to. To this day Jerry’s music runs amok on Colombian airwaves. I feel quite nostalgic towards Quiero because it is one of the first songs (amongst the other ones that have featured here) I can remember hearing after arriving in Colombia.

A crude English translation follows of a segment of Quiero)

If my world turns into a nightmare
Suddenly you come to light up my life
You are the light that illuminates my sky
You are the love that relieves my torment
And your kisses are like the dawn of dawn
Soft and sweet like honey

I want to get tangled again
In the tender heat of your being
I want to shout from the four winds
that I fell in love
I want to feed my soul
With the desire of your skin

I want to taste your body
Like the fruit of pleasure
I want to breathe the air
that passes through your being
I want to draw my dreams
With the soft brush
Of your love (Read the remainder here)

Geraldo Rivera Rodriguez was born on July 31, 1973. Jerry is originally from Humacao, Puerto Rico, but he grew up in Levittown, near Toa Baja on the central northern coast of the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. Siblings include Saned, Edwin, Ito, and José, who all have careers in salsa (one of his brothers was with Puerto Rican Power). His parents, also musicians, inspired him to become a musician and as a child he would often accompany his mother Dominga, a singer, and father Edwin, a guitarist and director of Los Barones Trio, during their shows.

His favourite singers are Eddie Santiago (whose iconic salsa song Lluvia featured here) , Lalo Rodriguez and, in particular, Frankie Ruiz. When Jerry was 14, his father made a demo and presented it to the CBS music department. They signed Rivera. He has performed in Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras, Panama, the United States, Spain and Japan. In 2001, he released his self-titled album Jerry Rivera, which would include ballad songs for the first time in his salsa career, and Quiero (I Want) would be the only hit.

References:
1. Jerry Rivera – Wikipedia