Carlos Rivera has taken his venture into the regional Mexican genre very seriously. Five months after releasing the EP Vida as a teaser, the pop singer presents today (March 5) his studio album Vida México. In an homage to his country, his cultural identity and musical roots, the singer is accompanied by mariachi and even instrumentation from the tumbado sound, such as charchetas and tololoche.
Among the 16 songs on the LP released by Sony Music Mexico, all co-written by Rivera, the collaborations stand out. These include “Conversaciones Con Mi Almohada” with Pepe Aguilar and “Sin Despedida” with Alejandro Fernández, marking the first time these members of two of the biggest dynasties in ranchera music appear on the same album. Also featured are “Cuento de Nunca Acabar” with Ana Bárbara, “Donde Estés, Donde Estoy” with Marisela and “Recuérdame” with Natalia Lafourcade.
On Tuesday (March 4), Rivera presented this new material live at the iconic Salón Tenampa in Mexico City, a venue where the greatest stars of Mexican music have performed over the last hundred years, from Lola Beltrán and Pedro Infante to Juan Gabriel. There, his figure was added to a mural of luminaries, representing a new generation of stars of the genre.
“It’s a great responsibility as a songwriter and singer to continue bringing traditional Mexican music to the world,” the 39-year-old singer tells Billboard Español.
Rivera, who is celebrating two decades in music this year, will kick off a tour in Mexico on March 21, which will include his first performance at La Monumental Plaza La México. This will be followed by 12 dates in Spain during the summer, before continuing across Latin America and other European countries.
In an interview with Billboard, Rivera spoke in-depth about his new album, Mexican music and Bruno Mars’ recent use of mariachis.
For this album, you worked with songwriters like Luis Mexia and Ivan Gámez, who have written for Peso Pluma and Xavi, something very different from what you usually do. How was this experience for you?
It was spectacular. Many of them write corridos tumbados, but when they came to me, they said they wanted to write love songs. We ended up creating very interesting songs, combining their ideas with mine. That’s how tracks like “Vete Tranquila,” “Como Quiera Te Perdono” and “Quiero Enseñarte” came to be. Omar Robles also participated in the album; he’s very romantic and the author of hits like “El Color de Tus Ojos” by Banda MS and “Ahí Estabas Tú” by Carín León.
Each of the songs is made with Mexican sentiment. These are young people, and through them, Mexican music will continue to be preserved.
You also include three women in this production. Why these particular artists?
They are all very special. I have a great friendship with Ana Bárbara, and from the moment I wrote “Cuento de Nunca Acabar,” I definitely envisioned her singing it. Marisela is a music icon, and it’s an honor to have achieved this collaboration; “Donde Estés, Donde Estoy” was produced by Edén Muñoz, who gave it a very special touch. With Natalia, I sing something very meaningful, “Recuérdame,” the theme song from the [2017 animated] movie Coco. At the time, I sang the Spanish version, and she sang the English one.
You’re the only artist who has managed to bring Edén Muñoz and Carín León together in a song, “Alguien Me Espera en Madrid.” Now, you’ve brought Pepe Aguilar and Alejandro Fernández together in an album for the first time. How did you do this?
It happened naturally, and I want to say that with this album, I’m fulfilling my dreams and my grandmother’s dreams. She used to save money every year to attend Don Antonio Aguilar’s jaripeo because she was a big fan.
When I sent Pepe the song “Conversaciones Con Mi Almohada,” he listened to it and told me, “I’ll record this right now.” And that’s exactly what he did, even producing it himself. Alejandro and I have been friends for many years, but we had only sung together at parties. Recently, we met at the Palenque de Hermosillo, where I showed him “Sin Despedida,” and he immediately said yes.
What does Alejandro Fernández think about your venture into ranchera music?
We’ve talked a lot about it. He even told me to go for it because there’s a lack of singers who perform with mariachi. I had done it sporadically, even with Maluma on the song “Cien Años,” but I felt a personal need to fully immerse myself in the genre.
Do you see yourself singing with mariachi in the coming years?
I definitely see myself doing this. I’ll continue singing my pop repertoire, but I want to keep doing both. In fact, I’ve been mixing them in my shows, and when the mariachi comes in, it’s a magical moment — it’s crazy.
What do you think about Bruno Mars and his recent inclusion of mariachi in his music, in the song “Risk it All”?
They say that those of us who have something don’t value it as much as those who see it from afar, and that’s the case with Bruno Mars. He’s giving us a very powerful lesson.
What’s your contribution to ranchera music?
I held auditions for young musicians to include them [in the album and the tour]. They bring a fresh style to playing the guitar and vihuela because, while we follow traditional lines, we also need to evolve.
