RIVVAA: A New Generational Voice For Latinos

Reggaeton plays a significant role in Mexican culture. The country is one huge market for this genre’s international stars.

But in the local aspect, their reggaeton artist barely gets to break internationally. One artist who seems to be getting the correct formula is RIVVAA.

Posting on social media to grow his audience, this artist shows what Mexico has in store.

Reggaeton Origins

This genre was born as an underground phenomenon in the lowest parts of the community between Puerto Rico and Panama.

Until it truly arose by the year 2000. Songs that became fashionable overnight, the rhythm touched many diverse audiences.

In the beginning, the genre was a mix between reggae and hip-hop. The difference is that reggaeton added what is known as dem bow: repetitive and hypnotic rhythm.

Who is RIVVAA?

“When I started in music I thought about what name to put myself and I was a big fan of hip-hop music from the United States. My name translated in English is River and so basically my friends in California told me the name short version and they said it as ‘Riva’.”

Born in California, known as Rio P.H is a 22-year-old singer from immigrant parents. Both of them met in the United States his father being of Mexican descent and his mother of Philipino descent.

RIVVAA is an independent artist hoping to make it into the big leagues. Creating since the beginning rap style of music.

But his catalog is mostly hip-hop but lately has become more interested in playing the fields in his music. And has touched the world of reggaeton.

“And I still don’t know why when I registered my name I put two V’s and two A’s”, told HypeFresh

His Music Speaks For Itself

“The art of sound is shared when it is listened to, but it is also important that this moment of the creation of the art is cool that it is shared as well.”

Although RIVVAA has released plenty of songs, two of these stands, Rolita Bipolar, and Tutto Bene, to be on the honest side I never heard of this artist called RIVVAA, until I saw a TikTok he posted of Rolita Bipolar being labeled as Mexican Reggaeton.

“When I was making this song (Rolita Bipolar) I really like the beats. It also changes what the speed is and I hadn’t seen that before apart from the fact that it changes 3 times the bpm it also changes the genre from a melodic rap to a trap and then at the end a bit of reggaeton”, said RIVVAA.

“Since I was a child, my mom and dad always listened to a lot of music around me, in which that passion that I have for music was born”, said the artist.

His other recent song ‘Tutto Bene’ brings to life a different kind of Reggaeton. But still adding the classic beat. ‘Tutto Benne’ meaning ‘all is good’ in Italian. The song shows that it doesn’t matter who you are and how you look anyone can do “perreo”.

The artist also tries to bring awareness to social issues in his work, for example, in one of the music videos for his song ‘De Ley’. Where at the beginning “No Promovemos la violencia, este mundo necesita más amor.”

Which means ‘We don’t promote violence, this world needs more love’. Moreover, in Mexico, violence has an alarming rate of violence.

Inscribe at the Central Registry of the Ministry of Justice reported a rise in gendered violence in 2021 whereas going up to 30,141 approx women who suffer. Which is 3.2% more than in 2020.

And although RIVVAA is new to the industry he has a word of advice for an independent artist on the rise:

“That it is not all against all or it is not always about being alone. I realized that it is imperative to collaborate and create collective ideas with other artists. It’s not because you can’t make good art alone, but that getting ideas together and collaborating with other people you respect is a beautiful thing”, said RIVVAA for HypeFresh.

Go Follow RIVVA on:

Instagram: @okrivvaa

Spotify: RIVVAA