Moa Rivera throws down the “Old Lady” salsero

Moa Rivera has not stopped working since last year, creating a sensation in tropical salsa music, a transition that is not strange to her thanks to her father, the famous salsa singer Jerry Rivera.

He is already winning awards, both as a singer and composer, has his own band that accompanies him on stage and tomorrow, Sunday, he will prove himself in a big way in front of the demanding Puerto Rican salsero audience when he takes part in the national competition. Zalsa Day in its 40th edition.

There his father will be honored and receive the Estrella Award for his contribution and legacy to the salsa genre throughout his three-decade career as a soloist.

Taking advantage of his great moment in 2024, Moa continues to present new projects and has not stopped loudly defending the new urban salsero guys who are making their way in these times.

In every space and opportunity given to him in interviews in the media, he has been consistent that the “news”, as they call themselves, have come to contribute to the growth of this type of music, although some veteran salseros, as he points out, do not like them and want to take them away. Step and open the doors.

Moa released his new song titled “Contact” on March 1 through his music platforms and social media networks. The song is framed by so-called urban salsa and composed by Norge Noriega Montes.

“Contact” tells the story of the fortuitous relationship between a young couple who live a night full of laughter and kisses. The plot takes an unexpected turn when the protagonist desperately searches for the mysterious girl, having forgotten to ask her for her contact number. Through the production of a music video, this story is presented visually with surprising elements. The video is now available on major music platforms.

Rivera is out these days, ahead of the National Day, going “full force” against a good group of old school students, whom he accuses of not adapting to the new era and living between jealousy and ego conflict.

At 30 years old, Rivera is barely emerging from her shell as the new salsa singer (2022). During an interview on the weekly and evening radio program “La manada de la Zeta” led by Pepe Maldonado, Aniel Rosario and Marcos Rodríguez “El Cacique” over the Z-93 radio waves, Rivera reacted and appeared to be hit by a thorn. When asked about the collaborations the Salsero did with each other in the 80s and 90s.

“In the 80s and 90s that never happened. Now I have a song to be released and it's: Luis Figueroa, Cristian Alicia, Luis Vazquez and me. The four of us will work on the theme and collaborate together, because I want the kids to follow it,” he said.

Together with Rivera, the three young salseros mentioned above lead the so-called urban salsa in Puerto Rico.

“It's not like in the 80s, when the salseros envied each other and contributed to each other's crush. They sabotaged each other on stages. Look, those times are over. We are in a modern era where we have all these platforms (and social networks) and contribute “In it, we give each other the lead (among those new platforms). This envy among salseros, which no longer exists. “Although there is envy everywhere,” said Rivera, who composed his first song when he was 16 and had it recorded by his father. “At work, but things have changed, the game has changed.”

In 2023, Rivera made his debut in Puerto Rico and with his own orchestra performed his new song “Nubes” at Eco's Sports Park in Hato Rey. There he sang about 10 songs, including his first two records, “Tocandobottom” and “The Movie.”

Through music platforms and on the YouTube channel, Moa's name has already become known in countries such as Colombia, Venezuela and Panama, among others, as well as in Puerto Rico. They have hundreds of thousands of followers.

“I support the kids, I scheduled them here (on the program) and it doesn't cost me anything to do it. But generally in the old version, they didn't support each other and it was competitive (all the time),” Rivera said.

Cacique brought him the case and the example of this through comments on his social networks, Rivera recently confronted an old salsero, one of the classics, who criticized him harshly.

“Music evolves and it's not that you have to change the sauce. If you listen to my music… look at me, people ask me, what does your music sound like, is it tropical salsa, is it danceable salsa, is it romantic…? Well, I say that My sauce is Moa. Some of the old salseros don't understand why they're not businessmen and some of them… some of the old salseros keep saying that these new generation don't propose anything, don't contribute anything. Well, I don't know, but I have my offers Presentation in South America. I have 15 million streams, I don't know about you. The arrogance of some old lady salseros bothers me. They say, 'Look, dad, you don't have anything to suggest,'” said Rivera, who was clearly a group of “old lady” salseros. Whom he respects and admires: “I…no, well, ask the fans.”

Moa, whose first name is Gerardo, lived the first 12 years of his life in Puerto Rico and then went to live in the United States, where he came into contact with musical currents such as hip-hop, R&B, reggaeton, and the so-called movement and urban culture. – African American youth music. He earned a bachelor's degree in film production from Full Sail University in Florida and also graduated from Culinary Arts at Le Cordon Bleu. In addition, he is a regular visitor to the gym and practices martial arts.