Julissa (singer)
Encyclopedia
Julissa Arce Rivera commonly known simply as Julissa, is a Puerto Rican
Christian
singer.
, to Puerto Rican parents. She was the oldest of four siblings. Julissa debuted as a singer when she was twelve, with the choir
of her church. At 16, she started singing professionally with a local group called Generación Escogida. With them, she recorded several albums. During recordings, she met musician, songwriter, and producer Mike Rivera. They married on November 29, 1997 and moved to Dorado, Puerto Rico
. Julissa and Mike have three children: John Michael, Alyrah, and Jayden.
Under her own label, Firmeza Music, Julissa releases her first solo album titled Regresará Por Mí
in 1998. The album was produced, arranged, and recorded by her husband, Mike. The album received a Tu Música Award for Best Christian Album, and a Tito Lara Award
for Album of the Year. It was also nominated for two Viva Awards in Guatemala
for International Album of the Year and International Singer of the Year. Julissa then toured Latin America
with pastor Yiye Avila
as part of his crusade.
Julissa's second album was a Christmas album titled Nació En Mi Corazón, which was recorded during her first pregnancy. After this, she and her husband relocated to Miami
, Florida
. During the following years, she worked on several projects like her first live album (Admisión General) released in 2002, and Duetos, an album featuring duets with known Christian singers like Roberto Orellana, René González, and others.
In 2006, Julissa becomes the first Puerto Rican to be nominated for a Dove Award for her album Mi Propósito
. That same year, she released her ninth album titled Inolvidable, which features contemporary renditions of classic hymns. She also started hosting a weekly show called Espíritu Latino on Gospel Music Channel
.
In 2007, Julissa released the album El Ritmo de la Vida
, which was accompanied by a book written by her. The album gave Julissa her second Dove Award nomination. Two years later, she was nominated again for the album Adorándote
.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
singer.
Biography
Julissa was born in Chicago, IllinoisIllinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, to Puerto Rican parents. She was the oldest of four siblings. Julissa debuted as a singer when she was twelve, with the choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
of her church. At 16, she started singing professionally with a local group called Generación Escogida. With them, she recorded several albums. During recordings, she met musician, songwriter, and producer Mike Rivera. They married on November 29, 1997 and moved to Dorado, Puerto Rico
Dorado, Puerto Rico
Dorado is a small tourist town in the northern coast of Puerto Rico, west of San Juan and is located in the northern region of the island, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Toa Alta, east of Vega Alta, and west of Toa Baja. Dorado is spread over five barrios and Dorado Pueblo...
. Julissa and Mike have three children: John Michael, Alyrah, and Jayden.
Under her own label, Firmeza Music, Julissa releases her first solo album titled Regresará Por Mí
Regresará Por Mí
Regresará Por Mí is the debut album from Puerto Rican Christian singer Julissa It was released on 1998 through Cross Movement Records.-Track listing:All songs written by Mike Rivera, except where noted.# "Regresara por Mi" - 4:02...
in 1998. The album was produced, arranged, and recorded by her husband, Mike. The album received a Tu Música Award for Best Christian Album, and a Tito Lara Award
Tito Lara
Tito Lara , was considered by many to be Puerto Rico's first television singing idol.-Early years:Born as Agustín Enrique Lara Olivencia in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, Lara was raised by his maternal grandmother and received primary education in Santurce. During his spare time, he taught himself to...
for Album of the Year. It was also nominated for two Viva Awards in Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
for International Album of the Year and International Singer of the Year. Julissa then toured Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
with pastor Yiye Avila
Yiye Avila
Jose Joaquin Avila , better known as Yiye Avila, is one of the most famous and respected evangelists in Latin America and a former [Mr. America].-Early life:...
as part of his crusade.
Julissa's second album was a Christmas album titled Nació En Mi Corazón, which was recorded during her first pregnancy. After this, she and her husband relocated to Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. During the following years, she worked on several projects like her first live album (Admisión General) released in 2002, and Duetos, an album featuring duets with known Christian singers like Roberto Orellana, René González, and others.
In 2006, Julissa becomes the first Puerto Rican to be nominated for a Dove Award for her album Mi Propósito
Mi Propósito
Mi Propósito is an album from Puerto Rican Christian singer Julissa. It was released on 2005.-Track listing:# "Te alabo Señor" - 4:14# "Cada dia" - 3:34# "Coronado de Gloria" - 3:58# "Glorificado" - 3:59# "Llenas mi ser" - 4:15...
. That same year, she released her ninth album titled Inolvidable, which features contemporary renditions of classic hymns. She also started hosting a weekly show called Espíritu Latino on Gospel Music Channel
Gospel Music Channel
gmc is an American satellite and cable television channel, known from its 2004 launch until February 1, 2010 as Gospel Music Channel. It is also available in high-definition as a separate channel called gmcHD ....
.
In 2007, Julissa released the album El Ritmo de la Vida
El Ritmo de la Vida
El Ritmo de la Vida is an album from Puerto Rican Christian singer Julissa It was released on August 14, 2007.-Track listing:# "El Ritmo de la Vida" - 4:34# "Mi Plegaria" - 4:08# "Tu Amor" - 4:00# "Pegada a Ti" - 4:21# "Su Mirada de Amor" - 4:01...
, which was accompanied by a book written by her. The album gave Julissa her second Dove Award nomination. Two years later, she was nominated again for the album Adorándote
Adorándote
Adorándote: Un Tiempo a Solas Con El is an album from Puerto Rican Christian singer Julissa It was released on May 19, 2009.-Track listing:# "Escucharte Hablar" – 5:02# "Tu Mirada" – 4:37# "Gloria" – 4:22...
.
Discography
- Regresara Por MíRegresará Por MíRegresará Por Mí is the debut album from Puerto Rican Christian singer Julissa It was released on 1998 through Cross Movement Records.-Track listing:All songs written by Mike Rivera, except where noted.# "Regresara por Mi" - 4:02...
(1998) - Nació En Mi Corazón (1999)
- En las Alas del Amor (2000)
- Admisión General (2002)
- Corazón Latino (2003)
- Duetos (2004)
- Desde el PrincipioDesde El PrincipioDesde El Principio is the twelfth studio album by Spanish duo Azúcar Moreno, released on Sony International in 2004.The album saw the Salazar sisters joining forces with a new production team; drummer and percussionist Sergio Castillo and keyboardist Francisco Amat...
(2005) - Mi PropósitoMi PropósitoMi Propósito is an album from Puerto Rican Christian singer Julissa. It was released on 2005.-Track listing:# "Te alabo Señor" - 4:14# "Cada dia" - 3:34# "Coronado de Gloria" - 3:58# "Glorificado" - 3:59# "Llenas mi ser" - 4:15...
(2005) - Inolvidable (2006)
- El Ritmo de la VidaEl Ritmo de la VidaEl Ritmo de la Vida is an album from Puerto Rican Christian singer Julissa It was released on August 14, 2007.-Track listing:# "El Ritmo de la Vida" - 4:34# "Mi Plegaria" - 4:08# "Tu Amor" - 4:00# "Pegada a Ti" - 4:21# "Su Mirada de Amor" - 4:01...
(2007) - AdorándoteAdorándoteAdorándote: Un Tiempo a Solas Con El is an album from Puerto Rican Christian singer Julissa It was released on May 19, 2009.-Track listing:# "Escucharte Hablar" – 5:02# "Tu Mirada" – 4:37# "Gloria" – 4:22...
(2009)
Wins
- 1999 Tu Música Awards, Puerto RicoPuerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
: Christian Album of the Year (Regresará Por MíRegresará Por MíRegresará Por Mí is the debut album from Puerto Rican Christian singer Julissa It was released on 1998 through Cross Movement Records.-Track listing:All songs written by Mike Rivera, except where noted.# "Regresara por Mi" - 4:02...
) - 1999 Tito Lara Awards, Puerto Rico: Revelation Artist
- 2001 Viva Awards, GuatemalaGuatemalaGuatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
: International Female Voice - 2001 Viva Awards, Guatemala: Song of the Year ("Enamorada")
- 2004 Conquistadores Awards, Los Angeles, CALos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
: Contemporary Album of the Year (Corazón Latino) - 2004 Paoli Awards, Orlando, FLOrlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
: Female Singer of the Year - 2004 Latin Music Fan Awards, Los Angeles, CA: Christian Album of the Year (Corazón Latino)
- 2006 Paoli Awards, Orlando, FL: Female Singer of the Year
- 2006 Arpa Awards, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
: Female Album of the Year (Mi PropósitoMi PropósitoMi Propósito is an album from Puerto Rican Christian singer Julissa. It was released on 2005.-Track listing:# "Te alabo Señor" - 4:14# "Cada dia" - 3:34# "Coronado de Gloria" - 3:58# "Glorificado" - 3:59# "Llenas mi ser" - 4:15...
)
Nominations
- 2003 Arpa Awards, Mexico
- 2004 Nuestra Música Awards, Los Angeles, CA
- 2004 Arpa Awards, Mexico: Female Album of the Year
- 2004 GMA Dove Awards, Nashville, TNNashville, TennesseeNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
: Spanish Language Album of the Year (Exitos de Hoy) (Shared nomination) - 2005 Paoli Awards, Puerto Rico: Female Singer of the Year
- 2005 Paloma de la Paz Award, Orlando, FL
- 2005 Latin Music Fan Awards, Los Angeles, CA: Album of the Year (Duetos)
- 2006 GMA Dove Awards, Nashville, TN: Spanish Language Album of the Year (Mi PropósitoMi PropósitoMi Propósito is an album from Puerto Rican Christian singer Julissa. It was released on 2005.-Track listing:# "Te alabo Señor" - 4:14# "Cada dia" - 3:34# "Coronado de Gloria" - 3:58# "Glorificado" - 3:59# "Llenas mi ser" - 4:15...
) - 2008 GMA Dove Awards, Nashville, TN: Spanish Language Album of the Year (El Ritmo de la VidaEl Ritmo de la VidaEl Ritmo de la Vida is an album from Puerto Rican Christian singer Julissa It was released on August 14, 2007.-Track listing:# "El Ritmo de la Vida" - 4:34# "Mi Plegaria" - 4:08# "Tu Amor" - 4:00# "Pegada a Ti" - 4:21# "Su Mirada de Amor" - 4:01...
) - 2010 GMA Dove Awards41st GMA Dove AwardsThe 41st Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on April 21, 2010 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2009. The show was held at the The Opry Entertainment Complex in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by Bart Millard....
, Nashville, TN: Spanish Language Album of the Year (AdorándoteAdorándoteAdorándote: Un Tiempo a Solas Con El is an album from Puerto Rican Christian singer Julissa It was released on May 19, 2009.-Track listing:# "Escucharte Hablar" – 5:02# "Tu Mirada" – 4:37# "Gloria" – 4:22...
)