Jenni Rivera, diva of banda, dies in plane crash

Dec 09, 2012 by Ian Evans

Jenni Rivera, known to her fans as the diva of banda music, has died in a plane crash in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. She was 43.

The Mexican-American singer and reality TV star was in a Learjet 25 with six others, heading from Monterrey to Toluca. The plane was reported missing Sunday morning, just ten minutes after takeoff. Mexican Transportation and Communications Minister Gerardo Ruiz Esparza said the crash was devastating and wreckage was strewn over 250 to 300 metres. There were no survivors.

Rivera, best know for songs like “Basta Ya,” “La Gran Señora” and “Besos y Copas,” also appeared in the reality series I Love Jenni as well as producing others. Rivera had a tumultuous past and ran a charitable organization, the Jenni Rivera Love Foundation, which helped victims of domestic violence.