Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Zelina Rivera grew up in a Christian home filled with the sounds and love of salsa music. Her father, Jerry Rivera, built a beautiful family of five through his music, embracing different rhythms although keeping God at the center of their lives.
The daughter of the salsa legend is now forging her own path in music, following in the footsteps of her father and brother Moa Rivera, but from a different angle. While she enjoys listening to salsa, it’s not her calling.
“I don’t feel that salsa is a genre that connects with me, I’m more into ballads and pop,” said the youngest daughter of the salsa star. Jerry Rivera is a father of three adult children.
That’s why the young artist began channeling her vocal talent into spiritual ministry through sacred music in late 2025. Zelina doesn’t carry the signature clave of salsa, but she does infuse her testimony into the rhythms of R&B, ballads, and pop – genres she explores in her debut single “Mi Salvador,” a song inspired by her love for Jesus.
“There wasn’t a specific moment that determined my path in music, but my testimony grew from my Christian faith, and that led me to sing to God. I grew up and was raised in a Christian home. It’s my love for Christ that drives me. I want to share my music so that people can realize that love and identify with it,” revealed the 26-year-old, who has the full support of her father, whom she described as her “advisor and best friend in everything I do.”
This first single, “Mi Salvador,” marks the formal beginning of Zelina’s ministerial and artistic journey in Christian music. The song emerged from a period of reaffirmation of her faith.
“I’m inspired by my experiences and life events. I also like to sing about love, and in the future, I’d like to sing about romantic love, but everything I’ve written so far are praises about my spiritual growth. I want to connect with young people who also want to establish a connection with God,” she said, adding that she’s been performing publicly for the past two years.
Through her lyrics, Zelina expresses gratitude, dependence, and love for Christ, turning her personal experience into a message that seeks to build lives and be a blessing to those who listen.
“This song comes from my testimony. It’s my way of saying thank you to Jesus for sustaining me, guiding me, and reminding me who I am in Him. My desire is that everyone who listens to it can feel hope and draw closer to God,” the singer expressed.
The track is released under the Soul Music label, marking a new stage in the singer-songwriter’s artistic and ministerial development.
The music video for “Mi Salvador” is available on her official YouTube channel.
“When I decide to sing personal and Christian themes, I feel very connected to God, due to the fact that I feel that I can aid others in some way. I feel that the whole process I’ve gone through with my music has brought me closer to God, and I would love for others to have that closeness with God,” she added.
Zelina is currently in Puerto Rico as part of the promotion for her song, hoping her voice will be an instrument of change and healing through a message of faith and spirituality.
