Chiquis has released a mariachi version of her debut single “Paloma Blanca” in honor of her mother Jenni Rivera’s death 10 years ago, on Dec. 9, 2012. The new interpretation comes eight years after the original banda track debuted in 2014.
Accompanied by the all-female Mariachi Divas, the Mexican-American singer belts out a heartfelt love letter to La Diva de la Banda, expressing how much she misses her, what she would’ve changed about their mother-daughter relationship, and her biggest life lessons learned.
The song was produced by Cindy Shea, Ulises Lozano El Licenciado and Janney “Chiquis” Marin, and co-written by Marin and Claudia Brant.
“When ‘Paloma Blanca’ was originally released, I wasn’t entirely happy with the way it was recorded. I have always wanted to re-release it,” Chiquis said in a press statement. “My vocals and delivery have greatly evolved over these last eight years and I feel better than ever about my music so I decided to record it alongside Mariachi Divas. It will always be dedicated to my mom who passed away ten years ago but I also wanted to re-record it for her fans as well as mine.”
Bringing the emotional lyrics to life, a music video helmed by director Oscar Eden shows Chiquis performing the song dressed as an angel as well as never-before-seen footage of her mother.
The sweet tribute comes a month after Chiquis received her first-ever Grammy nomination for best regional Mexican album and her second Latin Grammy win in the best banda album category with Abeja Reina.
Watch the music video for “Paloma Blanca” below: