Rivera was an undergraduate, studying to be an architect in Canada before his singing talent was accidentally discovered while he was on holiday in the Philippines. In 1989, Musiko Records & BMG Records (Pilipinas) Inc. (now known as Sony Music & BMG Rights Management) signed Rivera to their label. His self-titled debut album was released after two years. The first single, "Sana Kahit Minsan" was a No. 1 pop-r&b crossover hit. The album went 3x platinum. In 1991, he quickly released his second album, "Simple Lang". This album also went 3x platinum.