The American dream arrived in long curly locks, 6-inch heels and a skin-tight turquoise-colored dress with an extended tail that flowed into white puffy ruffles behind the entertainer, Jenni Rivera.

She entered the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Saturday (Sept. 3) brimming with surprises as the first female regional Mexican singer to perform at the venue (home of the Lakers) in front of more than 10,000 people. These were not fans, but worshipers who held on to every single note. They stood, danced country-style, screamed and mouthed the lyrics of dozens of ballads in themes of love lost, cheating men, romantic escapades, survival and empowerment.

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This was Rivera's night to commemorate an achievement that is all her own. A seasoned performer, the Los Angeles-born songstress has made it this far by keeping the offerings simple. She's accessible, brassy, charming and speaks to a bicultural and bilingual group also hoping to achieve their dreams like the woman who has struggled, beaten down barriers and become an ultimate symbol of can-do with an unstoppable bravado.

"You could have been anywhere tonight," Rivera told the audience. "But you choose to be here with me. I know you could have paid bills with the money you used for this concert, but you decided to be with me."

Chants of "Jenni" echoed throughout in the first part of the three-hour spectacle. Rivera looked to the ground. She took a deep breath and whispered, "Thank you. Thank you."

Known as the "Diva of Banda," the singer was recently nominated for the Billboard Mexican Music Awards in four categories including female artist of the year. The show will take place at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles and will air Oct. 27 on the Telemundo network. Rivera also recently renewed her contract with Universal Music Latin Entertainment/Fonovisa and will release two albums on Nov. 22.

Teresa Romero of Rialto, Calif., got the best seat and concert of her life, she says. She purchased two tickets. One for her daughter and the other one for herself close to the stage where should could see a towering Rivera singing just a few feet away.

"I didn't pay my $364 car bill this month so I could buy my tickets," Romero, 51, said. "Jenni has been through so much in her life that you've got to admire where she's been and what's she's achieved."

Rivera performed about 50 songs in a show that featured many brass and string instruments and the backing of Jose Hernandez's Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles.

Such backing gave Rivera the chance to shine by showing her versatility by performing everything from rancheras to norteño, banda and pop songs. She also performed the classic Rosie & The Originals hit "Angel Baby" in English while holding her granddaughter.

The Las Vegas-style show, which was being recorded by Rivera's production team, was well-paced and included sparkly pyrotechnics, smoke machines, three huge screens, ramps and a runway that gave Rivera the ability to move in many directions. But those showstoppers paled in comparison to the two surprise musical guests: Puerto Rican singer Olga Tañón and Mexican "Queen of Rock" Alejandra Guzman. The party was on.

Tañón and Rivera performed "Basta Ya"/"Enough." The song, written by singer/songwriter Marco Antonio Solis, was Tañón's first major hit in 1996 and in recent days Rivera, too, released the song that is firing up radio airplay. It is about a woman leaving a man who doesn't love her.

Midway through show Rivera and Guzman performed "Hacer El Amor Con Otro"/"Making Love To Someone Else." Then Rivera left for a quick change in attire while Guzman performed a banda version of "Eternamente Bella"/"Eternally Beautiful."

Rivera has sold more than 1 million albums in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan and her last studio album, La Gran Señora, sold more than 112,000 units and reached No. 2 on the Top Latin Albums chart. She's also earned five top 10 entries on the same chart.

For someone who accidentally fell into show business, Rivera has come far from the days she worked at her father Juan Rivera's small Long Beach-based music label. Regardless of what path she decides to take from here, her milestone night at Staples Center signifies a major crowning achievement.