MDC Adjunct Professor Makes Music Her Business
Hellen Rivas is not your typical professor.
The 25-year-old teaches business at the West and Hialeah campuses but spends her time outside of the classroom rocking out.
She is the lead singer for El Grupo H, a band created in 2004 that includes her parents—Helena and Harol—and two siblings—Harold and Heily.
“Music to me is my refuge, my channel to communicate every single one of my feelings and to communicate and interact with others,” Hellen said. “It is quite magical.”
An Early Shark
Born in Cali, Colombia on Dec. 19, 1995, music has always been in her blood. Her father, Harol, played for various bands including Guayacán Orquesta, Fruko y Sus Tesos and Grupo Niche, and frequently toured to the United States, Europe and South America.
To accommodate Harol’s hectic schedule, the family moved to Miami when Hellen was two.
After graduating from Ernest R. Graham Elementary and Hialeah Gardens Middle School, she sought options to start college early. In the tenth grade, Hellen began homeschooling and joined the dual-enrollment program at Miami Dade College.
She served as vice president of the campus’ Phi Theta Kappa chapter, became managing editor of the literary magazine Café Cultura and a member of the Youth for Environmental Sustainability (YES!) club.
In 2014, she earned her high school diploma and an associate’s degree in journalism from MDC. Two years later, Hellen earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from Florida International University.
While attending FIU, Hellen interned for Telemundo 51’s entertainment show Acceso Total for a semester. She wrote scripts and made graphics for the show and interviewed Dominican singer Prince Royce.
She was then offered a job as an associate producer on Telemundo’s morning newscast, a position she kept until 2017. A year later, Rivas graduated with a master’s degree in business from the University of Miami.
Since May of 2019, Hellen has been an adjunct professor at MDC—she is also co-advisor to the Bee Club at Hialeah Campus—and taught TV production to high school students at the Miami Lakes Educational Center & Technical College.
“Students looked forward to attending class and being part of this course study because of the great discussions in class,” said MDC alumna Marisol Martin, who took Rivas’ principles of business course. “She helped us learn how to vocalize our thoughts without hesitation.”
A Talented Child
But despite being passionate about teaching, she has dedicated her life to music.
Her performing career launched on Channel 41’s A Oscuras Pero Escondidos when she was two. Producers met her during her father’s salsa orchestra presentation and were so impressed, they invited her to perform.
“I have always admired her natural talent and her intonation. Her ability to quickly learn and memorize the lyrics of songs is impressive,” said Hellen’s mother, Helena. “When she is on stage, she transforms and her performance is enhanced at the sight of large audiences.”
Hellen kept harnessing her talent. She landed modeling and TV commercial gigs, which opened more doors for her in the entertainment industry.
When she was four, Rivas came out with her first album titled Como Un Angel. The album—which was sound-engineered by her father—included 10 songs. One of the songs, called Gracias Papá, Gracias Mamá
was written by her mother.
Aside from singing, Hellen plays three instruments: violin, saxophone and piano.
“Something I will never forget was Hellen’s first participation in the show Sábado Gigante on Univision when she was four years old,” Harol said. “Don Francisco, the host, asked Hellen which singer she wished to be like when she grew up. Hellen’s response was: ‘like me!”
Musical Family
El Grupo H formed when Hellen was nine years old. Her father is the musical director, her mother is the manager, her brother—Harold—is the drummer and her sister—Heily—is the bassist.
They perform at weddings, corporate events, quinceañeras using pop, rock, country and religious music. The band has been interviewed by America TV, Telemundo, Univision, and MDC TV.
“El Grupo H is feeling the unity of our family and how this manifests itself in our music,” Harold said. “Any band that seeks to make beautiful music must strive for cohesiveness and unity among the members. Being part of the Rivas family makes this part of the band’s success wonderful and simple to accomplish.”
The family also owns a music academy—Rivas Music & Video—in Hialeah. They offer music and voice lessons to children and adults.
In addition, they manage a non-profit organization Rivas Perdomo Family Foundation. They have completed eight humanitarian missions to Colombia, delivering toys, musical instruments, clothing, and shoes to families in underserved communities.
However, the family has experienced difficulties of their own—especially while trying to take their music to the next level.
They have tried to get airtime on FM radio but it costs from $50,000 to $75,000 to mass-promote a song and convert it into a market hit. Their music can be found on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, YouTube and Pandora.
During COVID-19, the family has hosted a radio show every Sunday at 5 p.m. through Facebook and Radio Paz 830 AM. They narrate poems and fables, do interviews, and perform live music.
Hellen hopes to continue reaching people through music and teaching.
“I love the beautiful opportunity I have to educate others,” Hellen said.
