Selena

Biography

Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was born on April 16, 1971, in Lake Jackson, Texas, and became known as the "Queen of Tejano Music."[1] She began performing at an early age, and around age 10, became the lead singer of her family's band, Selena y Los Dinos, which her father Abraham managed and produced.[1] The band incorporated Tejano music—a blend of Mexican music, country, and western—and initially performed at weddings and clubs throughout Texas.[1] Despite growing up speaking only English, Selena worked diligently to master Spanish and gained acceptance from Mexican audiences, who were often critical of Mexican Americans' Anglo backgrounds.[2] Her breakthrough came after winning the Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year in 1987, which she won nine consecutive times.[3] In 1989, music executive José Behar signed her as a solo artist to EMI Records after watching her perform at the Tejano Music Awards.[1]

Selena's solo career flourished between 1989 and 1995, during which she released five studio albums and one live album.[1] Her biggest commercial success came with the 1994 release of Amor prohibido, and her signature song "Como la Flor" became critically acclaimed as a career launcher.[3] Her appeal rested on the combination of her humble personality, powerful voice, spirited dance moves, and provocative outfits.[2] In 1993, she won a Grammy for Best Mexican-American Album for Live!, making her the first female Tejano artist to win the award.[1] Beyond music, she expanded her brand by becoming a Coca-Cola spokesperson in 1989 and opening two boutiques called Selena Etc. in San Antonio and Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1994, where she sold her signature clothing and jewelry line.[1] Tragically, on March 31, 1995, just shy of her 24th birthday, Selena was murdered by Yolanda Saldivar, the president of her fan club and manager of her boutiques.[1][2] Her posthumous album Dreaming of You became the first predominantly Spanish-language album to top the Billboard 200 chart.[1] With more than 181 million albums sold, she remains one of the best-selling female Latin artists, and in 2021, she was posthumously awarded the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award.[1]

Fun Facts

• Selena had to be homeschooled because of the demands and time commitment of touring throughout the Southwest when the family band became their main source of income.[2]
• In 1989, Coca-Cola chose Selena as a spokesperson, marking a marketing industry first as an advertiser targeting a specific demographic.[1]
• Selena eloped with guitarist Chris Pérez on April 2, 1992, without her father's approval, believing he would never accept their relationship; her father later apologized and accepted the marriage.[3]
• Despite growing up speaking only English, Selena worked to master Spanish and became accepted by Mexican audiences, eventually becoming the biggest Tejano act in Mexico after performing to 70,000 people in Nuevo León on September 17, 1993.[3]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Abraham Quintanilla Jr. (Father) - Father and manager who taught Selena and her siblings to sing and play music, managed and produced the family band Selena y Los Dinos (Selena y Los Dinos albums (1984-1988)) [1974-1995]
• José Behar - Music executive at EMI Latin Records who discovered Selena at the 1989 Tejano Music Awards and signed her as a solo artist, launching her major-label career (Self-titled debut album and subsequent EMI releases) [1989-1995]

Key Collaborators

• A.B. Quintanilla III (Brother) - Bass guitarist in Selena y Los Dinos and principal music producer and songwriter for Selena's solo career; later founded Kumbia Kings and Kumbia All Starz (All Selena y Los Dinos albums and Selena's solo albums (1989-1995)) [1974-1995]
• Suzette Quintanilla (Sister) - Drummer in Selena y Los Dinos family band (Selena y Los Dinos albums) [1974-1995]
• Chris Pérez - Guitarist who joined Selena y Los Dinos in 1989 and married Selena on April 2, 1992; continued as band member and collaborator (Selena y Los Dinos and Selena's solo albums) [1989-1995]
• Barrio Boyzz - Musical group that collaborated with Selena on projects (Musical collaborations) [1994-1995]
• Alvaro Torres - Singer who collaborated with Selena on musical projects (Musical collaborations) [1994-1995]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #80s, #90s, #cumbia