Selena Quintanilla: Queen of Tejano Music
Selena Quintanilla was an iconic Mexican-American singer renowned for demonstrating that anything is possible; both her fashion sense and music stood out among their peers.
Selena started her musical career early, performing as part of Selena y los Dinos under her father’s supervision and performing at weddings, fairs, and local events.
Selena Quintanilla’s Biography
Selena Quintanilla-Perez was born on April 16, 1971, in Lake Jackson, a town located south of Houston. Her parents Abraham and Marcella Quintanilla led bands during the 1950s and 1960s; Abraham noticed Selena’s early aptitude for singing when teaching her guitar lessons from him at an early age. From here they formed “Los Dinos,” performing at their restaurant before going on to perform at weddings and parties across Houston before recording Mis Primeras Grabaciones for the local Freddie record label in 1984 which unfortunately sold poorly but allowed them to tour with larger Tejano acts across Texas until their debut album was recorded and released on Freddie records. Nevertheless, Selena continued performing her tour by opening for larger Tejano acts across the Southwest United States until she recorded Mis Primeras Grabaciones album sold poorly yet continued touring opening for larger Tejano acts.
By 1989, Selena y los Dinos had changed to Selena y Los Dinos and were experiencing considerable success. Their fifth and final album Amor Prohibido yielded their first number-one hit single in America — an interpretation of “Whatever You Like”. Furthermore, it became one of their most successful works overall and established Selena as a national star and role model for Latina women across the US.
Selena married guitarist Chris Perez from her band in 1992. At first, her parents did not approve, but eventually, they accepted it. Selena became an outspoken advocate for both women’s rights and Mexican-Americans as she also opened clothing boutiques and salons during this time.
Selena wasn’t immune from drama despite her success; Yolanda Saldivar became her foe over time, leading Selena’s lawyers to suggest that his controlling and restricting presence was indirectly responsible for her demişe. They cited how Yolanda attempted to steal Selena’s song ideas while Selena claimed Yolanda was trying to steal them as part of her defense at Selena’s murder trial. Her lawyers also charged that Selena’s father was indirectly to blame by restricting and controlling Selena as well as jealously guarding her image – something Selena’s attorneys also put forward as contributing factor to Selena’s lawyers’ contention during her murder trial argued by herself being indirectly responsible.
Abraham Quintanilla began aggressively marketing Selena’s music soon after her death, alienating music industry insiders and journalists in the process. Some questioned his motivations while others saw it as him grieving his loss – his efforts helped lead to critical acclaim for Selena as well as box office success.
Selena Quintanilla’s Personal Life
Abraham Quintanilla, Selena’s father, was also an accomplished musician and singer, leading a band that blended early rock-n-roll music with traditional Mexican songs to create Tejano music which became immensely popular across both Mexico and the Southwest United States. Abraham inspired Selena to pursue singing as a career; soon she developed into an accomplished performer herself.
Selena released four albums during her lifetime and was an active part of her community, working closely with local schools to promote drug abuse prevention programs and taking part in pro-education videos for Texas Prevention Partnership. Selena served as a role model for young Latinas while being well-known throughout Hispanic America.
Selena struggled with depression and anxiety throughout her life. In her later years, she drank heavily and frequently found herself in trouble with law enforcement authorities. On March 31, 1995, she was shot by Yolanda Saldivar; taken to Memorial Medical Center in Corpus Christi where she eventually passed away shortly thereafter.
At her funeral, there were reports that Abraham Quintanilla could have saved his daughter by administering a blood transfusion – yet due to his religious convictions as a Jehova’s Witness, he refused.
Selena’s father has recently accused several impersonators of performing unauthorized exploitation and causing irreparable harm to her brand. According to Genessa Escobar, one such performer she received a warning letter from Selena’s father after starting her tribute show five years ago.
The new Netflix series and movie offer an in-depth examination of Selena as a multifaceted character, delving into both her personal life and career arc, showing she wasn’t who her father depicted her to be. Instead, the narrative portrays Selena as a passionate artist driven by ambition yet never forgetting the difficulties she encountered along her path to stardom; furthermore, it should not forgetting she was an African American woman dealing with racism during her rise to stardom.
Selena Quintanilla was a Tejano Singer
Selena Quintanilla-Perez was known for her distinctive style and powerful voice as Selena the Queen of Tejano Music. Her music fused traditional Mexican and Texas cultures with modern styles to break barriers in male-dominated genres of Tejano while taking Tex-Mex music to new heights. Selena also served as a fashion icon and activist for women; her death left a permanent imprint upon culture while continuing to influence fans around the globe.
Selena was brought up listening to Tejano music and performing in her father’s band, Los Dinos. Encouraged by her father to become a professional singer, she soon took Los Dinos on tour for weddings and quinceaeras as the family lost its restaurant in 1981. Selena quickly rose through the ranks as an accomplished vocalist – winning Female Vocalist of the Year at Tejano Music Awards 1987 for being named female Vocalist of the Year; an honor she would hold each year until her passing away in 2011.
In 1989, Selena signed a contract with EMI Latin. She released several Spanish-language albums which became hugely successful across America. Soon thereafter she started dating guitarist Chris Perez; at first, her father Abraham disapproved but eventually granted permission for their relationship.
Her album Dreaming of You became the best-selling Latin album ever and topped Billboard 200 charts, while she became a fashion icon who designed her clothing line and opened two boutiques.
Selena was always humble and gracious despite her immense success, loving her fans dearly without forgetting where she came from. Selena served as an important role model for young Mexican-Americans and inspired a generation of Tejano musicians; her songs continue to resonate around the globe; over 600 infants in Texas alone were named Selena after she passed away. Additionally, in 2020 Netflix produced a TV series about Selena featuring Jennifer Lopez and Christian Serratos that honored Selena’s legacy.
Selena Quintanilla died in 1995
At just 23 years old, Tejano queen Selena Quintero was on the verge of mainstream music when she was shot outside a Corpus Christi motel in March 1995. A role model for young Hispanic women, her death left a large void in Tejano music culture as well as outrage among Mexican-Americans.
Abraham recognized Selena’s incredible singing talent when she was very young, and began having her perform in his restaurant and other settings. Additionally, Abraham Jr. and Suzette would perform alongside Selena as part of a family band called Selena y los Dinos which would play at various bars, restaurants, weddings, fairs, and other events across town.
Selena began making waves in the music world at just 15 and her popularity rapidly skyrocketed. By her senior year on national stages, she had become one of the most well-known Latina performers in America, touring both US and Mexico for up to 100,000-person crowds at concerts; her 1992 album Entre a Mi Mundo made its way to number 10 on US Billboard Regional Mexican Album Charts.
Things went awry when Selena’s father started receiving complaints from Selena’s fans regarding the merchandise they had purchased through Selena’s fan club that was missing. When confronted by Saldivar about this matter, she refused to admit she had stolen money from her daughter Selena.
On the day of her murder, Selena rose at 7:30 am and dressed in green workout sweats before hopping into her red 1994 GMC pickup truck and heading toward Q-Productions where she expected to meet with Quintanilla Jr. However, when she arrived there instead found Leonard Wong as well as Yolanda greeting her instead.
After Selena died, her family and husband Chris Perez worked tirelessly to keep her legacy alive. Her English-language debut album Dreaming of You was released posthumously and went on to hit No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart for 49 weeks; friends also helped keep Selena’s memory alive by opening a memorial museum in Corpus Christi where her body can now rest peacefully.
