Last week, all over the world, generations of fans celebrated the 48th birthday of the late Tejano music sensation, Selena Quintanilla. Tuscon, Arizona paid tribute to the pop culture icon by painting a mural of the artist on the side of a building in the heart of the city and Selena’s home state of Texas plans to make April 16th a state holiday. Thousands of fans expressed their undying love all over social media on the singers birthday and played her hit songs on radio stations all over the country. Like in the 1997 movie, Selena, fans will do just about, “anything for Selenas.” Whether you are familiar with the artist or not, in her short 23 years, “La Reina,” Selena changed the pop-music industry forever and touched the hearts of many people, young and old.
Selena grew up in Lake Jackson, Texas as the youngest of three. The daughter of Mexican- Americans Marcella and Abraham Quintanilla Jr., Selena was heavily influenced by her father’s passion for music. Her father recognized Selena’s musical talent at a very young age and reawakened his old band, “Los Dinos” in the form of his three children: A.B. on guitar, Suzette on drums, and 9-year-old Selena as lead singer. Together they became “Selena y Los Dinos.”
Much to our imagination, getting three young kids to do anything against their will–especially practicing instruments–is a challenge. Quintanilla Jr. persuaded his kids to practice, practice practice until they loved it. In 1980, the Quintanillas opened the Tex-Mex restaurant “Papágayos” where “Selena y Los Dinos” would frequently perform. Their father began writing music for Selena to sing in Spanish, and as English was Selena’s first language, he had to teach her how to pronounce each word. After two years the restaurant had many regulars, namely local fans of the band, but in 1982 the restaurant closed down, and the Quintanillas moved to Abraham’s hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas for a new start.
Although they were no longer in Lake Jackson, the Quintanillas had everything they could possibly need, each other and music. “Selena y Los Dinos” had gigs set up at local festivals, quinciñeras, and carnivals. The only problem: Tejano music as a genre was heavily dominated by men. As a result, many people criticized and sometimes even refused to book the young artists simply because the lead singer was a young girl singing music traditionally sung by men.
But Selena stuck to her roots and sang from her heart, breaking through glass ceilings and making room for herself in an industry that didn’t accept her upon first listen. At the age of 16, the artist won her first of nine Tejano Music Awards for “Female Artist of the Year” and soon after was signed with EMI Latin. With her father was their manager and Suzette and A.B. producing and songwriting, Selena began recording her self-titled album in 1989 which reached #7 on the U.S Billboards Regional Mexican Albums chart. Selena was the top-selling Tejano album as of its release, outselling other artists. This first release was a milestone for the artist. As a Mexican-American woman, barely 18 years old, she was changing the game, bringing together American and Mexican cultures with every release.
With her family by her side, Selena released her second studio album Ven Conmigo a year later, making it the first Tejano recording by a female artist to reach gold in the United States. In 1992 Selena then released what many consider to be her breakthrough album Entre a Mi Mundo at the age of 21. Featuring arguably her most popular song, “Como La Flor” the album launched her career in Mexico as well as the states. That same year, Selena eloped and married her guitarist Chris Peréz, with whom she shared the love of a lifetime.
Now touring in both the U.S and in Mexico, Selena celebrated her Mexican-American identity with every show. In 1993, Selena released Live! which won “Best Mexican/American Album” in the 1994 Grammy Awards; she was the first female artist to do so. In 1994, she released Amor Prohibido which is still one of the best-selling Latin albums in the United States, claimed as one of the most “essential recordings” to the Tejano music genre by Billboard Magazine. In 1995, Selena released Dreaming of You, the fastest selling album in 1995. The album featured English and Spanish tracks such as “If I Could Fall In Love” and “Tú Solo Tú,” both hitting the top-ten charts. Post-release and later that year, Selena began working on a highly anticipated English crossover album, but it was never completed due to her sudden death in 1995.
It’s overwhelming how incredibly successful Selena became at such a young age. In her early 20s, she was opening doors and gave Mexican-American heritage and culture a place in the music industry. Selena, among many things, was an amazing performer who meant so much to so many people. Having grown up listening to the artist and knowing how much Selena means to me, I know she means more to the LatinX community, especially here in the United States. As Selena has mentioned throughout her career, crossing over and gaining success and acceptance in both the United States and Mexico as a Tejano musician has helped her feel closer to her identity.
At 23 years old Selena was able to connect with people of all ages. Her family to this day tells stories of how amazing she was with children, inviting them on stage, teaching them to dance Cumbia. She is a beacon of pride for the LatinX community, celebrating art, music, and design inspired by her Mexican-American heritage. Not only that, but she lived her life with so much grace, always giving back to her community. She is forever known as someone who filled this world with so much love and life, making her dreams and those of others come true in such a beautiful way.
We remember Selena on her birthday, not in sadness but rather in love. Her memory is kept very much alive today as young LatinX artists such as Becky G sing covers of “Como La Flor” and Camila Cabello, known for celebrating her Cuban-American upbringing through her music, is accompanied by thousands of fans as she covers Selena’s hit, “Dreaming of You.” Selena’s eminence still runs through the veins of Mexican-American music to this day and has crossed over into the hearts of people of all backgrounds. Her legacy has left a common adoration of her passion, talent and intimate relationship with her fans. Known as one of the greatest Latin American artists of our time, Selena will forever be a legend who, like all legends, stays in the hearts of the ones who love her most.