Corpus Christi, Texas held its third annual Fiesta de la Flor festival to commemorate the life of tejano superstar, Selena Quintanilla.
Quintanilla was a Mexican-American singer and pop culture icon raised in the Sparkling City by the Sea. In the 90s, she earned countless fans for her beautiful vocals, vivacious personality and bold fashion sense before she was taken away from the world at the young age of 23.
Nowadays, when a celebrity passes on the world tends to take the news, mull over the loss for a couple of days and respectfully keep the success of the artist in the back of their minds. I believe Selena’s fans, however, are still in mourning. They did not merely move on from the tragedy; she does not live in the back of their minds, rather she continues to live on in their hearts. It’s no wonder why you can still turn on spanish radio stations and find it playing her classic songs quite often.
Although I was unable to attend the event, I did not let that stop me from asking my biggest curiosities surrounding the artist’s success and influence on the community.
My burning question remains, ‘why does Quintanilla have such a huge influence on the public?’ Valarie Salazar, an audience member at the festival, describes Quintanilla as family. As Selena’s old neighbor, she provided insight as to how the Quintanilla family served the community.
“They would have local gatherings for the community as far as the children and they still do to this day,” Salazar said.
Quintanilla was known for her wholesome lyrics and strong family ties, which suit the description Salazar provided to explain what Selena means to her. It makes sense seeing how she was the center of the family’s progression into the music business with her father’s guidance.
On the flip side, Selena was known for her risqué performance costumes. I can see how these decisions have empowered women to not be afraid to express their femininity and individuality. Her influence has evidently carried on. At the festival, you are bound to be surrounded by Quintanilla impersonators of all ages, genders and sizes.
I can attest to the tradition of teaching children about Quintanilla’s impact on the world during her success. I asked students at a high school to raise their hands if they knew who Selena Quintanilla was. I was astounded to find that the majority of the class knew who she was, and it is interesting to see how her story continues to pass on from generation to generation.
Today, Friday, March 31 marks the 22nd anniversary of Quintanilla’s unfortunate passing.