Selena Quintanilla
Known as the “Queen of Tejano Music,” Selena Quintanilla was a beloved
Latin singer who made her recording debut in the 1980s and became a best-selling
artist in the Latin music scene with albums like Amor Prohibido and Live! The
latter earned her the Grammy for Best Mexican-American Album in 1994, making
her the first female Tejano artist to win the award. Tragically, just shy of her
24th birthday, Selena was murdered by her fan club’s president and business
associate in March 1995. Her album Dreaming of You was released later that year
and topped the Billboard 200 chart—the first predominantly Spanish-language
album to do so.
Early Life and Family
Selena Quintanilla, often known simply by her stage name Selena, was born on
April 16, 1971, in Lake Jackson, Texas. Selena’s father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr.,
was a former musician. Her mother, Marcella Ofelia Samora, was a homemaker.
Selena grew up speaking English, but her father taught her to sing in Spanish so
she could resonate with the Latino community. She learned the lyrics phonetically
at first and, eventually, learned to speak Spanish fluently.
Around the age of 10, Selena became the lead singer in her family’s band, Selena Y
Los Dinos. The musical group started out playing weddings and clubs in their
native Texas. Abraham managed and produced his family’s group, which also
featured Selena’s brother, Abraham III (known professionally as “A.B.”
Quintanilla III), on bass guitar and her sister, Suzette, on the drums. Their Tejano
music style incorporated Mexican music, country, and western.
At the 1987 Tejano Music Awards, Selena won Best Female Vocalist of the Year
and Performer of the Year. She was sometimes referred to as the “Mexican
Madonna” for her sexy outfits and dance moves. Eventually, her talents were
recognized by more than just Tejano music fans, winning her a grammy for her
album Live! And receiving the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award
at the 2021 Grammy Awards.
Movie and Netflix Series
Selena’s life story became the subject of the 1997 movie Selena, which
stars Jennifer Lopez as the Tejano superstar and Edward James Olmos as her
father. Lopez became the first Latina actor to take home $1 million for a movie
role, and she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance.
Our next performance is a scene taken from the screenplay, that depicts a heartfelt
conversation between Selena and her sister Suzette, after Selena has reached her
highest point of career success. And now introducing, Amelia Irizarry and Joselyn
Padilla, in Selena.
