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Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (Latin American Spanish pronunciation: [seˈlena kintaˈniʝa ˈpeɾes]; née Quintanilla; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995), known professionally as Selena, was an American singer.
- Overview
- Early life and performing with Los Dinos
- Success as a solo artist and murder
- Legacy
Selena (born April 16, 1971, Lake Jackson, Texas, U.S.—killed March 31, 1995, Corpus Christi, Texas) American singer who was a vivacious entertainer and whose fluid voice celebrated the sound of Tejano, a fast-paced, accordion-based Latin dance music that combines elements of jazz, country, and German polka. It is sung in Spanish and is rooted in t...
Selena Quintanilla was born the youngest of three children to Abraham, Jr., and Marcela Quintanilla in Lake Jackson, Texas. She began singing as a child, and, when Quintanilla was nine years old, her father formed a family band called Selena y Los Dinos. Her sister, Suzette, played drums and her brother, Abraham III (“A.B.”), played bass guitar. Her father wrote many of the Spanish-language songs that the group performed in the family’s restaurant. At that time Selena was not fluent in Spanish, so she had to learn the language.
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Los Dinos traveled throughout Texas to perform, usually as the opening act for Tejano bands. Because of the band’s popularity, Quintanilla stopped attending school in eighth grade, but she later earned a General Educational Development (GED) credential. The band recorded its first album, Mis Primeras Grabaciones (“My First Recordings”), in 1984, followed by the albums Alpha and Muñequito de Trapo (“Rag Doll”) two years later. In 1986, when Quintanilla was 15 years old, she won female entertainer of the year at the Tejano Music Awards, and her songs with Los Dinos began soaring on Latin music charts.
In 1989 Quintanilla signed a contract with EMI Latin, with whom she released her debut solo album, Selena, that same year. Several albums followed, including Ven Conmigo (1990; “Come with Me”) and Entre a Mi Mundo (1992; “Enter My World”). Her pop duet single, “Buenos Amigos” (“Good Friends”), with Salvadoran singer Álvaro Torres introduced her to a broader audience. In 1992 Selena married Chris Pérez, the lead guitarist of Los Dinos.
With Selena Live! (1993), Selena won the 1994 Grammy Award for best Mexican-American album, becoming the first female Tejano singer to win a Grammy in that category. Her expanding interests in 1994 included beginning a clothing line and opening two boutiques. That same year she released the album Amor Prohibido (“Forbidden Love”), featuring the popular songs “Amor Prohibido” and “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.” The album was nominated for a 1995 Grammy Award for best Mexican-American performance. Selena was working on her first English-language album when she was shot by the founder of her fan club, Yolanda Saldívar, who was suspected of embezzlement and whom Selena confronted about the improprieties. Selena died hours later in a hospital in Corpus Christi.
The album Dreaming of You (1995) was released a few months after Selena’s death and includes several completed English songs as well as previously recorded and new Tejano songs. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, the first album by a Latina artist to achieve that goal. Since Selena’s death, a number of books and movies about her life have been released, including the film Selena (1997), starring Jennifer Lopez in her breakthrough role. A Netflix show, Selena: The Series, premiered in 2020.
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- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
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Aug 4, 2023 · Known as the “Queen of Tejano Music,” Selena Quintanilla was a beloved Latin singer who was killed by the president of her fan club at age 23.
- 1995: Pete Astudillo's "Como Te Extraño," Seven months after her passing, Los Dinos member and family friend Pete Astudillo, who wrote many of Selena’s songs, released a tribute called “Como Te Extraño.”
- 1995 to present: Street Murals. Throughout the years, painters and graffiti artists have kept Selena’s legacy alive via beautiful tribute murals. Fans can spot different ones around Mexico, Texas, California, Chicago and Miami, to name a few locations (see example below).
- 1997: Mirador de la Flor. In 1997, a life-size bronze statue of Selena, sculpted by H.W. “Buddy” Tatus, was unveiled in Corpus Christi, Texas, to honor the late singer and her contributions to music and the city.
- 1997: Selena (The Movie) Many people first discovered Jennifer Lopez when she portrayed the late Mexican-American singer in the 1997 biographical drama Selena directed by Gregory Nava.
Apr 16, 2021 · This week marks what would have been the 50th birthday of Selena Quintanilla Perez, the popular musical superstar known by her legions of fans simply as Selena. Though she's been gone for over...
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On the morning of March 31, 1995, American singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was shot and fatally wounded at the Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas. Although paramedics tried to revive Selena, she died of hypovolemic shock at Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital at age 23.
Selena. Actress: Don Juan DeMarco. Selena was born in Lake Jackson, Texas, 50 miles southeast of Houston, to Abraham Quintanilla Jr. and Marcella Quintanilla. Abraham opened a Mexican restaurant, Papagayo, in Lake Jackson. Selena was 9 years old when her father discovered her talent for singing.
