#90s tejano

[louisbxne]

SELENA

No Me Queda Más (Live at the 1994 TMAs)

[supernaturalkickparty]

Happy Tejano Friday!!!!

Legit one of my favorite Selena songs and music videos. Fun fact, they filmed this video at Joshua Tree National Park and the button up shirts she's wearing were her husband Chris's shirts.

In his book To Selena With Love, he wrote how they were packing for this video and she was telling him how she didn't really like any of her outfits for the video so she told him she was taking his dress shirts lol

[geminiangelramirez]

Ruben Vela - El Coco Rayado 🥥🌴🐇

[thequeerhistorian]

Selena Quintanilla - Queen of Tejano

If any of you grew up in the 90s to early-2000s, you know about Selena Quintanilla. Whether it's hearing her music on the radio, or your mom's CDs/playlists, or you were made to watch the movie every year in your Spanish classes. As I have grown up, trying to learn about my own Mexican heritage, I have had the joy of teaching her songs to my mom and learning about her story. Selena has certainly become a beloved icon to Mexican heritage in general, and her love only grows with each generation that is taught about her. In celebration of this Hispanic-American Heritage Month, I want to be another person to highlight the incredible memory of the incredible Selena Quintanilla, the queen of Tejano music.

Selena was born April 16, 1971 in Lake Jackson, Texas. She was the youngest of three children to her parents, Abraham Quintanilla and Marcela Ofelia Samora. Selena and her siblings, Suzette and Abraham III. (A.B.) The Quintanilla family would end up opening a restaurant that would be the thing to propel Selena and her family's future.

Abraham Quintanilla was a former musician, specializing in Tejano music. (or, "tex-mex" music - a blend of both Mexican and US influences) He wanted to get his children involved in the world of music, so he had them form a band known as Selena y Los Dinos. Abraham would have Suzette play drums, A.B. on guitar, and Selena did the vocals. Perhaps as a way to bring them closer to their Mexican roots, Selena was instructed to learn Spanish and sing in Spanish. She had only spoken English up to this point.

At just the age of 9, Selena was already becoming a sensation. With her father acting as manager to get them gigs at restaurants, weddings, and other local events, Selena Y Los Dinos was already making a name for themselves. Sadly, though, the band would not be able to use their performances to sustain them in the beginning. The Quintanillas would have to declare bankruptcy and move to Corpus Christi, Texas.

There, Selena and the family began to make themselves more well-known in the Latin music world by publishing their albums under smaller Tejano labels. Due to their growing popularity, Selena would stop going to school by 8th grade, but would still get her GED and study business at Pacific Western University. In 1984, Selena Y Los Dinos released their first album, "Mis Primeras Grabaciones". They would create more albums such as "The New Girl In Town" (1985), "Alpha" (1986), "Muñequito de Trapo" (1986), "And The Winner Is..." (1987), "Preciosa" (1988), and "Dolce Amor" (1989).

During this time, Selena would be awarded with Best Female Vocalist and Performer of the Year at the Tejano Music Awards in 1987 at just fifteen. Two years later, at the Tejano Music Awards in 1989, she would sign with EMI Latin Records, and begin her solo career, releasing her album "Selena" the same year. She would still have the support of her family with her brother, A.B. writing many of her songs and acting as her producer. During this time, she would also start dating her guitarist, Chris Perez, who she married in 1992*. Coca-Cola would also sign her on as a spokesperson.

Her 1991 song, "Buenos Amigos", would hit the top of the US Billboard for Top Latin Songs. She would also release "Entre a Mi Mundo" in 1992, which would top charts in the US. She would tour Mexico and present her newest song, "Como la Flor", which would reach number 6 on the US Billboard for Top Latin Songs.

Though she was largely ignored outside of the Tejano music scene, she would begin to blossom in 1993 into the iconic popstar she is today. Her album "Live!" (1993) would earn her a Grammy for Best Mexican-American Album, also becoming the first female Tejano singer to win a Grammy in that category. "Amor Prohibido" would be her next album in 1994. During that year, she would be labeled "Most Influential Texan" in Texas Monthly, and get an interview with the LA Times. She would also create her own clothing brand and a pair of boutiques in Corpus Christi and San Antonio.

By 1995, Selena would be nominated for another Grammy for Best Mexican-American performance, star as a mariachi singer in the movie "Don Juan DeMarco" with Johnny Depp and Marlon Brando, as well as a few other Latin American shows such as the "Johnny Canales Show".

Sadly, and I'm sure many of you knew this was coming, Selena would not be able to show us how much her legacy would grow past 1995. During her growing career, Selena and her father, Abraham, would be approached by a former nurse named Yolanda Saldivar. Saldivar would propose a Selena fan club, which she would become the president of. Over time, Selena would have Saldivar managing one of her boutiques, believing she could trust her. Sadly, though, Selena would go to meet Saldivar at a hotel on May 31st, 1995 due to Selena's concerns that Saldivar was embezzling from her businesses. Saldivar shot the singer in the shoulder, and Selena tried to flee, collapsing, and being rushed to hospital. She would sadly succumb to her injuries in Corpus Christi, devastating the Latine community. Her family would release her final album, "Dreaming of You" posthumously in 1995.

Selena was a person full of passion. Coming from a working class life, she would remain in the working class community of Molina in Corpus Christi, despite her wealth. She would also involve herself in many social programs, such as working with the Texas Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse, the Coastal Bend Aids Foundation, the D.A.R.E. Program, her PSAs for the Houston Area Women's Center and pro-education content, as well as plans to visit a Boys and Girls' Club benefit before her death. In 1997, Jennifer Lopez would star as Selena in the movie by the same name. Chris Perez, Selena's husband, would write a novel to her titled "To Selena, With Love".

Selena's legacy paved the way for new Latin American artists to really explode in the mainstream. She would be an icon for young Hispanic people everywhere. It's truly heartbreaking to lose such a kind and passionate person at such a young age, and not get to see what she could do if her career was able to continue in the way it had been. Yolanda Saldivar is able to ask for parole by 2025, but she'd better prepare for the vehemence of the Latine community for taking such an icon away from us. May Selena rest well always knowing that she is most beloved.

*One of the sources states that Selena and Chris eloped in 1999. This is not true, and I'm not sure why this was stated.

Sources:

[twixnmix]

Selena performing at Guys & Dolls Ballroom in Fort Worth on March 19, 1994.

Photos by Andrew Cavazos

[selenafanshd]

[mikespice97]

Selena, 1994 ✨

[thehorrorkid17]

Selena Quintanilla-Pérez appreciation moodboard

[imaslave4u]

[the-90s-music-colosseum]

Listen to both songs before voting, and define "better" any way you wish!

[spirits-having-flown]

Selena’s ‘Agree Shampoo’ photoshoot, 1994

[louisbxne]

SELENA

La Llamada (1993)

[supernaturalkickparty]

Happy Tejano Friday!!!!! Doing two songs this week, first one is by Selena- Si Una Vez. Love this song so much, there's been a couple of covers of this one which is what the second song is lol

Second song is from Spanish Rock/Metal band Ill Niño. The new lead singer is from the Corpus Christi area and was with his previous band Shattered Sun before joining Ill Niño.

Just realized Ill Niño did two covers of Si Una Vez and the first one has Franco El Gorilla with them. The second version is without him.

[villainesfilles]

Selena, 1992

[jerrbear508]

Selena Quintanilla, 1995

[selenafanshd]