More about: Selena

There are few artists that are recognisable worldwide from just one name. Adele, Slash, Rhianna, three very influential people in their own right. Add to that the likes of Prince, Cher, Madonna, Sting...again, worldwide recognition from just their mononym. One name missing from that list, however, is the Latina icon who had her life cruelly taken from her at only 23: Selena. 

Selena, full name Selena Quintanilla-Perez, was murdered at the Days Inn Motel by the obsessive Yolanda Saldívar 26 years ago today (31 May). Not a day goes by that her influence can’t be heard in music.  

The issue surrounding Selena and the legacy she has left behind are the dramatic circumstances leading up to her death. They’re so unusual that it has spurred a feature length film and a TV series about her. There are even multiple books that have been published that focus on her death, such as Selena’s Secret and Justice for Selena. Whilst the circumstances leading up to 31st March 1995 do make a compelling read and are certainly something worth looking up, it’s important not to let that story outshine everything else Selena was before she was a murder victim. As such, this is the last reference to those circumstances that will be made in this article. If you would like to read about Yolanda Saldívar and her obsession, embezzlement and prosecution, then there are multiple sources where you can (see above), but this article won’t give her any further recognition. 

Selena was born in Texas on 16 April 1971. Family orientated, her route into music began early as she, her father and brothers toured under the name Selena y Los Dinos. Their dedication to the music they made is clearest in these early stages, as touring took over their lives. They would live on the road and survive off candy bars and baloney sandwiches whilst playing music to sparse venues every night. 

Radio promoters eventually began playing the music of Selena y Los Dinos, drawn in by the unique sound of Tejano, which is a combination of Conjunto (an accordion-based style) with a modern rhythm section of electric guitars, bass, keyboards and drums. The venues got bigger along with the crowds who filled them, and the band eventually cut their own album with the independent Tex-Mex producers, selling over 20,000 records as a result. 

After getting recognition for her beautiful singing voice and winning the Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year in 1986 and 1987, Selena eventually signed as a solo artist with EMI Latin in 1989, attracting the attention of producer Jose Behar. “Selena was a superstar on the rise,” he said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, “but more importantly, she was a beautiful and wonderful human being.” Jose saw in her the next Gloria Estefan for the Latino, mainstream and international markets, so helped with the production of her first solo album. 

Entre a Mi Mundo (Enter My World) shattered expectations as it went straight to number one on the U.S. Billboard Regional Mexican Albums Chart and stayed there for 19 consecutive weeks. One of the singles, ‘Como La Flor’ (As The Flower), ended up becoming one of Selena’s most popular songs.  

Her second album did even better as Amor Prohibido (Forbidden Love) gave rise to four number one Latin singles, such as ‘Bidi Bidi Bom Bom’ (no translation) and ‘Fotos y Recuerdos’ (Pictures and Memories). 

Selana became the biggest name in Tejano, not only as the sales to her own albums increased but sales across the genre did, evolving from tens of thousands in the 1980s to becoming a 40-million-dollar industry by 1995. She gave the genre weight and carried that weight on her shoulders, looking amazing whilst doing so. 

Not only a great musician, Selena was an eclectic creative, all of the outfits she wore on stage being designed by herself. After receiving attention and praise (along with some controversy) for them, Selena opened up her own boutiques where she could sell her unique brand of clothing. 

With the world truly at her fingertips by age twenty-three, where was there to go? Well, having dominated the Latino market, the plan was to introduce Selena to the mainstream. She began on her first English language album at 23, recording four songs before her death.

The loss of Selena still reverberates today and as people continue to listen to her music, we can only imagine what she would have gone on to produce if given the chance. Her huge influence is reflected in the tens of thousands of mourners who attended her funeral; truly a testimony to her place as an icon to Mexican Americans and Latinos of all generations. 

Her acclaim stretches much further than simply record sales and awards as Texas Music Writer Ramiro Burr says, she was “tangible evidence that Mexican American Culture in general, and Tejano music, with its roots in dusty cantinas of Texas and the Southwest, was something of which to be proud.” 

Her stamp on music can be heard today, whether it is Latina influences in genres across the board or in mainstream music of the same vein. Today, we mourn the loss of someone who broke down barriers without scratching the surface of her potential, someone who has helped shape music and acted as an influence on all those who came after her, Selena Quintanilla-Perez. Singer, daughter, wife, fashion designer, dancer and inspiration. Yes, a victim, but before that, an icon.  

More about: Selena