Selena y Los Dinos was an American Tejano band formed in 1981 by Tejano singer Selena and her father Abraham Quintanilla. The band remained together until the murder of Selena in 1995, which caused the dissolution of the band in the same year. When Selena was signed with EMI Latin, EMI president José Behar told Selena that "the world wanted Selena, not Selena y Los Dinos." Selena then began releasing her solo studio albums under her name and her own logo title Selena instead of Selena y Los Dinos. Before Selena was signed with EMI, the band had sold more than 80,000 copies in the state of Texas.
Ven Conmigo is the second studio album by American singer Selena, released on November 12, 1990, by EMI Latin. The singer's brother, A.B. Quintanilla III remained her principal record producer and songwriter after her debut album's moderate success. Selena's Los Dinos band composed and arranged seven of the album's ten tracks; local songwriter Johnny Herrera also provided songs for Selena to record. Ven Conmigo contains half cumbias and half rancheras, though the album includes other genres. Its musical compositions are varied and demonstrate an evolving maturity in Selena's basic Tejano sound. The album's structure and track organization were unconventional compared with other Tejano music albums. The songs on Ven Conmigo are mostly love songs or songs following a woman's struggles after many failed relationships.
Entre a Mi Mundo is the third studio album by American singer Selena, released on May 6, 1992, by EMI Latin. The label endeavored to bolster Selena's popularity within the Latin music market in the United States with this release. A. B. Quintanilla sustained his role as the singer's producer and, in collaboration with Selena y Los Dinos members Pete Astudillo and Ricky Vela, composed tracks for the album. The ensuing recording encompassed an eclectic array of songs, attributable to the members' diverse backgrounds, which facilitated the modernization of the sundry genres they explored. Entre a Mi Mundo is a Tejano cumbia album that encapsulated Selena's quintessential sound, characterized by engaging tunes harmonized with her distinctive, plaintive vocals and a relaxed, danceable cumbia beat. The album incorporates musical inspirations from power pop, R&B, disco, rock, funk, and synthesized Tejano music.
Alpha is the second independent studio album by American Tejano music group Selena y Los Dinos. Released in 1986 under Manny Guerra's G.P. Productions, it followed two albums the group recorded under different indie music labels. Selena y Los Dinos, led by vocalist Selena, recorded mostly cover songs. Wanting to stand out, bassist A.B. Quintanilla requested original material from Luis Silva after noticing his track record for writing award-winning songs. Silva ignored A.B.'s request and he was inspired by Abraham to write songs himself. The group expanded to include keyboardist Ricky Vela and guitarist Roger Garcia. Vela collaborated with A.B. on "Dame un Beso", while he collaborated with Abraham on "Dame tu Amor". A.B. became Selena y Los Dinos' music producer and songwriter, while Abraham encouraged them to record songs of various genres to appeal to a wider audience. Despite her limited Spanish, Selena recorded all nine tracks phonetically.
Mis Mejores Canciones – 17 Super Éxitos is a greatest hits album by American singer Selena released on September 17, 1993, through EMI Latin. Beginning in January 1993, the label released a comprehensive collection that spotlighted its Latin music artists as part of its Latin Classics series. Mis Mejores Canciones - 17 Super Exitos encompasses 17 tracks, ranging from songs recorded on her debut album with EMI Latin, to songs present in Entre a Mi Mundo (1992). The album received a positive response from music critics who enjoyed the label's catalog releases and praised the tracks on the album for showcasing Selena's early popular recordings. Following the shooting death of Selena on March 31, 1995, Mis Mejores Canciones - 17 Super Exitos debuted at number one on the US Billboard Top Catalog Albums chart, the first Spanish-language recording to do so. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album diamond (Latin), denoting 600,000 units shipped in the United States.
Anthology is the first box set by American singer Selena. It was released posthumously on April 7, 1998, through EMI Latin to commemorate the singer's works. The collection comprises 30 tracks, dispersed across three genre-themed discs: "Pop / English" showcases uptempo pop compositions, "Mariachi" highlights Mexican ballads featuring poignant narratives of heartache, and "Cumbia" presents danceable tropical rhythms. The album encompasses recordings from a 14-year-old Selena on her Alpha (1986) album to the posthumous "Disco Medley" (1997). With a limited number of unaltered tracks, Anthology predominantly features reworked and remastered musical arrangements, while preserving the singer's original vocals. Selena's death in March 1995 prompted an influx of requests from her admirers. The singer's father and manager, Abraham Quintanilla, expressed a desire to maintain his daughter's legacy through her music. However, Selena's family has faced criticism from both fans and the media, who accuse them of capitalizing on her death and commodifying her repertoire.
All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos is a greatest hits album by American singer Selena. It was released posthumously on March 9, 1999, through EMI Latin to commemorate its ten-year anniversary since entering the music industry. The album coincided with the fourth anniversary of Selena's death, though then-president Jose Behar rebuffed the idea that the album was an exploitive ploy by the company. Following Selena's death on March 31, 1995, Abraham Quintanilla expressed his interest in persevering his daughter's memory through her works. Selena's family has been criticized by fans and the media for exploiting the singer and cannibalizing her murder by commercializing her repertoire. According to the singer's brother, A.B. Quintanilla, one of Selena's wishes was for her to "never go away", citing a conversation he shared with Selena and their sister Suzette Quintanilla, that if anything were to happen to any one of them, their wish would be to continue on with their music.
All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos Vol. 2 is a greatest hits album by American singer Selena that was released on February 29, 2000, through EMI Latin. After Selena's murder in 1995, her father Abraham Quintanilla stated his commitment to preserving her music and EMI Latin pledged ongoing support for her releases. In 1999, the label's president José Behar acknowledged Selena, who remained the label's top-selling artist, for her contributions to establishing EMI Latin as "the house that Selena built". In March 1999, to commemorate the label's tenth anniversary, it released All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos; it achieved commercial success and a sequel was announced. All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos Vol. 2 contains 16 songs ranging from tracks featured on Selena's Muñequito de Trapo (1987) to the posthumous 1997 club remix of "Enamorada de Ti" (1990).
Momentos Intimos is a compilation album by American singer Selena and released posthumously on March 23, 2004, through EMI Latin. The album contains 24 tracks, though the last eight are spoken liner notes provided by the singer's family, friends, and her Los Dinos band. The songs on the album range from "Como Te Quiero Yo A Ti" (1988), a re-recorded version modernized and remixed on the album, to "Puede Ser", an unreleased duet with Nando "Guero" Dominguez, recorded two weeks before Selena was shot and killed in March 1995. Following Selena's death, her father Abraham Quintanilla expressed his interest in persevering his daughter's memory through her works. Selena's family has been criticized by fans and the media for exploiting the singer and cannibalizing her murder by commercializing her repertoire.
"Enamorada de Ti" is a song recorded by American Tejano recording artist Selena for her second studio album, Ven Conmigo (1990). The song was written by Selena y Los Dinos band member Pete Astudillo and her brother, A.B. Quintanilla III, and produced by Quintanilla, It is a Spanish-language adaptation of "Is It the Beat?", an English song originally written by Quintanilla III and Pamela Phillips Oland. The English version was recorded by Selena in 1989 for a potential English-language crossover album.
"Ámame" is a song by American singer Selena, taken from her third studio album, Entre a Mi Mundo (1992). Selena and Chris Pérez began secretly dating subsequent to Pérez's reintegration into Selena y Los Dinos in the summer of 1991, despite her father's objections. The song was written by Selena and conveys her sentiments towards Pérez as they concealed their liaison from familial scrutiny. Pete Astudillo contributed to the lyrical development of the composition, while A. B. Quintanilla handled production. It was released as the fourth and final single from the album in April 1993.
"¿Qué Creías?" is a song by American singer Selena, taken from her third studio album, Entre a Mi Mundo (1992). It was written by Pete Astudillo and A. B. Quintanilla; the composition was a result of a challenge issued by A. B. to Astudillo to create a song before they arrived in Las Vegas from California. Astudillo drew inspiration from the works of Mexican singer Juan Gabriel, culminating in a mariachi ballad. Selena, in describing the song, avers that it embodies women on a collective scale. It is the singer's torch song and the lyrics elucidate Selena's inflexible stance on refusing to absolve an unfaithful partner. She directly addresses her former lover who had taken her for granted, informing him of her capability to exist without him. Critics acclaimed Selena's emotional vocal range and her poetic expression with a distinctly feminine cadence.
"Como la Flor" is a song recorded by American singer Selena. Written by A. B. Quintanilla and Pete Astudillo, it was released as the second single from her third studio album Entre a Mi Mundo (1992). The song was written by Quintanilla, who was inspired by a family selling illuminated plastic flowers at a concert in Sacramento, California, in 1982. A decade later, Quintanilla. was seized with an infectious melody and abruptly dashed out of the shower in a hotel room in Bryan, Texas, to recreate it on a keyboard with Astudillo. He completed the music in just 20 minutes, while Astudillo took another hour to complete the lyrics. "Como la Flor" is an up-tempo, Tejano cumbia torch song that blends tropical cumbia rhythms with hints of reggae and pop music. Its lyrics describe the feelings of a female protagonist addressing her former lover, who abandoned her for another partner. The narrator is uncertain of her ability to love again, while at the same time, wishing her former partner and his new lover the best.
"La Carcacha" is a song recorded by American singer Selena for her third studio album, Entre a Mi Mundo (1992). The song was written by A.B. Quintanilla and Pete Astudillo. It was inspired by a dilapidated car and an experience in which A.B. observed a woman's willingness to court the owner of a luxury car. The song, characterized by its rhythmic melodies and satirical portrayal of life in the barrio, highlights the importance of love and genuine connection over material wealth. It is a Tejano cumbia song that is emblematic of Selena's typical style, while music critics found it to be musically similar to "Baila Esta Cumbia".
"Ya Ves" is a song recorded by American singer Selena on her second studio album Ven Conmigo. The song was written by A. B. Quintanilla and Pete Astudillo. "Ya Ves" was released as the lead single off Ven Conmigo in September 1990 and received critical acclaim from music critics, who recognized its significant contribution to the rise of Selena's popularity across the United States, Mexico, and Latin America. Following the unveiling of the United States Postal Service's commemorative Forever Stamps featuring Selena, "Ya Ves" debuted and peaked at number 20 on the US Billboard Regional Mexican Digital Song Sales chart in April 2011. In 2005, Bobby Pulido performed the song at the Selena ¡Vive! benefit concert.
"Besitos" is a song recorded by American singer Selena on her eponymous debut album with EMI Latin. It was composed by A. B. Quintanilla and Pete Astudillo. Upon signing a recording contract with EMI Latin, A. B. was cautioned that failure to produce a successful album would result in his replacement by a company-approved candidate. The group Los Bad Boyz, composed of Astudillo and keyboardist Joe Ojeda, initially opened for Selena y Los Dinos before integrating themselves into the band's lineup. Astudillo's songwriting debut came in the form of "Besitos", a composition in which the lyrics convey a longing for her lover's kisses and a desire to be his source of happiness.
Dulce Amor is the sixth and last independent studio album by Tejano music group Selena y Los Dinos. The album became the final album to be released from RP Records. Selena's brother, A.B. Quintanilla III had become the main songwriter. Selena recorded fourteen songs but only released ten. All the songs were recorded in three different recording studios. Dulce Amor helped Selena to be noticed at the 1989 Tejano Music Awards. She was then signed by EMI Latin. This would be the last studio album to be released under “Selena y Los Dinos” as all subsequent albums would be released under “Selena”. The album had only sold over 30,000 copies. It was ordered to be removed from stores by EMI Records.
16 Super Exitos Originales is a greatest hits album by American singer Selena released on March 3, 1990, through EMI Latin. The label aimed to release a compilation containing recordings by Selena y Los Dinos prior to their contractual agreement in 1989, to illustrate the band's musical progressions up to that point. 16 Super Exitos Originales encompasses 16 tracks re-recorded under new arrangements, ranging from compositions recorded through Freddie Records in 1983 to the group's Dulce Amor (1988) album. The album received critical acclaim from music critics, who found it to have contained recordings that solidified Selena's status in the Tejano music market and introduced her to a broader audience. The album peaked at number 22 on the US Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart. EMI Latin posthumously re-issued 16 Super Exitos Originales under the title Mis Primeros Exitos on August 13, 2002.
