Selena Quintanilla Pérez was an American singer. Referred to as the "Queen of Tejano Music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers of the late 20th century. In 2020, Billboard magazine put her in third place on their list of "Greatest Latino Artists of All Time", based on both Latin albums and Latin songs chart. Media outlets called her the "Tejano Madonna" for her clothing choices. She also ranks among the most influential Latin artists of all time and is credited for catapulting the Tejano genre into the mainstream market.
Yolanda Saldívar is an American former nurse who was convicted of murdering Tejano singer Selena in 1995. Born in San Antonio, Saldívar had been the president of Selena's fan club and the manager of her boutiques, but she lost both positions a short time before the murder, when the singer's family discovered that she had been embezzling money from both organizations.
Selena is a 1997 American biographical musical drama film about Tejano music star Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, played by Jennifer Lopez. The film, written and directed by Gregory Nava, chronicles the star's rise to fame and death when she was murdered by Yolanda Saldívar at the age of 23. In addition to Lopez, the film also stars Edward James Olmos, Jon Seda, Constance Marie, Jacob Vargas, Lupe Ontiveros, and Jackie Guerra.
Christopher Gilbert Pérez is an American guitarist, best known as lead guitarist for the Tejano band Selena y Los Dinos. He married the frontwoman of the group, Selena, on April 2, 1992. Pérez grew up in San Antonio, Texas as one of two children of Gilbert Pérez and Carmen Medina. In 1986, he began his tenure by joining Shelly Lares' band. By the late 1980s, Pérez was respected among Tejano musicians for his guitar skills. This caught A.B. Quintanilla's attention; at the time, A.B. was seeking another guitarist for the band he produced, Selena y Los Dinos. Between one and two years after Pérez joined the band, he and Selena began a personal relationship.
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.
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. Selena's brother, A. B. Quintanilla kept 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 many 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.
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 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.
Mirador de la Flor is a monument in Corpus Christi, Texas, that honors Tejano musician Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, who was murdered on March 31, 1995 at age 23. About 30,000 people visit the monument every year, especially citizens of Corpus Christi and cities located in Texas. It is located a few miles north of Selena's burial site at Seaside Memorial Park, and features a life-sized bronze statue of the singer, sculpted by Corpus Christi native H.W. "Buddy" Tatum. Selena's statue leans against a concrete pillar, looking towards the Corpus Christi Bay.
"Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" is a song recorded by American Tejano singer Selena. It was released as the second single from her fourth studio album, Amor Prohibido (1994). Originally written about a cheerful fish swimming freely in the ocean, the song's title is an onomatopoeic phrase suggesting the palpitating heartbeat of a person lovestruck by the object of their affection. "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" was written by Selena and her backup vocalist and dancer Pete Astudillo.
Pedro Astudillo, known as Pete Astudillo, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and dancer. Referred to as "the Latino Babyface" by The Daily Journal, he is regarded as the architect behind Selena's sound, as he collaborated or coauthored the singer's top-selling and most popular recordings that cemented him into music history. Astudillo wrote or collaborated on some of the most popular Tejano music songs of the 1990s and was inducted into the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame in 2019. His impact on the United States Latin music scene lies in his role as a songwriter collaborator, according to Billboard magazine.
"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".
"El Chico del Apartamento 512" is a song recorded by American recording artist Selena for her fourth studio album, Amor Prohibido (1994). It was released along with "Fotos y Recuerdos" in January 1995, serving as its B-side track. Written by Ricky Vela, "El Chico del Apartamento 512" is a cumbia song with influences of Colombian and South American music. Lyrically, the song describes a female protagonist who knocks on her love interest's apartment door and is heartbroken when his sister answers it. Justino Aguilar of Billboard magazine, called "El Chico del Apartamento 512" as one of Selena's "most memorable songs". The track posthumously peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard Regional Mexican Digital Songs chart in 2011.
Selena (1971–1995) was an American singer.
Abraham Isaac Quintanilla Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, and producer. He is the father of Tejano singer Selena and was her manager throughout her life.
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. The killer, Yolanda Saldívar, was the president of Selena's fan club who was exposed as having embezzled thousands of dollars from the singer's earnings.
State of Texas v. Yolanda Saldívar was a criminal trial held at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse in Downtown Houston, in the U.S. state of Texas. The trial began with the jury's swearing-in on October 9, 1995, through opening statements on October 12, to a verdict on October 23. Former nurse Yolanda Saldívar was tried on one count of first-degree murder after the shooting death of American Tejano music singer Selena on March 31, 1995, after which she held police and the FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit at bay for almost ten hours. The case has been described as the most important trial for the Hispanic population and was compared to the O. J. Simpson murder trial by media outlets. It was one of the most publicly followed trials in the history of the state of Texas.
