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SELENA BIOGRAPHY |
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Copyright © 1998 Source Tribute, Inc. 
Tejano music is a mixture of polka, pop, country, and blues, which
dates back to the first Mexican Americans in the Rio Grande region. For
many years Tejano fans thought their music would remain a secret to
other people, until a very special musician entered the arena. She
captivated Tejano fans with her energetic presence and mesmerized them
with her incredible soprano voice. They proudly call her Selena, the
Queen of Tejano Music. Selena Quintanilla was born on April 16, 1971 in Lake Jackson, Texas,
to proud parents Abraham and Marcella Quintanilla. When Selena was
merely seven years old her father - knew from listening to the trembling
delivery in her voice that she would become a superstar. Being that
Selena only spoke English her father had to first teach her how to sing
in Spanish. He taught his son, AB. to play guitar and Selena's sister,
Suzette, to play the drums. Eventually, the family played at family
gatherings, adding two new members in 1979 and naming the band Selena y
Los Dinos (Selena and the Guys.) While Abraham Quintanitia Jr. managed
the band, Selena's mother, Marcella, aside from keeping the family
together, was in charge of working the stage lights. Forced by hard
times the Quintanilia family went on the road to keep food on the table;
slowly but surely, Selena's trademark vocals, flashy outfits and
magnetic personality won the hearts of children, women, and men of all
ages. With strong determination and the will to succeed, at eight years
old, Selena, and the talented "Dinos" began to record for the
first time in Houston Texas. They recorded Spanish renditions of Patsy
Cline's classic, "Sweet Dreams" backed by Anne Murray's,
"You Needed Me." The 45-RPM single was pressed but never
released. They continued to persevere, recording at least four complete
albums (Alpha, Preciosa, And The Winner Is, and Dulce Amor) each
gradually increasing in sales. By age seventeen, the Coca-Cola Company
approached Selena to become the new voice for the Latino generation.
They sponsored and promoted Selena's every event. Following suit in
future years would be endorsements for Call Notes and Agree Shampoo:
companies were eager to associate their name with Tejano's secret
treasure. In 1989 Selena's years of traveling, performing, and working
hard began to pay off. Selena, backed by "Los Dinos," signed a
contract with EMI Records. Her first album with EMI, Ven Con Migo (Come
With Me), went gold in 1991 making her the first female Tejano recording
artist to score a gold record. Selena's star and personal life was
definitely on the rise. On April 2, 1992 Selena married her long time
friend and member of her band, Chris Perez, who played the bass guitar.
This marriage proved to be a modern day fairytale. "Como La
Flor." Coca-Cola released a
commemorative bottle in her honor to celebrate their five-year
relationship together and the informed magazine Hispanic Business
reported the singer earned over five million dollars via endorsements,
her boutiques, and mostly by her music sales. It made Selena one of the
top twenty wealthiest Hispanic entertainers in the world. It also made
her the first Tejano artist ever to make that list. At twenty-two years old Selena signed an international recording
contract with SBK Records, a sister company of EMI. This was a dream
come true for Selena; since belting out "Tomorrow's Rains Fell
Today (On the Twilight of My Sorrow)," Selena longed to record an
English Album. Her dream was to be in the company of pop icons, such as
Donna Summer, Paula Abdul and Madonna. Now all her dreams were on the
verge of coming true, she was more determined than ever. Meanwhile, her
duet with the Barrio Boys, "Donde Quiera Que Estes" (Wherever
You Are), raced to the top of the Latin charts. This prompted Selena to
tour in New York, Argentina, Puerto Rico and Central America where she
was in growing demand. Selena was becoming so popular that she was
featured along side Eric Estrada in a Latin soap opera titled, Dos
Mujeres Un Camino (Two Women One Path.) When Selena appeared, the
ratings went off the roof. Selena was asked to make a second appearance
but she declined due to her conflicting schedule.
released in the summer of 1995. Afraid that
her loyal fans would think she was turning her back on them, Selena was
simultaneously recording a new Tejano Album as well. In the beginning of
1995 Selena earned a second Grammy nomination for Amor Prohibido. She
was planning to open two more Boutiques and was preparing to launch her
own perfume and Makeup lines, simply titled Selena. That same year she
swept the Tejano Music Awards including Female Vocalist of the year for
the eight consecutive years in a row. In early March of 1995 Selena's
legendary concert at the Houston Astrodome broke attendance records. She
shocked her fans by opening the concert with a medley of Disco classics.
She instantly became a bonafide diva; the world was hers for the asking.
Over 60,000 fans screamed, cheered and sang along to Selena's infectious
classics, "Baila Esta Cumbia" and "Bidibidi Bom Bom."
Selena's ease on stage and perfect transition from Spanish to English
proved that her cross over dream would be an instant success. Several
weeks after the Houston Astrodome concert Selena was scheduled to record
at Q Productions to complete her forthcoming album. However, to everyone's disbelief, Selena was, instead, being rushed
to the Memorial Medical Center in Corpus Christi while her father and
brother waited for her to arrive at the recording studio. The tragic
news was over all the airwaves- Selena was shot once, in the back of her
right shoulder, by a woman whom Selena considered a dear friend and even
appointed president of her fan club. The world seemed to stop when
Selena was pronounced dead on Friday March 31, 1995 at 1:05 in the
afternoon. The Hispanic community was in shock as news of Selena's death
spread like wild fire. This was an obvious unjust act of greed and
treason yet rumors and lies surfaced- anything to try and find untruth
to the tragic reality.El
cuento de la vida de Selena es un de tragedia. Ella se murio cuando fue
solamente veintitres anos. Selena fue una cantante de Tejano,
Mexicano-Americano musica, y ya fue una estrella cuando se murio.
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