A Short Biography: Selena Quintanilla-Perez

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Selena Selena Quintanilla-Perez was born to Mexican American parents on April 16th, 1971 in Texas. Selena was known as “The Queen of Tejano” and the Mexican equivalent of Madonna. Tejano music is a fusion of polkas, country-western and traditional Mexican folk music that is sung is Spanish. At six, she was singing in both English and Spanish, but she did not know how to speak Spanish at the time, she sang phonetically. Selena and her group created a unique sound by mixing in Colombian cumbia, pop and R&B. She was named the “top Latin artist of the 90’s” and “Best selling Latin artist of the decade” by Billboard. In 1993, she won a Grammy for Best Mexican-American performance for her album Selena Live. Two of her most successful singles…show more content…
Yet ironically and almost prophetically, when Selena was asked about her future during a July 1994 interview, she stated, “I just hope still to be alive, hopefully singing still and later on, maybe 10 years yonder, I hope to have a family by then.” In early 1995, the Quintanilla’s discovered that Saldívar was stealing money from the fan club, and decided to fire her. Three weeks after the fallout, Selena agreed to meet Saldívar in a Days Inn hotel in Corpus Christi, on the morning of March 31, 1995, to retrieve paperwork for tax purposes. At 11:49 am, Saldívar drew a gun from her purse, pointing it at Selena. As the singer turned and left the room, Saldívar shot her once in her right shoulder, severing an artery. Selena ran towards the lobby to get help. She collapsed on the floor as the clerk called 911. Before collapsing to the floor, Selena named Saldívar as the shooter and gave the room number where she had been shot. After an ambulance and the police arrived on the scene, Selena was transported to a local hospital. She died there from loss of blood at 1:05 p.m., two weeks before her 24th birthday. In October of 1995, Saldivar was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility of parole for 30…show more content…
Plus it shocked and saddened non-Latinos who had come to love her. Numerous vigils and memorials were held in her honor, and radio stations in Texas played her music non-stop. Her funeral drew approximately 60,000 mourners, many of whom traveled from outside the United States. Among the celebrities who were reported to have immediately phoned the Quintanilla family to express their condolences were Gloria Estefan, Celia Cruz, Julio Iglesias and Madonna. On March 27th 1997 the movie Selena was released. It was directed by Gregory Nava and starred Jennifer Lopez as Selena. It is a popular movie and has helped make a whole new generation of fans aware of who Selena was and what she accomplished in her life. On April 12, 1995, two weeks after her death, George W. Bush, governor of Texas at the time, declared her birthday "Selena Day" in Texas. Today, nearly 15 years after her death, Selena’s legacy lives on. Despite the tragedy, Selena made the crossover into mainstream and is an icon whose spirit still lives. Selena has sold over 21 million albums

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