BIOGRAPHY

It is not an everyday occurrence that an individual is born who is destined to touch the lives of millions. But, on April 16, 1971, in Lake Jackson, Texas, such an individual was born. Her name was SELENA. The youngest of three children born to Abraham and Marcella Quintanilla, Selena and her family eventually moved to Corpus Christi. By 1980, at the early age of nine, Selena had already begun working alongside her family, taking her place as the lead singer of the their band, Selena Y Los Dinos. More than a weekend hobby, the band became the family's livelihood. With her brother A.B. on bass and her sister Suzette on drums, the young group, managed by their father, toured the state of Texas performing for weddings and small clubs. Initially thrust into the music industry out of necessity, Selena and her family focused their energies into making their dreams come true. Recognized for their talent and lively stage performances, Selena Y Los Dinos signed with EMI Latin, and in just a few short years the group had expanded and become one of the Tejano industry's most sought after acts. Known for her powerful voice, sexy dance moves, and unique costume designs, Selena Quintanilla was the No. 1 female Latino star in the United States and Mexico before her untimely death on March 31, 1995, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

By April 1995, Selena became the first recording artist to place five Spanish-language albums simultaneously on the Billboard 200. Her Grammy-nominated 1994 release AMOR PROHIBIDO went platinum, as did her 1993 Grammy Award winning album SELENA LIVE! and her 1992 album ENTRE A MI MUNDO. It quickly became evident that Selena and her music had reached far more people than anyone could have imagined. At the time of her death, Selena was in the process of realizing one of her biggest dreams, crossing over into the English-speaking market. She had already recorded four English-language tracks that were to be included on her EMI Records premiere later that year. Dubbed by her fans as the "Queen of Tejano" many of Selena's hits were, and are still, rotated heavily on radio stations of every format. Although Selena's prospects for stardom in the English-speaking music world have been much debated since her death, the posthumous release of the album DREAMING OF YOU gave a clear indication that Selena was, in fact, on her way to becoming a star in the English market as well. What Selena accomplished by the age of 23, others could spend a lifetime trying to achieve. For that, one cannot help but feel respect and admiration for this Corpus Christi role model that inspired and represented the hopes and dreams of millions of followers who collectively identified with her. And so Selena's legacy lives on, in our cherished memories and in everyone that has been touched by her music.

 

 

 

 

BIOGRAFIA

No todos los dias nace alguien destinado a tocar la vida de millones de personas. Pero esa persona llego al mundo el 16 de Abril de 1971 en Lake Jackson, Texas. Su nombre era SELENA. La menor de los tres hijos de Abraham y Marcella Quintanilla, se mudo posteriormente junto con su familia a Corpus Christi. En 1980 con tan solo nueve anos de edad, Selena comenzo a trabajar como cantante en la banda familiar llamada Selena y Los Dinos. Con los anos, la banda dejo de ser un pasatiempo para convertirse en su principal fuente de ingresos. Con su hermano A.B. en el bajo y su hermana Suzette en la bateria, el grupo manejado por su padre recorrio todo el estado de Texas, actuando en bodas y centros nocturnos pequenos. Aunque inicialmente entraron al mundo de la musica por necesidad, Selena y su familia concentraron sus energias en hacer realidad sus suenos. Al reconocer su talento y presencia escenica, EMI Latin firmo un contrato con Selena y Los Dinos. En pocos anos el grupo se convirtio en uno de los mas importantes de la Musica Tejana. Conocida por su voz poderosa, movimientos sensuales y la originalidad de su vestuario, Selena se posiciono como la figura Femenina Latina Numero Uno en los Estados Unidos y Mexico antes de su muerte en 31 de Marzo de 1995 en Corpus Christi, Texas.

En Abril del mismo ano, llego a ser la primera cantante en colocar simultaneamente cinco albumes en espanol en la lista de los 200 mas vendidos de la revista Billboard. El album AMOR PROHIBIDO, naminado para un GRAMMY en 1994, se convirtio en disco de platino, al igual que su album ganador del GRAMMY de 1993, SELENA LIVE! y su album de 1992, ENTRE A MI MUNDO. Estos premios hicieron evidente que Selena y su musica habian alcanzado muchas mas personas que las que nadia hubiera podido imaginar. En el momento de su muerte, Selena estaba en el proceso de hacer realidad uno de sus mas grande anhelos: entrar en el mercardo de habla ingles. Ya tenia grabadas las primeras cuatro canciones del album que lazaria ese ano. Nombrada por sus seguidores como la "Reina de la Musica Tejana", muchos de sus exitos tuvieron y siguen teniendo constante rotacion en las emisoras de radio. El album DREAMING OF YOU, lazando postumamente, tuvo una gran acogida por parte del publico estadounidense. A los 23 anos Selena ya habia logrado la clase de exito que a otros cantantes les toma toda una vida para alcanzar. Por ello no se puede sentir sino respeto y admiracion por esta chica de Corpus Christi que se convirtio en un medelo a seguir y representaba las esperanzas y suenos de milliones de seguidores que se identificaban con ella. El legado de Selena continua vivo en nuestra memoria y en la vida de todos los que fueron tocados por su musica.

 

 

Thank you for keeping Selena's memory alive by visiting my website. - Shawn

www.selenalareina.com