Kazza
03-31-2005, 09:36 AM
Selena's star shines 10 years after death
By Justino Aguila
The Orange County Register
March 31, 2005
SANTA ANA, Calif. -- By 23, Selena was already the queen of Tejano music in her home state of Texas, filling the Houston Astrodome with 60,000 fans. With her catchy songs of love, she was well on her way to becoming an international pop phenomenon.
The singer's seemingly unstoppable rise ended, suddenly and tragically, 10 years ago today. She was gunned down by Yolanda Saldivar, the former president of her fan club, whom she'd caught embezzling money from her. Saldivar was convicted of the slaying and is serving a life prison term.
The shot Saldivar fired from a .38-caliber revolver silenced one of Latin music's most promising young voices, but it did nothing to dim the legend of Selena. A decade later, she's arguably bigger and more significant than ever. Selena's family and fans, record labels and radio stations keep her alive through music and merchandising.
To commemorate the anniversary of her slaying, at least half a dozen CDs and DVDs have come out in recent weeks or are about to be released. Her family will be at an April 7 concert at Houston's Reliant Stadium to mark the 10th anniversary. Several performers, including Kumbia Kings, the band led by Selena's brother, A.B. Quintanilla; Gloria Estefan; and Thalia, are scheduled to participate in the three-hour tribute to be broadcast live by Univision, a Spanish-language television network.
"There are bittersweet emotions," said Abraham Quintanilla, Selena's father. "I would rather she be present with us, but we know that we can't change that, so I'm also happy to see the response from all the artists who said yes to the concert immediately. It's a good feeling to know that they cared for Selena and they still do."
The youngest of three children, Selena Quintanilla was born in Lake Jackson, Texas. She began singing at age 6 and started performing with Selena y Los Dinos, the family band, when she was 9. At 15, Selena won the Tejano Music Award for female entertainer of the year.
By 23, Selena was the reigning queen of Tejano music, a fusion of polkas, country and western and traditional Mexican folk music sung in Spanish that is popular along the Texas-Mexico border. Selena and Los Dinos mixed in Colombian "cumbia," pop and R&B, creating a unique sound that won fans across the United States and Latin America and earned them a Grammy for best Mexican-American album in 1993.
On stage, Selena created a sexy image with her long, black hair and deep-red lips, her dance moves, her skintight pants and rhinestone-covered bustiers. Off-stage, however, her unpretentious personality and her devotion to family struck a chord with fans.
Despite her success, she continued to live in Molina, a working-class neighborhood where her family moved when she was a young girl. Her father managed the band; her brother, sister and husband played in it.
Today, with Latin music far more prevalent in the mainstream, Selena is seen as a pioneer who blazed the trail for icons such as Jennifer Lopez (who got her big break playing Selena in a film), Jennifer Pena and teen sensation JD Natasha.
There was a time, at the height of her success, when many major retail stores still didn't carry Selena's music. Her tragic death, and the outpouring of grief that followed, finally got the mainstream to take notice.
Thousands of Selena fans across the country mourned. Record stores sold out of her music and ordered more. Magazines such as People and Entertainment Weekly put Selena on their covers.
"She influenced the Latino world," music producer Emilio Estefan said. "It's such a shame that her life was interrupted. Wherever she is, she should feel happy and blessed that so many people love her."
By Justino Aguila
The Orange County Register
March 31, 2005
SANTA ANA, Calif. -- By 23, Selena was already the queen of Tejano music in her home state of Texas, filling the Houston Astrodome with 60,000 fans. With her catchy songs of love, she was well on her way to becoming an international pop phenomenon.
The singer's seemingly unstoppable rise ended, suddenly and tragically, 10 years ago today. She was gunned down by Yolanda Saldivar, the former president of her fan club, whom she'd caught embezzling money from her. Saldivar was convicted of the slaying and is serving a life prison term.
The shot Saldivar fired from a .38-caliber revolver silenced one of Latin music's most promising young voices, but it did nothing to dim the legend of Selena. A decade later, she's arguably bigger and more significant than ever. Selena's family and fans, record labels and radio stations keep her alive through music and merchandising.
To commemorate the anniversary of her slaying, at least half a dozen CDs and DVDs have come out in recent weeks or are about to be released. Her family will be at an April 7 concert at Houston's Reliant Stadium to mark the 10th anniversary. Several performers, including Kumbia Kings, the band led by Selena's brother, A.B. Quintanilla; Gloria Estefan; and Thalia, are scheduled to participate in the three-hour tribute to be broadcast live by Univision, a Spanish-language television network.
"There are bittersweet emotions," said Abraham Quintanilla, Selena's father. "I would rather she be present with us, but we know that we can't change that, so I'm also happy to see the response from all the artists who said yes to the concert immediately. It's a good feeling to know that they cared for Selena and they still do."
The youngest of three children, Selena Quintanilla was born in Lake Jackson, Texas. She began singing at age 6 and started performing with Selena y Los Dinos, the family band, when she was 9. At 15, Selena won the Tejano Music Award for female entertainer of the year.
By 23, Selena was the reigning queen of Tejano music, a fusion of polkas, country and western and traditional Mexican folk music sung in Spanish that is popular along the Texas-Mexico border. Selena and Los Dinos mixed in Colombian "cumbia," pop and R&B, creating a unique sound that won fans across the United States and Latin America and earned them a Grammy for best Mexican-American album in 1993.
On stage, Selena created a sexy image with her long, black hair and deep-red lips, her dance moves, her skintight pants and rhinestone-covered bustiers. Off-stage, however, her unpretentious personality and her devotion to family struck a chord with fans.
Despite her success, she continued to live in Molina, a working-class neighborhood where her family moved when she was a young girl. Her father managed the band; her brother, sister and husband played in it.
Today, with Latin music far more prevalent in the mainstream, Selena is seen as a pioneer who blazed the trail for icons such as Jennifer Lopez (who got her big break playing Selena in a film), Jennifer Pena and teen sensation JD Natasha.
There was a time, at the height of her success, when many major retail stores still didn't carry Selena's music. Her tragic death, and the outpouring of grief that followed, finally got the mainstream to take notice.
Thousands of Selena fans across the country mourned. Record stores sold out of her music and ordered more. Magazines such as People and Entertainment Weekly put Selena on their covers.
"She influenced the Latino world," music producer Emilio Estefan said. "It's such a shame that her life was interrupted. Wherever she is, she should feel happy and blessed that so many people love her."