Selena's Legacy Grows After Her Death - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Janice · 03-21-2005, 05:42 PM

http://apnews.excite.com/article/200...D88VJBLO0.html

Selena's Legacy Grows After Her Death

(AP) Tejano star Selena, left, watches as Yolanda Saldivar speaks to a crowd at a post-1994 Tejano Music...
Full Image

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) - On a recent cold and rainy afternoon, Marta Solis and Patricia Mora posed for photos next to a life-sized bronze statue of Selena gazing out at the ocean.

The friends drove 36 hours from Pasco, Wash., to tour Selena landmark sites in the Tejano singer's hometown of Corpus Christi, a city that has become a sort of Graceland for the slain singer's fans.

"I still remember being in sixth grade and crying uncontrollably after hearing she had been shot," said Solis, 22, a teacher and longtime fan. "For me she is a role model, because she got far for a Latina woman."

A decade after Selena was gunned down by the president of her fan club, her musical legacy continues to thrive, winning over thousands of new fans, many of them young girls born after she died.

But her influence runs far deeper than the music she left behind; she has become a cultural icon for Latinos who see her as a woman who was proud of her roots and achieved her dreams.

"Selena touched a lot of hearts," said Abraham Quintanilla, Selena's father and manager. "Her fans viewed her as a positive, humble person and I've always believed that in Selena's case it was just not the music but the person who made an impact."

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 and exploded in popularity in the male-dominated Tejano music scene.

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 all over the United States and Latin America and earned them Grammy for best Mexican American album in 1993.

On stage, Selena created a sexy image with her long, jet-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 stroke 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 all played in it. They all lived in houses next to each other.

"She never acted like the big star she was, and she always spoke of wanting to have family, to have children," said Raquel Zamarripa, a 24-year-fan from San Antonio.

Zamarripa brought her two nieces, aged 11 and 10, to visit the Selena Museum, where Selena's red Porsche is parked in the corner of a room where the walls are covered with the late singer's photographs and her gold and platinum records.

Glass cases display her Grammy and other music awards and the gowns she wore at award shows and her concerts.

The museum, tucked in the back of the Q Productions building (the company owned by Selena's father), is part of a Selena pilgrimage that also includes her Selena Etc. boutique, the memorial on the bay and her grave at Seaside Memorial Park - all sites visited by hundreds of fans, many of them children, who come to pay their respects.

"They already love her music so I wanted them to learn more about her," Zamarripa said.

Selena was about to release her first album in English as part of an attempt to cross over into mainstream American music when she was shot by Yolanda Saldivar, the president of the Selena Fan Club, at a Corpus Christi motel on March 31, 1995.

Saldivar was convicted of the slaying and is serving a life prison term.

Four months after Selena died, "Dreaming of You," a collection of four English songs intended for Selena's crossover album and earlier Tejano hits, was released and debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's album chart. To date, it has sold about 4 million copies, Quintanilla said.

Killed two weeks shy of her 24th birthday, Selena's death stunned her fans who traveled from throughout the United States and Mexico to Corpus Christi where more than 30,000 of them filed past her coffin.

Selena has been immortalized in a feature film starring Jennifer Lopez, in dozens of books and several documentaries. But for her fans she has hardly been forgotten and for many children she has become a legend.

"There are so many young girls who come to the museum in Selena-like outfits, it's just amazing," Quintanilla said. "They want to be like her, dance like her."

In Corpus Christi, TV and radio stations are planning a vigil for the fans expected to descend on this seaside city March 31.

Abraham Quintanilla said his family will commemorate Selena's death in private at home. But the family will be present 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. (Houston was the site of Selena's final concert.)

Quintanilla said a musical about Selena will open in Mexico City in late April.

All of it is likely to appeal to people such as Claudia Hernandez, 35, who traveled with her husband and three teenage daughters to Corpus Christi to visit Selena's memorial.

Hernandez said visiting the Selena landmarks has been a tradition her family has followed for years. "If people go to San Antonio they visit the Alamo and when we come here we visit Selena's sites," Hernandez said. "I plan to teach my grandchildren about her and maybe one day they too will continue our tradition."

consentida · 03-21-2005, 09:07 PM

I love Selena. She's been such an inspiration to me. I can't believe its going to be ten years.

Kay Scarpetta · 03-21-2005, 09:25 PM

Ten years... wow. I remember coming home that day from kindergarten and hearing about it. Man, I was only 5 years old. It's so sad that she didn't live to see how big she was becoming.

musicradio77 · 03-21-2005, 11:09 PM

Selena was a great singer. I have two CD's "Dreaming of You" and the soundtrack from the movie "Selena" along with the movie I have. It stars Jennifer Lopez (aka J-Lo) played the title role. It happened 10 years ago since she was shot. I was the sad moment since John Lennon was shot in 1980 and Marvin Gaye was shot in 1984. RIP - Selena

MissZero · 03-21-2005, 11:12 PM

awwww I can't believe it's been that long

she did so much for Latino music and she was a great person. it's sad to see these great people die young.

musicradio77 · 03-21-2005, 11:19 PM

I love those songs "I Could Fall in Love", "Dreaming of You" and of course that crazy spanish tune "Bidi-Bidi-Bom-Bom" (or "Bidi-Bidi-Bum-Bum").

It sounded a lot like Twiggy the Robot in the "Buck Rogers" TV series. Remember Twiggy used to say "Bidi-bidi-beep?".

Steve M. · 03-22-2005, 12:02 AM

How she actually got shot by her own fan club president is beyond comprehension!

Rebel Queen 1980 · 03-23-2005, 12:04 AM

Selena was truly an inspiration to all,Hard to believe it's been 10 years.
Her legacy will truly live forever. Her name is getting to be so popular now
especially in the Hispanic community. Since her death there were alot of
Hispanic baby girls born between 1995 to present who been named Selena

crystals · 03-23-2005, 02:37 AM

I love Selena's music. After hearing her music it made me want to learn some Spanish and now I actually know more Spanish than French. I didn't listen to her music until after her death, I first heard her music sometime around late 1995 to early 1996. Selena is my most fave singer as far as singing in Spanish goes. My second fave is Thalia Arrasando.

I love so much of Selena's songs:
"Si La Quieres", "Como La Flor", "Yo Te Sigo Queriendo", "Las Cadenas", "Vuelve A Mi", "La Carcacha", "Siempre Estoy Pensando En Ti", "Missing My Baby" and "Amame" from the Entre A Mi Mundo album.

"No Debes Jugar", "Tu Robaste Mi Corazon", "La Llamada" from the Live album.

"Amor Prohibido", "No Me Queda Mas", "Cobarde", "Fotos Y Recuerdos", "El Chico Del Apartmento 512", "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom", "Techno Cumbia", "Si Una Vez" and "Ya No" from the Amor Prohibido album.

And, the bidi bidi bom bom line actually refers to the beating of a heart. The lines in the song: "Cada vez. Cada vez que lo veo pasar" actually means along the lines of each time her husband passes by her heart starts to beat very fast. The sound "bidi bidi bom bom" being the sound of her heart.

I also like the songs: "I Could Fall In Love", "Captive Heart", "I'm Getting Used To You", "Dreaming Of You", "Where ever You Are (Dondequiera Que Estes)", "Como La Flor", and "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" from the Dreaming Of You album.

"A Million To One" and "No Quiero Saber" from the Siempre Selena album.

And also the songs:
"Where Did The Feeling Go", "Is It The Beat", "Only Love", "Dreaming Of You" "A Boy Like That" and "I Could Fall In Love" from the soundtrack to the film.

Rebel Queen 1980 · 03-23-2005, 06:49 PM

Wow!,some of you were little kids when it happened, I was a freshman in
high school when it happened 10 years ago. I was 15 years old at the time.

Dean Winchester · 03-23-2005, 07:05 PM

I am surprised it's been that long.

Who else thinks that even though she's in jail and will probably never get out, they should also prosecute Yolanda Saldivar for also helping jumpstart the career of Jennifer Lopez? That is also a punishable felony, lol.

Kay Scarpetta · 03-23-2005, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crystals

"Amor Prohibido", "No Me Queda Mas", "Cobarde", "Fotos Y Recuerdos", "El Chico Del Apartmento 512", "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom", "Techno Cumbia", "Si Una Vez" and "Ya No" from the Amor Prohibido album.

I own almost all of Selena's albums, and Amor Prohibido is by far my favorite. 'Ya No' is one of the greatest songs she ever sang.

consentida · 03-23-2005, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rebel Queen 1980

Selena was truly an inspiration to all,Hard to believe it's been 10 years.
Her legacy will truly live forever. Her name is getting to be so popular now
especially in the Hispanic community. Since her death there were alot of
Hispanic baby girls born between 1995 to present who been named Selena

I plan on naming my first daughter after Selena since she's been such an inspiration to me..that's if I ever actually have any daughters.

03-21-2005, 05:42 PM	#1
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	Selena's Legacy Grows After Her Death http://apnews.excite.com/article/200...D88VJBLO0.html Selena's Legacy Grows After Her Death (AP) Tejano star Selena, left, watches as Yolanda Saldivar speaks to a crowd at a post-1994 Tejano Music... Full Image CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) - On a recent cold and rainy afternoon, Marta Solis and Patricia Mora posed for photos next to a life-sized bronze statue of Selena gazing out at the ocean. The friends drove 36 hours from Pasco, Wash., to tour Selena landmark sites in the Tejano singer's hometown of Corpus Christi, a city that has become a sort of Graceland for the slain singer's fans. "I still remember being in sixth grade and crying uncontrollably after hearing she had been shot," said Solis, 22, a teacher and longtime fan. "For me she is a role model, because she got far for a Latina woman." A decade after Selena was gunned down by the president of her fan club, her musical legacy continues to thrive, winning over thousands of new fans, many of them young girls born after she died. But her influence runs far deeper than the music she left behind; she has become a cultural icon for Latinos who see her as a woman who was proud of her roots and achieved her dreams. "Selena touched a lot of hearts," said Abraham Quintanilla, Selena's father and manager. "Her fans viewed her as a positive, humble person and I've always believed that in Selena's case it was just not the music but the person who made an impact." 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 and exploded in popularity in the male-dominated Tejano music scene. 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 all over the United States and Latin America and earned them Grammy for best Mexican American album in 1993. On stage, Selena created a sexy image with her long, jet-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 stroke 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 all played in it. They all lived in houses next to each other. "She never acted like the big star she was, and she always spoke of wanting to have family, to have children," said Raquel Zamarripa, a 24-year-fan from San Antonio. Zamarripa brought her two nieces, aged 11 and 10, to visit the Selena Museum, where Selena's red Porsche is parked in the corner of a room where the walls are covered with the late singer's photographs and her gold and platinum records. Glass cases display her Grammy and other music awards and the gowns she wore at award shows and her concerts. The museum, tucked in the back of the Q Productions building (the company owned by Selena's father), is part of a Selena pilgrimage that also includes her Selena Etc. boutique, the memorial on the bay and her grave at Seaside Memorial Park - all sites visited by hundreds of fans, many of them children, who come to pay their respects. "They already love her music so I wanted them to learn more about her," Zamarripa said. Selena was about to release her first album in English as part of an attempt to cross over into mainstream American music when she was shot by Yolanda Saldivar, the president of the Selena Fan Club, at a Corpus Christi motel on March 31, 1995. Saldivar was convicted of the slaying and is serving a life prison term. Four months after Selena died, "Dreaming of You," a collection of four English songs intended for Selena's crossover album and earlier Tejano hits, was released and debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's album chart. To date, it has sold about 4 million copies, Quintanilla said. Killed two weeks shy of her 24th birthday, Selena's death stunned her fans who traveled from throughout the United States and Mexico to Corpus Christi where more than 30,000 of them filed past her coffin. Selena has been immortalized in a feature film starring Jennifer Lopez, in dozens of books and several documentaries. But for her fans she has hardly been forgotten and for many children she has become a legend. "There are so many young girls who come to the museum in Selena-like outfits, it's just amazing," Quintanilla said. "They want to be like her, dance like her." In Corpus Christi, TV and radio stations are planning a vigil for the fans expected to descend on this seaside city March 31. Abraham Quintanilla said his family will commemorate Selena's death in private at home. But the family will be present 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. (Houston was the site of Selena's final concert.) Quintanilla said a musical about Selena will open in Mexico City in late April. All of it is likely to appeal to people such as Claudia Hernandez, 35, who traveled with her husband and three teenage daughters to Corpus Christi to visit Selena's memorial. Hernandez said visiting the Selena landmarks has been a tradition her family has followed for years. "If people go to San Antonio they visit the Alamo and when we come here we visit Selena's sites," Hernandez said. "I plan to teach my grandchildren about her and maybe one day they too will continue our tradition."

03-21-2005, 09:25 PM	#3
Kay Scarpetta Defy Gravity 8.26.05 Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 04, 2001 Location: La Vie Boheme Posts: 28,013	Ten years... wow. I remember coming home that day from kindergarten and hearing about it. Man, I was only 5 years old. It's so sad that she didn't live to see how big she was becoming.
	__________________ The people who think they know everything about Broadway make me laugh. They've never seen a Broadway play in their life. "oh mi godddd RENT's a mooovie! lyke 525600 minuuuuuuutes!" No. To be a Broadway Freak, you must live, eat, sleep, study, devout, think, obsess, dream, believe Broadway. You must know original & revival casts, soundtracks, performance runs, dates, theatres, numbers, how many Tony Awards A Chorus Line won. You must be Broadway. That's right bitches. I AM Broadway.

03-21-2005, 11:09 PM	#4
musicradio77 Disney Expert Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 14, 2003 Location: Brooklyn, NY USA Posts: 6,475	Selena was a great singer. I have two CD's "Dreaming of You" and the soundtrack from the movie "Selena" along with the movie I have. It stars Jennifer Lopez (aka J-Lo) played the title role. It happened 10 years ago since she was shot. I was the sad moment since John Lennon was shot in 1980 and Marvin Gaye was shot in 1984. RIP - Selena
	__________________ Musicradio77 Productions

03-21-2005, 11:12 PM	#5
MissZero serve it up baby Senior Member Join Date: Sep 12, 2004 Location: Pa (Blah) Posts: 1,901	awwww I can't believe it's been that long she did so much for Latino music and she was a great person. it's sad to see these great people die young.
	__________________ ~MissZero~

03-23-2005, 02:37 AM	#9
crystals Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 02, 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 1,829	I love Selena's music. After hearing her music it made me want to learn some Spanish and now I actually know more Spanish than French. I didn't listen to her music until after her death, I first heard her music sometime around late 1995 to early 1996. Selena is my most fave singer as far as singing in Spanish goes. My second fave is Thalia Arrasando. I love so much of Selena's songs: "Si La Quieres", "Como La Flor", "Yo Te Sigo Queriendo", "Las Cadenas", "Vuelve A Mi", "La Carcacha", "Siempre Estoy Pensando En Ti", "Missing My Baby" and "Amame" from the Entre A Mi Mundo album. "No Debes Jugar", "Tu Robaste Mi Corazon", "La Llamada" from the Live album. "Amor Prohibido", "No Me Queda Mas", "Cobarde", "Fotos Y Recuerdos", "El Chico Del Apartmento 512", "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom", "Techno Cumbia", "Si Una Vez" and "Ya No" from the Amor Prohibido album. And, the bidi bidi bom bom line actually refers to the beating of a heart. The lines in the song: "Cada vez. Cada vez que lo veo pasar" actually means along the lines of each time her husband passes by her heart starts to beat very fast. The sound "bidi bidi bom bom" being the sound of her heart. I also like the songs: "I Could Fall In Love", "Captive Heart", "I'm Getting Used To You", "Dreaming Of You", "Where ever You Are (Dondequiera Que Estes)", "Como La Flor", and "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" from the Dreaming Of You album. "A Million To One" and "No Quiero Saber" from the Siempre Selena album. And also the songs: "Where Did The Feeling Go", "Is It The Beat", "Only Love", "Dreaming Of You" "A Boy Like That" and "I Could Fall In Love" from the soundtrack to the film.
	__________________ The man who lends a helping hand is the true hero.

03-21-2005, 09:07 PM	#2
consentida oh, you pretty things Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 21, 2002 Location: New York Posts: 3,841	I love Selena. She's been such an inspiration to me. I can't believe its going to be ten years.

03-21-2005, 11:19 PM	#6
musicradio77 Disney Expert Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 14, 2003 Location: Brooklyn, NY USA Posts: 6,475	I love those songs "I Could Fall in Love", "Dreaming of You" and of course that crazy spanish tune "Bidi-Bidi-Bom-Bom" (or "Bidi-Bidi-Bum-Bum"). It sounded a lot like Twiggy the Robot in the "Buck Rogers" TV series. Remember Twiggy used to say "Bidi-bidi-beep?".

03-22-2005, 12:02 AM	#7
Steve M. Back on the road to reality Forum Superstar Join Date: Nov 07, 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 33,307	How she actually got shot by her own fan club president is beyond comprehension!

03-23-2005, 12:04 AM	#8
Rebel Queen 1980 Member Senior Member Join Date: Nov 05, 2002 Location: Watching Classic Sitcoms 24/7.... Posts: 1,509	Selena was truly an inspiration to all,Hard to believe it's been 10 years. Her legacy will truly live forever. Her name is getting to be so popular now especially in the Hispanic community. Since her death there were alot of Hispanic baby girls born between 1995 to present who been named Selena

03-23-2005, 06:49 PM	#10
Rebel Queen 1980 Member Senior Member Join Date: Nov 05, 2002 Location: Watching Classic Sitcoms 24/7.... Posts: 1,509	Wow!,some of you were little kids when it happened, I was a freshman in high school when it happened 10 years ago. I was 15 years old at the time.

03-23-2005, 07:05 PM	#11
Dean Winchester Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 28, 2003 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 14,803	I am surprised it's been that long. Who else thinks that even though she's in jail and will probably never get out, they should also prosecute Yolanda Saldivar for also helping jumpstart the career of Jennifer Lopez? That is also a punishable felony, lol.