Selena Quintanilla Research Paper

Selena Quintanilla-Perez was a beloved Hispanic- American singer-songwriter, model, spokesperson, actress, and fashion designer. She was born on April 16, 1971 in Lake Jackson, Texas to her parents, Marcella and Abraham Jr. Quintanilla. Selena was very popular during the 1980s and 1990s and her style of music includes: tejano cumbia, tejano, ranchera, R&B, marichi and pop. Her family’s musical background influenced her career and impacted her style of music. Throughout her career Selena has had many hits and has won many awards. Despite her death on March 31, 1995, her legacy and music will continue to carry on into future generations. Selena Quintanilla grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas along with her two parents, Marcella and Abraham

Capitol Latin helped Selena reach commercial success with many hit songs and albums. Her first solo album was called Selena and was released on October 17, 1989. The album mixed in sounds and rhythms from latin pop, cumbia and tejano music. Selena the album was produced by Selena’s brother, A.B Quintanilla and he played a major part in her musical career, helping her release the hits. Selena’s first album gained a lot of recognition because it included both spanish and english within the lyrics of each song. Selena the album reached number seven on the U.S Billboard Regional Mexican Albums. The main goal of the album was to cross over Latin music to the English language market. On September 1, 1990, Selena released her second album, Ven Conmigo which included flavors of tejano and ranchero sounds. The album had songs that were about love, and the struggles women had to endure. During the process of this album, a new guitarist, Chris Perez joined and added a new style to her music as well as the influences of A.B Quintanilla. She later went on to marry Chris Perez in 1992. Ven Conmigo included many of her famous hits which included: “Baila Esta Cumbia”, “Enamorada de Ti” and “No Quiero Saber”. The album was the first tejano album done by a women to be certified gold; it sold more than 500, 000 copies. Selena went on tour with this album and

She accomplished so many things in her lifetime which include winning a Grammy, releasing 20 albums before and after her death, hosting the 1994 Billboard Latin Music Awards, opening up 2 boutiques, and earning a Hollywood Star. Selena was also inducted into the Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame, South Texas Music Hall of Fame and the Hard Rock Cafe’s Hall of Fame. She was also very involved in Congressional Hispanic Caucus to help support the survivors of Hurricane Andrew. She held free concerts to raise money for Teach the Children Festival, D.A.R.E and Dept Corporations. Selena became a role model to many young latinas across the globe. She was a firm believer in education and being an advocate for children and adults alike. In Los Angeles, “Selena Day” is on November 3rd, which commemorates the day Selena got her Hollywood star. Even to this day, she is loved and remembered through her fans, celebrities and family. Though her life in the spotlight remained short, her legacy lives on to this