Selena Quintanilla

Background

Selena Quintanilla Perez is considered one of the greatest Latino artists of all time and is credited for catapulting the Tejano genre into the mainstream music market. She was born on April 16, 1971. She was the last-born child of Abraham Quintanilla Jr., a Mexican musician, and Marcella Ofelia. Quintanilla Jr. noticed Perez’s musical abilities when she was six years old. According to him, her timing and pitch were perfect. In 1980, Perez’s father opened a restaurant, Papa Gayo’s, where she and her siblings would perform. They had to close the restaurant one year later following the 1980s recession. The family went bankrupt, lost their home, and were forced to relocate to Corpus Christi, Texas. They formed a band as a family, with their father as the manager, and would often perform on street corners, at weddings, and at fairs.

By the time Perez was in the eighth grade, she was already popular. Her lifestyle began to interfere with her education, and she often showed up to school tired. Nevertheless, she graduated with a diploma from the American School of Correspondence in Chicago. Quintanilla Jr., her father, refurbished an old bus that the family used for their tours. In the first few years, they barely had enough money for food and fuel. Several years later, Rudy Trevino, founder of the Tejano Music Awards, discovered Perez, and in 1987, she won the Female Vocalist of The Year award.

Perez was often criticized for performing Tejano music, a male-dominated music genre. However, her popularity continued to grow, with her fans labeling her ‘The Queen of Tejano Music.’