Selena Quintanilla-Pérez: The Enduring Legacy of the Queen of Tejano Music
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, born April 16, 1971, in Lake Jackson, Texas, remains one of the most iconic figures in Latin music history. Known as the “Queen of Tejano Music,” Selena rose from humble beginnings to become a Grammy-winning superstar whose influence on fashion, culture, and music continues decades after her tragic death.
The youngest child of Abraham Quintanilla Jr. and Marcella Ofelia Quintanilla, Selena began performing at a young age with her family band, Selena y Los Dinos, featuring siblings A.B. (bass) and Suzette (drums). Managed by her father, the group overcame early challenges in the male-dominated Tejano genre to achieve massive success with hits like “Como la Flor,” “Amor Prohibido,” and “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.”
Selena won a Grammy for Best Mexican-American Album in 1994 and was on the verge of mainstream crossover success with her English-language album Dreaming of You when she was tragically murdered on March 31, 1995, at age 23 by Yolanda Saldívar, her fan club president.
Her legacy lives on through posthumous releases, the 1997 biopic Selena starring Jennifer Lopez, the Selena Museum in Corpus Christi, and recent projects like the 2025 Netflix documentary Selena y Los Dinos: A Family’s Legacy, featuring archival footage and family interviews.
Selena won a Grammy for Best Mexican-American Album in 1994 and was on the verge of mainstream crossover success with her English-language album Dreaming of You when she was tragically murdered on March 31, 1995, at age 23 by Yolanda Saldívar, her fan club president.Her legacy lives on through posthumous releases, the 1997 biopic Selena starring Jennifer Lopez, the Selena Museum in Corpus Christi, and recent projects like the 2025 Netflix documentary Selena y Los Dinos: A Family’s Legacy, featuring archival footage and family interviews.
