Impact
Selena's murder had a widespread impact. Reactions to her
death were compared to those following the deaths of musicians John Lennon and
Elvis Presley and that of U.S. president John F. Kennedy. Major television
networks interrupted their regular programming to break the news—Tom Brokaw
referred to Selena as "The Mexican
Madonna". Her death was front-page news in The New York Times for two
days. Many vigils and memorials were held in her honor, and radio stations in
Texas played her music non-stop. Her funeral drew 60,000 mourners, many of whom
traveled from outside the United States.
The news struck the Hispanic community extremely hard. Many
fans traveled thousands of miles to see Selena's house and boutiques, and the
crime scene. By mid-afternoon, police were asked to form a detour because a
line of cars began backing up traffic from the Quintanillas' houses. Among the
celebrities who contacted the Quintanilla family to express their condolences
were Gloria Estefan, Celia Cruz, Julio Iglesias, and Madonna. Other
celebrities—including Stefani Montiel, Jaime DeAnda (of Los Chamacos), and
Shelly Lares—appeared on radio stations to express their thoughts about
Selena's death.
An issue of People magazine was released several days after
her murder. Its publishers believed interest would soon wane. They released a
commemorative issue within a week when it became clear it was growing. The
issue sold nearly a million copies, selling the entire first and second print
runs within two weeks. It became a collector's item, a first in the history of
People. Betty Cortina, an editor of People, told Biography they never had an
issue that was completely sold out; "it
was unheard of". In the following months, the company released People
en Español aimed at the Hispanic market, due to the success of the Selena
issue. This was followed by Newsweek en Espanol and Latina magazine.
A few days later, Howard Stern mocked Selena's murder and
burial, poked fun at her mourners, and criticized her music. Stern said, "This music does absolutely nothing for
me. Alvin and the Chipmunks have more soul ... Spanish people have the worst
taste in music. They have no depth." Stern's comments outraged and
infuriated the Hispanic community in Texas. Stern's sound effects man added
gunshots to her music played in the background on his show. A South Texas judge
issued a disorderly conduct arrest warrant in his name. "I did it for all the Tejano fans," Justice of the Peace
Eloy Cano said. Free-speech advocates said the warrant was unconstitutional. "It fails the First Amendment
test," said Jay Jacobson, executive director for the Texas chapter of
the American Civil Liberties Union. "It's
a speech that is protected being a music critic, no matter how harsh, is not
grounds for criminal charges." Stern made an on-air statement, in
Spanish, saying his comments were not made to cause "more anguish to her family, friends and those who loved her".
The League of United Latin American Citizens boycotted Stern's show, finding
his apology unacceptable.
Texas retailers removed any products that were related to
Stern, while Sears and McDonald's sent a letter stating their disapproval of
Stern's comments to the media because some fans believed the companies
sponsored Stern's show. Within a week, on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,
Stern and Robin Quivers (his co-host) were asked whether Stern's remarks about
Selena were acceptable. Quivers decided not to talk about the situation to
avoid arguing with Stern. When Linda Ronstadt—a pop singer of Mexican-American
heritage—appeared on the show, she and Quivers argued when Ronstadt defended
Selena.
On April 12, 1995, two weeks after Selena's death, George W.
Bush, governor of Texas at the time, declared her birthday, April 16, Selena
Day in the state. He said Selena represented "the essence of south Texas culture." Some European
Americans in Texas wrote to the editor of the Brazosport Facts during April and
May, asking what the big deal was; some were offended that Selena Day fell on
Easter. Others said, "Easter is more
important than Selena Day", and that they believed people should let
Selena rest in peace and continue with their lives. Mexican Americans in Texas
wrote vociferously to the newspaper. Some said others were too critical of
Selena Day, and should not have responded so rudely.
In October 1995, a Houston jury convicted Saldívar of
first-degree murder and she was sentenced to life in prison with the
possibility of parole after 30 years in 2025. Life with the possibility of
parole was the maximum prison term allowed in Texas that could be imposed at
the time. In 2002, under a judge's order, the gun used to kill Selena was
destroyed and the pieces were thrown into Corpus Christi Bay. Fans and
historians disapproved of the decision to destroy the gun, saying the event was
historical and the gun should have been in a museum.
Artistry
Selena possessed a soprano vocal range. During her lifetime,
she expressed her love and admiration for Gloria Estefan, who she credited with
opening the door for female artists of Hispanic descent. Selena's other major
influences include Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey and Whitney
Houston, as well as rock bands such as AC/DC and Kiss.
In an April 1995 interview with Billboard magazine, Behar
said he saw Selena as a "cross
between Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston in style, feel, and vocal
range". Although Selena did not write most of her songs, she
incorporated R&B, Latin pop, technopop, country and western, and disco into
her Tejano music repertoire. Mario Tarradell of The Dallas Morning News said
that during her music career, Selena "merges
Tejano's infectious cumbia rhythm with street-savvy R&B, old-school soul,
dancehall reggae, sizzling salsa, and trippy, loopy funk". Selena's
recordings expressed "love and pain,
as well as strength and passion", according to Charles Tatum.
She also recorded independently driven,
female-empowerment-themed compositions; "Si
La Quieres", "¿Qué Creías?", "Ya Ves" and "Ya No", which centered around
inappropriate relationships and recovery from domestic violence. Peter Watrous
of The New York Times said Selena's voice "sometimes
quivered", and that she "roughed
it up a bit". He continued, "[a]t
its best, it had a coolness, a type of unadorned passion". Ilan
Stavans called her music "cursi-melodramatic,
cheesy, and overemotional, not too far from Juan Gabriel and a relative of
Iglesias". Richard Corliss of Time magazine said her songs "are perky, cheerful rather than
soulful", and that earlier recordings, "with their tinny, Tijuana Brass charts, and keyboards that evoke
calliopes are ideal for the fairground or merry-go-round". Corliss
calls Selena's singing an "expert
mimicry of everything from Édith Piaf's melodramatic contralto to the
coloratura riffs of Mariah Carey. But the sounds are still lightly
Hispanic."
"Dreaming of You" (1995)
Newsweek magazine called Selena's English-language
recordings "a blend of urban pop and
Latin warmth". According to Texas Monthly, Selena's brother modernized
her music into a more "funk and hip
hop" sound. Selena's use of emotive range during her musical career
has been praised by critics as being her trademark. A.B. wrote increasingly
cumbia-influenced songs for Ven Conmigo (1990); Ramiro Burr of Billboard said
Selena and her band had "evolved a
rhythmic style that demonstrated its increasing prowess for catchy cumbias such
as 'Baila Esta Cumbia' and the title track". Italian essayist Gaetano
Prampolini wrote that "Selena's
voice projected a sonorous warmth and joyfulness" during his review of
Selena's cumbia recordings. In his review of the remix album Enamorada de Ti
(2012), Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that Selena's songs were "rooted in the '90s and sound that
way".
Public image
Quintanilla Jr. sought to maintain Selena's image clean and
family-oriented. In 1989, she was offered sponsorship from beer companies but her
father turned them down. Selena was often refused gigs at Tejano venues because
she was a female singer in a male-dominated music scene. Manuel Peña wrote that
after 1989, Selena's popularity increased and she became a sex icon following
the release of her debut album. Charles Tatum said Selena drew most attention
from her "beauty, sexuality, and
youthful impact on the Tejano music scene".
Selena said she never wanted to record explicit songs
because of her upbringing and because her fan base consisted largely of young
children, who regarded her as a role model. She further commented on the
question of her sexual appeal to men during her crossover attempt, asserting
that she will "stay the same" and
that her English-language recordings will refrain from foul language and sexual
themes. In 1997, María Celeste Arrarás wrote in her book about Selena's death
that the singer was a "sweet and
charismatic girl". According to Arrarás, Selena "trusted everyone"; she often went shopping alone,
despite her father's concerns over her safety.
Betty Cortina of People magazine said Selena's provocative
choice of clothing was an acceptable emulation of Janet Jackson and Madonna,
and that she wore "sexy outfits that
[accentuated] a body of a Latina woman". Cortina also stated that
Selena had a "flamboyant style, an
unbelievable body, curves and booty". Arrarás wrote that Selena "began wearing clothes designed to
emphasize her curvaceous figure" and that she "never came across as cheap—simply sexy". She also said
Selena's makeup regimen was not being "painted
up or vulgar". Arrarás also noted Selena's "fun-loving stage manner" and said she was "playful onstage and off".
Matt S. Meier wrote in his book The Mexican American
Experience: An Encyclopedia (2010) that Selena exhibited "contagious energy" during her concerts and said she
displayed "warmth, passion, and
sexuality" while exuding a "down-to-earth
persona of the wholesome young girl next door". Selena wore outfits
that accented her physical attributes and was not afraid to wear outfits she
liked, despite criticism from parents who thought Selena's choice of outfits
were inappropriate for young girls, who began emulating Selena. Her views on
public image in the fashion industry were bothersome; she said she was opposed
to the image that all woman should be "rail-thin"
and the notion that they must wear certain outfits and be "super-young to be beautiful".
In the early 1990s, Selena began wearing decorative
bustiers, spandex or tight pants, and attractive, unbuttoned jackets during her
concerts. She was inspired by Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, and Madonna. During a
1992 interview, Selena said her choice of clothing does not reflect her
personality. NBC News called Selena's outfit "provocative". Because of her choices of outfits and
dance moves, she was named by her fans as the "Mexican Madonna". According to Suzette, Selena often designed
and sewed her outfits backstage with her designers, moments before she was due
on stage. Quintanilla Jr. disapproved of Selena's outfits, but he later
accepted it when Selena discussed it being a fashion trend.
Selena became an inactive member of the Jehovah's Witnesses due
to her exotic clothing. During the photo shoot for Entre a Mi Mundo (1992), a
photographer remarked on the ways Selena's choice of clothing affected
Quintanilla Jr. tremendously; he often left sessions when Selena appeared in revealing
outfits. Selena was credited as the first woman to change public perceptions of
feminine beauty in the Tejano market; a feminist, she blazed a trail for other
female artists during her career.
Following Selena's death, some celebrities questioned her
status as a role model among Hispanic women. In her 1999 documentary about the
singer, filmmaker Lourdes Portillo expressed concerns whether Selena was a
great role model for young women. Portillo believed Selena was sending the
wrong message to young girls by dancing in clothing that suggested
hypersexualization. American author Sandra Cisneros agreed with Portillo's
assessment that Selena was "not a
good role model to Latina women". Media outlets also shared Portillo's
views; they said the "fairy tale
story" of Selena was one that her family would want to preserve,
questioning Quintanilla Jr.'s role for pushing an image that Selena had "never made mistakes" into the
media, calling it "lies"
and "not the real story".
Philanthropy
During her childhood, Selena helped organizations such as
Toys for Tots. She was active in the U.S. Latino community, visiting local
schools to talk to students about the importance of education. At Fulmore
Junior High School in Austin, she educated two hundred high school students
about positive attitudes and setting life-goals in their adult lives. Selena
urged children to stay in school, and that alcohol and drugs will lead them
nowhere in life. She spent her free time helping her community. Selena
performed in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the forming of the Congressional
Hispanic Caucus. Following the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, Selena helped
victims in Florida by performing at a Houston benefit concert.
In August 1994, Selena hosted a charity baseball game to
raise money for unspecified charities. She also donated her time to civic
organizations such as D.A.R.E. and planned a fundraising concert to help AIDS
patients. Selena participated with the Texas Prevention Partnership which was
sponsored by the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Dep Corporation),
which released an educational video that was sent to students for free. Her
pro-education videos included "My
Music" and "Selena
Agrees". She was in the works for a Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas Boys
& Girls Clubs of America benefit concert.
In January 1995, Selena headlined the Teach the Children
festival in San Antonio. The concert funded a non-profit program to provide
school supplies to needy children. Selena was a spokesperson for women in
abusive relationships. She also helped out at homeless shelters. According to
the A&E television series Biography, Selena's fans were often minorities;
she encouraged them to make the most of their lives.
Legacy
Selena has been credited for helping redefine Latin music
and its subgenres of Tejano, cumbia, and Latin pop. Selena broke barriers in
the Latin music world. She is considered "one
of the most significant Mexican-American singers of the end of the twentieth
century". People magazine named Selena one of the most intriguing people
of the 20th century. US Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison named Selena one of "the spirited women who shaped [the
United States]."
Selena became one of the "most
celebrated cultural products" of the United States-Mexico borderlands.
Selena was called the "Queen of
Tejano Music", and was described as "the most important and popular Tejano star of all time".
Her death was "the most devastating
loss" in Tejano music history, according to Zach Quaintance of The
Monitor. At the time of her death, Selena became one of the most widely known
Mexican-American vocal artists and the most popular Latin artist in the United
States. She had a "cult-like"
following among Hispanics.
Selena has been named one of the most influential Latin artists
of all-time and has been credited for elevating a music genre into the
mainstream market. Latin Post called the singer "one of the most iconic artists in Latin American music
history", while The New York Times called her "arguably the most important Latina musician in the country, on
her way to becoming one of the most important, period." Selena became
a household name in the United States and Mexico following her death and became
part of the American pop culture. She became more popular in death than when
she was alive.
After her death, her popularity among the Hispanic
population was compared to those of Marilyn Monroe and Madonna in
Anglo-American culture. According to author Carlota Caulfield, Selena was "one of the most popular Latina singers
of the 1990s". Selena's popularity was drawn in by the LGBT community
and minority groups in the United States. The popularity of Tejano music waned
after her death and has not recovered. John Lannert of Billboard said in an
interview with Biography in 2007 that when Selena died the "Tejano market died with her".
Dreaming of You, the crossover album Selena had been working
on at the time of her death was released in July 1995. It sold 175,000 copies
on the day of its release in the U.S.—a then-record for a female vocalist—and
sold 331,000 copies its first week. Selena became the third female artist to
sell over 300,000 units in one week, after Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey. It
debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, becoming the first album
by a Hispanic artist to do so. Dreaming of You helped Selena to become the
first solo artist to debut a posthumous album at number one. Dreaming of You
joined five of Selena's studio albums on the Billboard 200 chart
simultaneously, making Selena the first female artist in Billboard history to
do so. The album was certified 59× platinum (Latin field), for sales of 3.54
million album-equivalent units in the U.S. alone.
As of 2017 it has sold over 2.942 million copies in the U.S.
making it the best-selling Latin album of all-time in the country according to
Nielsen SoundScan. As of 2015, the recording has sold five million copies
worldwide. In 2008, Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle said its lead single, "I Could Fall in Love", had "made the Tejano goddess a posthumous
crossover star". Her death was believed to have sparked an interest in
Latin music by people who were unaware of its existence. It was also believed
her death "open[ed] the doors"
to other Latin musicians such as Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, and Shakira.
In 1995, the United States Social Security Administration
ranked the name Selena one of the 100 most popular names for newborn girls, and
namesake Selena Gomez acknowledged Quintanilla's influence. In December 1999,
Selena was named the "top Latin artist
of the '90s" and "Best-selling
Latin artist of the decade" by Billboard for her fourteen top-ten
singles in the Top Latin Songs chart, including seven number-one hits. She was
the best-selling Latin female singer of the 1990s in the U.S. and Mexico. Selena
was named "Best Female Vocalist of
the '80s" and "Best Female
Vocalist of the '90s" at the 2010 Tejano Music Awards. In 2023,
Rolling Stone ranked Selena at number 89 on its list of the 200 Greatest
Singers of All Time.
Posthumous film,
streaming video and honors
In the months following her death, several honors and
tributes were erected. Several proposals were made, such as renaming streets, public
parks, food products, and auditoriums. Two months later, a tribute was held at the
1995 Lo Nuestro Awards. The Spirit of Hope Award was created in Selena's honor
in 1996; it was awarded to Latin artists who participated in humanitarian and
civic causes. On March 16, 2011, the United States Postal Service released a "Latin Legends" memorial stamp
to honor Selena, Carlos Gardel, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, and Carmen Miranda. In
February 2014, the Albany, New York Times Union named her one of "100 Coolest Americans in History".
In 1998 Selena was commemorated with a museum.
In 1995, Selena was inducted into the Billboard Latin Music
Hall of Fame, the Hard Rock Cafe's Hall of Fame, and the South Texas Music Hall
of Fame. In 2001 she was inducted into the Tejano Music Hall of Fame. In 2017,
she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The unveiling ceremony of
her star was attended by around 4,500 fans, which was the largest-ever crowd
for an unveiling ceremony at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was named one of
the 20 most influential Texans of all time by author Laurie Jasinski. She was
ranked fifth of the "100 most
influential Latin musicians of the 20th century" according to the
Orange County Register. The singer has been given many epithets by media
outlets, including the "Queen of
Cumbia" or "Queen of
Kumbia", the "Chicana
Elvis", the "Queen of
Hybrid Pop Culture", the "Hispanic
Marilyn Monroe", the "Tupac
Shakur of Latin Music", the "Corpus
Christi Queen", and the "People's
Princess". Media have compared Selena's fashion sense to that of
Madonna more times than any other celebrity.
In 1995, Mexican actress Salma Hayek was chosen to portray
Selena in a biopic produced by the Quintanilla family and Warner Bros. However,
Hayek turned down the role as she felt it was "too early" to base a film on Selena, and that it would
be emotional since Selena's death was still being covered on American
television. Over 21,000 people auditioned for the title role, becoming the
second largest audition since the search for Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind
(1939). Puerto Rican-American actress Jennifer Lopez replaced Hayek, which
initially drew criticism because of Lopez's Puerto Rican ancestry, but after
seeing her performance, fans changed their views. Gregory Nava directed the
film, which was released on March 21, 1997. Selena opened in 1,850 theaters
worldwide and grossed $11,615,722, making it the second-highest-grossing film
debut that week. With a production budget of $20 million, the film grossed $35
million in the U.S. The film was a commercial and critical success and is often
cited by critics as Lopez's breakthrough role. Lopez rose into pop culture, for
which the film's success was credited.
In 1999, a Broadway-bound musical titled Selena was
scheduled to premiere in San Antonio in March 2000 to commemorate the fifth
anniversary of her murder. Broadway producers Tom Quinn, Jerry Frankel, Peter
Fitzgerald, and Michael Vega staged the musical, and Edward Gallardo wrote the
show's book and lyrics. Fernando Rivas composed the show's songs. In 2000,
Selena Forever was first produced; the show embarked on a 30-city U.S. tour
with a budget of over US$2 million. After a national casting call, producers
chose Veronica Vasquez to portray Selena; Vasquez alternated in the role with
Rebecca Valdez. The musical previewed on March 21, and opened on March 23 at
the San Antonio Municipal Auditorium.
Selena's family and her former band, Los Dinos, held a
tribute concert on April 7, 2005, a week after the 10th anniversary of her murder.
The concert, titled Selena ¡VIVE!, was broadcast live on Univision and achieved
a 35.9 household rating. It was the highest-rated and most-viewed
Spanish-language television special in the history of American television. The
special was also the number-one program in any language among adults ages 18 to
34 in Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco; it tied for first in New York,
beating that night's episode of Fox's reality show American Idol. Among
Hispanic viewers, Selena ¡VIVE! outperformed Super Bowl XLV and the telenovela
Soy tu dueña during the "most-watched
NFL season ever among Hispanics".
In January 2015, it was announced that a two-day annual
event called Fiesta de la Flor would be held in Corpus Christi for Selena by
the Corpus Christi Visitors Bureau. Musical acts for the first annual event
included Kumbia All Starz, Chris Pérez, Los Lobos, Jay Perez, Little Joe y la
Familia, Los Palominos, Stefani Montiel of Las 3 Divas, Girl in a Coma's Nina
Diaz, Las Fenix, and The Voice contestant Clarissa Serna. The event raised $13
million with an attendance of 52,000 people, 72% of whom lived outside of
Corpus Christi. The event sparked interest from people in 35 states and five
different countries including Mexico, Brazil, and Ecuador.
On August 30, 2016, a wax statue of Selena was unveiled at
Madame Tussauds Hollywood. In October 2016, MAC Cosmetics released a limited
edition Selena makeup line after On Air with Ryan Seacrest senior producer
Patty Rodriguez started a petition for the company to do so and it garnering
over 37,000 signatures. It became the best-selling celebrity line in cosmetic history.
She was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame at Texas Woman's
University in October 2016. An exhibit at the National Museum of American
History in Washington, D.C. that ran in 2017, focused on Selena's influence in
marketing. "Due to her massive
appeal to both general and Latino markets, advertisers began targeting specific
demographics for the first time."
Google honored Selena on October 17, 2017, with a musical
doodle of her life. On December 11, 2018, it was announced that a biographical
television series based on Selena's life titled Selena: The Series would be
released on Netflix in December 2020. Actress Christian Serratos plays the
leading role as Selena, which was shown in a teaser trailer in late 2019. The
two-part series is being done with the participation of the Quintanilla family.
Selena: The Series is an American biographical drama streaming television
series created by Moisés Zamora and starring Christian Serratos. The first part
of the series was released on Netflix on December 4, 2020. The second and final
part premiered on May 4, 2021.
Forever 21 announced the launch of a clothing line
celebrating her legacy named "Selena:
The White Rose Collection", was released in 2019. In a 10-part podcast
miniseries, Anything for Selena, broadcast in 2021 by WBUR-FM and Futuro Media,
Latina journalist Maria Garcia "goes
on an intimate, revelatory quest to understand how Selena has become a potent
symbol for tensions around race, class and body politics in the United States".
In the same year, Selena was posthumously presented with the Grammy Lifetime
Achievement Award which her family received on the artist's behalf.
Monuments
Mirador de la Flor (English: Lookout of the Flower) is
Selena's own life-size bronze statue monument in Corpus Christi, Texas,
sculpted by H. W. "Buddy" Tatum
and unveiled in 1997. About 30,000 people from around the world visit this monument
every year. While the monument has remained a popular tourist attraction, the
construction of the statue met some resistance from the local community. Dusty
Durrill, a local philanthropist, financed the construction of the monument with
support from local community leaders.
Discography
Selena y Los Dinos
albums
Selena y Los Dinos (1984)
Alpha (1986)
Muñequito de Trapo (1986)
And the Winner Is... (1987)
Preciosa (1988)
Dulce Amor (1988)
Solo studio albums
Selena (1989)
Ven Conmigo (1990)
Entre a Mi Mundo (1992)
Amor Prohibido (1994)
Dreaming of You (1995)
Filmography
Film and television
1993 Dos Mujeres,
un Camino Herself 2 episodes
1995 Sábado
gigante Herself Guest
1995 Latin Nights Herself TV
documentary
1995 Don Juan
DeMarco Mariachi singer Minor role/cameo appearance (posthumous
release)
Biographical
programming
1997 Selena
Remembered Documentary
1997 The Final
Notes Documentary
1998 Behind the
Music Episode: "Selena"
2005 Selena
¡VIVE! Dedicatee
2007 Queen of
Tejano Music Documentary
2008 Biography Episode: "Selena"
2020 Selena: The
Series Biographical drama
True crime
documentaries
1996 E! True
Hollywood Story Episode: "The Selena Murder Trial"
1998 American
Justice Episode: "Selena
Murder of a Star"
2001 The Greatest Episode: "100 Most Shocking Moments in Rock and Roll History"
2003 101 Episode: "101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainment"
2010 Famous Crime
Scene Episode: "Selena"
2012 100 Most
Shocking Music Moments Documentary
2012 Reel
Crime/Reel Story Episode: "Selena"
2014 Snapped Episode: "Selena Death of a Superstar"
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