Selena Quintanilla

Hello! My name is Selena Quintanilla, and I want to share my story with you. I was born on April 16th, 1971, in a town called Lake Jackson, Texas. Music was always a big part of my family. When I was just six years old, in 1977, my dad, Abraham, heard me singing and realized I had a special voice. He had always loved music, and at that moment, he saw a spark in me. That discovery was the very beginning of an incredible journey that would take me and my family to places we had only dreamed of.

Around 1981, my dad decided to start a family band. He named it Selena y Los Dinos. It was a true family project! My older brother, A.B., learned to play the bass guitar, and my sister, Suzette, became the drummer. I was the lead singer. Our first performances were at our family’s restaurant. Soon, we were traveling all over Texas to play at parties, weddings, and fairs. We traveled in our trusty old tour bus that we named 'Big Bertha.' It wasn't always easy, but we were together. My dad taught me to sing in Spanish, which helped me connect with my Mexican heritage. Singing in Spanish was new to me, but I loved it. It was this music, called Tejano music, that helped us become known and loved by so many people.

Being a young woman in the world of Tejano music wasn't always easy. Back then, most of the famous singers in the genre were men, and some people didn't think a girl could lead a band. But we didn't let that stop us. We worked hard and kept believing in our music. Our hard work started to pay off. In 1987, I won my very first Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year. I was so excited! It felt like a dream. A couple of years later, in 1989, I signed a record deal with a big company called EMI Latin. This was a huge step for us. I also loved fashion and began designing my own sparkly stage outfits. I wanted my look to be as exciting as my music!

As our music became more popular, my dreams grew bigger. On April 2nd, 1992, I married Chris Pérez, who was the talented guitarist in our band. Then, in 1994, something amazing happened—I won a Grammy Award for my album 'Selena Live!'. Holding that award was one of the proudest moments of my life. That same year, in 1994, we released my album 'Amor Prohibido,' which became one of my biggest hits. But I still had another dream. I wanted to create a 'crossover' album with songs in English. My goal was to share my music with even more people around the world and show that music has no borders.

My life ended sooner than anyone expected, and I was not able to see all of my dreams come true myself. I lived to be 23 years old. But even after I was gone, my music and spirit continued to touch people's hearts. My dream of a crossover album came true when 'Dreaming of You' was released in 1995. It became a huge success. Today, people remember me as the 'Queen of Tejano Music.' My story shows that with hard work, a loving family, and a belief in yourself, any dream is possible.