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The history of mexican music essay
Research tejano music and selena quintanilla
The history of mexican music essay
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The movie “Selena” is based off the real life, Spanish-American singer, Selena Quintanilla. Not so well-known at the time, Jennifer Lopez had played Selena in the movie. Selena was a person full of big dreams and aspirations. From the start of a young age, she knew that one day that she will become a superstar in the music industry. She was right. Her goal was to inspire her fans through her Spanish-American music. It took time and dedication to get accepted into the Hispanic music world because her Spanish was unsteady, but she did it. At the age of 23, she had sadly left her mark in the music industry because Selena’s fan club manager and close friend, Yolanda, had shot her to death. Metaphorically, this shot her dreams of continuing to be …show more content…
that singer she always wanted to be. But because of her shining personality, big smile, dedication toward her fans, and appreciable music, Selena’s legacy lives on to this day. Throughout the film, the appeals of pathos and ethos are clearly used. The movie had accurately portrayed the highs and lows of Selena’s life. They recreated each scene just how she experienced it in her own life. Jennifer Lopez played her character with such perfection, acting in ways Selena would act in any real life situation. They even decided that they wanted the movie to feel so real that they had Lopez lip-sync all of Selena’s songs. The real life father of Selena, Abraham Quintanilla was apart of the making of this film as the executive producer. He wanted everything in this movie to be as accurate to the point. All beginning at a young age, with the push of her father wanting his children to follow his footsteps into the music industry, Abraham Quintanilla noticed that Selena had real genuine talent in singing. Her father pushed her into doing more with her music because he knew Selena had the potential to make it. “Starting from small gigs, her music had progressed and she had started including Spanish into her music to expand her range of talents.” (Selena). Starting to become well-known, Selena started to perform at bigger venues. Her band had started to form and in it she met the love of her life, guitarist Chris Perez, though Selena’s father didn’t approve of him. They ended up getting married behind the fathers back that had made big headline news. As Selena’s fan base became massive, a person named Yolanda Saldivar came up to her and proposed an idea to Selena about starting a fan club.
After weeks of begging to start up the fan club, the Quintanilla family had finally accepted. Yolanda became president of the fan club and was in charge of Selena’s clothing boutique. “Two years later, the Quintanilla family discovered that Yolanda was embezzling money from the fan club and boutiques, so they had to fire her.” (Wikipedia). Three weeks after this took place, Yolanda called Selena to give her financial records that she had refused to turn over. They met at the Days Inn motel. This meeting proved to be the last for Selena as Yolanda shot the singer in the motel room; one shot to the back which severed an …show more content…
artery. Suddenly the movie changes to actual news footage of the reporting of the shooting. We then follow Selena to the hospital and in a poignant moment, the camera only focuses on Selena's hand and we see that she's clutching something. It’s the ring given to her by Yolanda, a gift for their friendship; she drops it to the floor. We see the doctor deliver the news of Selena’s death to her family and Chris. As a viewer you get a lump in your throat. The director wittily mutes the sound so you can not hear the doctor or the cries of Selena’s family, but you do see the emotion and pain in their faces and body language. At the end of the movie, they show actual footage from the time after Selena’s death.
This brought out the emotions in anyone who views this footage. The fans coming together; holding candles, praying for Selena and saying there goodbyes. Watching fans cry, you yourself start to feel the sadness. The ending also included footage of Selena accepting a Grammy, thanking her fans and family. The creators wanted to end on a good note, rather than ending on her death. As a viewer, you get to appreciate that moment.
Selena had died at a young age, but this movie did not make Selena’s death its main priority. It was much more of a celebration of her life and how she had lived it to the fullest. Her impact in the Spanish-American music industry had opened doors for many Latino artists of this generation. Though we do know the tragic fate of Selena, the film reminds us that it’s more important to live a big life rather than a long
life. On November 21st, I interviewed Sam Howe Verhovek. Verhovek is a reporter and national correspondent for the New York Times from September 1982 - May 2003. I came across his article on the day of Selena’s passing. I thought it would be a great idea to contact him and see how accurate the movie illustrated the real life murder of Selena. The next day I emailed my questions to him. I asked Verhovek, “Where were you at the scene of the crime”? Verhovek explained to me that he got to the scene of the crime several hours after the shooting, but he was there to experience the standoff between the cops and Yolanda. “Re-reading my story now, I vaguely recall that we (news media, her fans, curious on lookers, i.e.) were kept away by police yellow tape from the motel itself and most of its parking lot. Also, even after Yolanda surrendered, we were not allowed to view the room itself where she was murdered while it remained the scene of an active crime scene.” When he was contacted about this news, he knew immediately that this was a big deal because Selena was so big in the world of Tejano music. I then asked, “Did you know much about Selena at the time”? His response was, “While I was traveling I did my best to read up on Selena’s life and career and to do as much interviewing as I could on a cell phone while waiting on my flight.” Gathering this information, I thought about the crime scene again and asked, “What was the atmosphere like at the scene of the crime”? Verhovek responded with a passage from his article from 1995. “The surrender came in a surreal scene with a crowd of reporters, television camera operators and onlookers who gathered at an Exxon gas station across the street from the Days Inn motel; just off the stretch of Interstate 37 near the Corpus Christi airport. Hundreds of fans gathered, including many weeping teenagers. Constant coverage of the scene throughout the day, a few with tape machines that played recordings of Selena’s songs as reporters beepers and cellular phones rang almost constantly.” (Verhovek). I thought this excerpt from his article was brilliant as this was shown in the movie. There were many people surrounding the crime scene, wanting to know every detail of what happened to the Superstar. For my last question I asked, “Seeing the movie Selena, did it accurately depict the events you have personally seen”? Verhovek mentioned that he had interviewed the father, Abraham Quintanilla, along with following the trial of Yolanda. “I have to say, the father’s explanation that she was a disgruntled employee, who’d had a fight with Selena, who basically cracked and wound up committing murder.” He continued with saying how it definitely corresponded with the facts presented at her trial. Like the movie describes, Verhovek says, “I recall that Yolanda’s defense was that it was all an accident, she didn't mean to do it. But the jury rejected that argument in finding her guilty.” Verhovek then concludes by mentioning something that wasn’t apart of the movie that I found interesting. “She did say a bunch of stuff during the standoff that was recorded on police cell phones and presented at the trial.” (Verhovek, Sam). Gathering this information, I feel like I know more about what happened on that heartbreaking day.
Selena Quintanilla was born on April 16,1971 in Lake Jackson,Texas. She died on March 31,1995 in Corpus Christi,Texas. Selena Quintanilla was only twenty-three years old when she died. Her death was a big impact on life,music, and history. Selena Quintanilla had an amazing journey in life and it’s so sad it had to end so early. Finally, this is the story of Selena Quintanilla from start to the end.
My first knowledge of her came from the movie that was produced about her life. This movie included her childhood, her rise to fame, her relationships with her family and her husband, and her untimely death. She was a stunning flower that bloomed very young and kept growing with no sight on stopping. She had a gorgeous appearance. She had big brown eyes, ever changing hair styles, and a petite figure. Her husband was just as cute. A smaller guy but not too small. Selena and Chris fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. I developed a deep admiration for these two people and the things they experienced in their youth. I was always looking to learn more about their lives and what happened in Selena's tragic end that shook the world. After finding out that her widow wrote a book about her life, I was excited to get it and begin reading. I wondered if the movie had been completely valid. What did the movie leave out? How did Chris felt about her death? How does he feel now about all that transpired after Selena's death since this was not a perspective that the audience got to clearly see the movie? So, I went immediately, to buy the
Selena’s death sent “shockwaves” across the Latin community as well as the English-language. Tens of thousands went to her funeral to pay their respect to her and her family. After her death, Selena’s first English album, “Dreaming of You”, was released and became a huge hit. They made a movie of her biography in 1997, starring Jennifer Lopez as Selena and James Edward Olmos as her father. Thousands of people visit her grave, Mirador de la Flor, in Corpus Christi, near the Selena Museum dedicated to her life, fame, and career. Even today, she’s still considered “La Reina de Tejano” and her legacy still lives on.
Selena's very first tour was the Ven Conmigo Life Tour, where she had 12 performances all in which were in North America. Selena's 3 most popular songs were, Como La Flor, Bidi Bidi Bom Bom, and her American hit Dreaming of You. Selena went to make an English-language album that would hopefully put her on top of the U.S. pop music charts. But, Selena was killed before she got to see this album become a success, killed by the president of her fan club. Her English-language album, Dreaming of You, became a huge
Selena Quintanilla-Perez was an artist in the Tejano music industry that contributed to revolutionizing the style of music in the United States today. The Tejano music genre is originated from Texas but it may be called Tex-Mex because of its Mexican background. Selena absolutely loved her fans so she went to great lengths in order to keep her fans happy. (Angelfire 2) Her rise to stardom was also very successful thanks to the support and persistence from her father. She won a lot of awards and achieved amazing records in her musical career. The band that her family formed not only helped her find fame but it also helped her find love in a musician named Chris Perez.(Hispanic 2) Once she rose to stardom Selena was not corrupted by money. It appeared that her fame made her cherish her family a lot more and become less selfish by supporting charities. (Biography 1) The brink of her successful career was short lived due to a traumatic murder caused by the betrayal of Yolanda Saldivar. Selena was a Tejano artist that changed the style of music by uniting a clash of several cultures and therefore leaving a mark in history even after her death. (Texas 2)
Selena Quintanilla was a Mexican-American singer, actress, songwriter, spokesperson, and fashion designer. Selena was born on April 16, 1971 in Lake Jackson, Texas, U.S. Although she was born in the U.S. her mother is from Mexican descent. However, her father is American. Unfortunately, Selena died on March 31, 1995 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Yolanda Saldivar, the founder of Selena’s fan club was the one who murdered Selena. She got fired for stealing money from Selena’s boutique, but she still needed to make up all the money she embezzled. To do that she got lowered to a different position and started working off all the money she had stolen. Selena and Yolanda had become really good friends over time, but when Selena found out
Known as the “Queen of Tejano” and the “Mexican Madonna”, Selena Quintanilla-Perez was the adored Latin singer who sadly did not get to live to see all of the success of her career. One of her most famous quotes is, “We all die. The goal isn’t to live forever but to create something that will (PhilosIblog, 2014).” That is just what Selena did and she made sure that her legacy would live on for years. Selena surely left a her mark in this world with the help of her family, in her short lived 23 years. Selena was an amazing singer, she even made it very far in a genre of music that was dominated by men. Selena Quintanilla-Perez is an influential person because of her loving personality, her music career, her determination to succeed in a genre that was only men, and her success with her music that will never stop playing even if she is not here.
Esperanza, the most liberated of the sisters, devoted her life to make other people’s lives better. She became a reporter and later on died while covering the Gulf Crisis. She returned home, to her family as a spirit. At first, she spoke through La Llorona, a messenger who informed La Loca that her sister has died. All her family members saw her. She appeared to her mother as a little girl who had a nightmare and went near to her mother for comfort. Caridad had conversations with her about politics and La Loca talked to her by the river behind their home.
(Lysloff, 10/2/17) Selena Quintanilla was very much self-taught, coming from a musical and talented background; she gave rise of individuality and charisma many people looked up to. Her music and the genre of Tejano music can’t be seen as one given style of music, but rather an extensive musical hybridity and cultural grey-out. Now the late Selena, her music lives on as her influence on future generations, granted by new media making it possible for schizophonia, her music is heard on the Internet, radio, and CDs that are still being sold and
Her death caused a large amount of suffering to her millions of fans around the world. Thousands gathered at nearby gas stations to mourn and light up candles to honor this great person. Yolanda Saldivar was not justified to cause this tragic moment because the Quintanillas had treated her with respect and provided her with a job. Her unthoughtful and vicious action caused many to lose an honored artist that was considered the Madonna of Tejano music. Although Selena’s death brought her even more global recognition, no one can replace the music that moved many. Many were disappointed to lose such a talented artist at just 23 years
Camila and Ladisalo fall in love with the film. following their troubles. Following the events that happen with Camila. and Ladisalo, the director, shows how restrictive and devout followers of Rosas. were of the resentment against him.
Up until recently filmmakers have tried to branch out from this style of film making to create a real to life story with passion. Enter Mosquita y Mari, a film that focuses on the building relationship between two teenage girls. Written and directed by Aurora Guerrero this film is an honest representation of life for a teenaged girl struggling with identity. This essay will give a brief summary of the film and characters while depicting an example of form and context as well as personal thought of the film and director.
Gender roles play a huge part in Mi Vida Loca. Growing up, the kids had nowhere else to turn, but to each other. This is a factor in deciding the roles that they will become. As dropouts of high school, they have to survive on the street. For the boys, that means becoming “tough” to gain respect and leadership from other boys. For the girls, it meant finding someone to provide for them.
From the early ages of American film, Latino women have been portrayed in a negative light. Has this image changed over the years? The answer to this question is left up to the viewer, but there is one thing that has not changed in the portrayal of Latino women in American film. That is the clear distinction between two stereotypes of Latino women; the "innocent, passive Madonna" and the "hot blooded, fiery, sexy whore". In the case of the hot-blooded tamale, these images date back to the 1930’s in Lupe Velez and to the present Rosie Perez. Dolores Del Rio and Maria Montez represent the virgin Senorita. (Rodriguez 75-7) These are just some of the actresses that have portrayed characters that fit into these two stereotypes. Other actresses include Carmen Miranda, Natalie Wood, and Rita Moreno. These actresses are featured in the following films, West Side Story, Flying Down to Rio, Mexican Spitfire, and White Men Can't Jump. These two stereotypes have been carried out in American cinema from the thirties to today and are a common theme in many films.
In the year of 1987, Selena won at the Tejano Music Awards. After winning this award she goes on to win this same award about eight more times. In the early 1990’s, Selena married the lead guitarist in her band who is also known as Chris Perez.