Selena Quintanilla Research Paper

Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was a joyful, jubilant, free-spirited Mexican-American singer-songwriter. She grew up in Lake Jackson, Texas and made enormous contributions to the second wave of Tejano music, or la onda chicana (Chicano wave). The only difference between Tejano and Chicano music is that Tejano is the Spanish word for Texan and Chicano refers to Mexicans in general. The Tejano genre of music can also be referred to simply as Tex-Mex music. “All Tejano groups rely upon 3 common genres for their repertoires - polca-ranchera, the balada, and the cumbia” (Peña 185). Selena’s music uses all three sub-genres, as we shall see later on. In the second half of her life, Selena moved to Corpus Christi, TX where she stayed until her death. “Corpus

remained the seed where the musical idea and the technology merged to create orquestra music, a blend of old-time Tex-Mex accordion conjuntos and modern Tejano” (Patoski 13). Corpus Christi was a creative hub, so the Quintanillas fit in just fine.
Surprisingly enough, Tejano arose from a genre one might not expect to have any relation with it.

“Another key element in the birth of Tejano was the exposure of young Mexican-American boys and girls to rock and roll” (Patoski 14). Teenagers during this time enjoyed listening to artists like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, etc. Artists took the catchy, upbeat tune of rock and roll and added a cultural twist to it. This was sometimes referred to as música alegre- joyous, exuberant music, which matched Selena’s personality. So, in a way, Tejano music is like Mexican rock and roll. Since this time period was the late 80s/early 90s, teens could only listen to music on the radio or on portable Walkman devices, though the radio was more easily accessible. “What is unique about Selena’s era of Tejano music is that it became commertionalized as a recording genre, through music awards and a boom in radio stations that were specifically named “Tejano”” (Vargas 183). This is the positive effect of radio music: it allows for a widespread audience and allows music to gain popularity much faster. “Perhaps the most inhibiting factor to the development of a regional sound was radio, the most important form of mass communication in Texas Spanish-speaking communities” (Patoski 16). Radio did not allow for music to be separated by regions. Therefore, Tejano music could not be exclusively for

Tejanos.
Selena was born Easter Sunday April 16, 1971.

Although Spanish was the native tongue of her parents, Spanish was not her first language. Growing up in Texas, there was not really a need to learn Spanish. In 1848 the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ceded land to the United States that once belonged to Mexico.Brown people in South Texas were treated unfairly by racists, similar to how blacks were treated. As expected, “at school, English and only English was spoken” (Patoski 7). So, her father, Abraham Quintanilla, taught his children Spanish so that they could sing in Spanish and have a correct accent. He had coached them to be able to sing phonetically. Being apart of a band himself, The Dinos, he was more strict about his children being involved in music. “Her father nurtured and cultivated her talent through hard work and hours of practice” (Patoski 36). Selena was “raised to sing pop and country songs and the occasional traditional Mexican song to please her father” (Patoski 5). She states how easy it was for her to

learn:
”He was teaching me the melodies and I caught on pretty fast” (Patoski 5).

“Whatever her proficiency in Spanish, she always remained firmly rooted in Texas-Mexican border culture” (Clark 119). This would remain the same as her fame and popularity increased greatly.
It was very beneficial that Abraham taught Selena and her brother Abraham III (known as A.B.) and her sister Suzette Spanish when he did. “With radio talking the talk of South Texas and playing the songs heard in the clubs and dance halls, Tejano music suddenly became a very hip commodity” (Patoski 52). The Quintanillas took advantage of the current mainstream nature of Tejano music and performed on small stages (in restaurants, at parties, and even at weddings). “Selena got her first exposure as an entertainer when her father opened a Mexican restaurant in Lake Jackson” (Peña 203). Abraham saw right away that Selena was meant for the stage. She performed so naturally and comfortably. Abraham’s band The Dinos eventually became Los Dinos and added new members: A.B. played bass guitar, Suzette the drums, Pete Astudillo as the backing vocals, and Ricky Vela on the keyboard. Once Selena was old enough, she joined and became the leading vocalist. “Suzette Quintanilla says that their band actually started off singing old-school country tunes as a group named Seven Pearl” (Vargas 188). They evolved and eventually just focused on Tejano music. The group didn’t make much money, however. The Quintanillas grew up poor and to make matters worse, their restaurant wasn’t doing well. Selena discusses their struggles:

“We had to file for bankruptcy...lost our home...lost our restaurant…[almost] literally out on the street” (Patoski 43).