20 years after her death, Selena continues inspiring her fans

Cover of the Amor Prohibido album (Forbidden Love), released on March 13, 1994 under the label EMI Latin.

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (1971-1995), Mexican-American singer, known as the “Queen of Tex-Mex.” Grammy winner in 1993, Selena also ventured into fashion design. Her musical career began under the direction of her father, Abraham Quintanilla, when she sang with her older siblings, Abraham and Suzette, in Selena y Los Dinos, at 9 years old.

At age 14 she recorded her first album, and at 18 she had already signed two contracts with the record label EMI Latin. Amor Prohibido (Forbidden Love for its Spanish name), released in March 1994, became the best-selling Latin album in the United States. The artist married her band’s guitarist Chris Perez despite the opposition of her father.

On March 31, 1995, Yolanda Saldívar, president of the singer´s fan club and manager of her boutiques, shot her dead in the shoulder after a heated argument. Saldívar is currently serving a life sentence. After her death, 60 million copies worldwide have been sold, as well as a biographical film that catapulted Jennifer Lopez, in the lead role, to fame.

In commemoration of her death, today several events will be held in the US, as an exhibition of images of the artist in the Historical Museum of Lake Jackson, Texas, until April 18, and a 5K race “bidi bidi Fun Run “in San Antonio. “Of course I’m happy that, today, people remember Selena more than ever,” said Selena’s father in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

“It’s crazy. It grows every day with events everywhere, but we’re not organizing them. Our family never got together every year on the day of her murder, because there’s nothing to celebrate, and this year won’t be the exception,” and added: “We remember our daughter every single day. We don’t need a special day to remember her.”