BY MARIAH SMITH
Last Friday, November 3, the late singer and pop icon, Selena Quintanilla was honored with the 2622nd Walk-of-Fame Hollywood star on Vine. She is well known as a bilingual pop artist, and widely attributed as bringing Latin music to mainstream American audiences.
Many people spoke in memory of Selena and in celebration of her achievement, including her family members, the mayor, and Eva Longoria. Her mother, father, former husband, older brother and sister are all pictured with her commemorative replica star. Older sister, Suzette closed out the ceremony with a more-than-appropriate quote, spoken by Selena herself years ago, “The goal isn’t to live forever, but to create something that will.”
Her legacy still resonates as some 4500 people gathered to celebrate the accomplishment and pay tribute. According to a Hollywood Chamber of Commerce spokeswoman, this was the largest Walk-of-Fame ceremony attendance ever, breaking the 1998 record held by Mexican singer, Vicinte Fernandez. This goes to show that she can break records in more than music!
Selena, affectionately known as the Queen of Tejano, was born in Texas in 1971, started singing professionally in 1982, but wasn’t met with welcome and acceptance at first. At the time, Tejano music was a male-dominated genre. Years later she won a Tejano music award for Female Vocalist of the Year. Then, in 1989, she signed a record deal, and released her self-titled debut album. Her popularity grew from there and hasn’t stopped since.
Her sophomore album, Entra a mi Mundo, featured the single Como la Flor, which became one of her most recognized songs. Live! won a Grammy for best Mexican/American Album in 1994. The same year, she released Amor Prohibido. This album became one of the top selling Latin albums in the US, and listed as one of the top 100 albums of all time by Billboard. She has sold over 65 million records worldwide, making her the top-selling female Latin artist in history.
Selena was unique in the industry because she often released her music in both English and Spanish, creating massive success in both languages. I Could Fall in Love was her first English crossover which highlighted her beautiful voice. Bidi Bidi Bom Bom is an example of a upbeat Latin pop song that became very popular even with English speakers. No Me Queda Mas or, I Have Nothing Left, is the artist’s number one song, topping the Billboard Latin Songs charts for almost two months straight.
After appointing Yolanda Saldivar as the manager of Selena’s fashion boutiques, things took a very dark turn. Saldivar’s personal behavior and alleged obsession with the singer started hurting morale of the employees and financial success of the businesses. Employees had complained for months about her behavior, but the claims were somewhat brushed off. It wasn’t until fans complained of subscribing to the Selena Fan Club and receiving nothing in return that Selena and her family became suspicious.
Investigations turned up with $30,000 missing from the boutiques and fan club, and only Saldivar to blame. Selena and her father met with Saldivar to confront her. Her father threatened to forbid any contact with Selena, but Selena wanted to remain friends, especially since she handled all the important documents for the businesses. Saldivar stalled releasing the documents, knowing she was guilty. On March 31, 1995, Selena showed up at Saldivar’s hotel room and demanded the documents. After arguing back and forth, Saldivar pulled out a gun and shot Selena in the shoulder as she turned to run away. She suffered a lot blood loss, and was pronounced dead when she arrived at the hospital.
News of her death shook the US and Mexico, and the heartbreak is still felt by fans to this day. People across the world adored her, Latin or not. The singer stole the hearts of millions with her bubbly personality and infectious smile. She was an instant icon once catapulted into stardom. A true role model to young girls everywhere, Selena promoted positivity, encouraged women’s rights and equality, and celebrated her Mexican heritage, inspiring people everywhere to follow suit.
She was a trendsetter in fashion and makeup, known for her figure-hugging outfits and signature red lipstick. High-end makeup retailer, MAC, released a Selena-inspired collaboration collection in September of 2016, and it was easily the best- selling celebrity cosmetic collection in history, selling out in across the country in just minutes.
The well-deserved Walk-of-Fame star is a symbol of her immense success and influence in music and the Mexican-American community. Many fans were ecstatic, some even emotional, about this recognition. The late 23-year-old will now live forever in honor and admiration on the famous California landmark.