Books

Learn more about Selena Quintanilla-Pérez: “Queen of Tejano Music”

Published

4 years ago

December 10, 2020

Kat Lee

Physically gone, her essence still permeates

From her music, her sense of fashion and all the inspiration that came after her death like makeup lines, Barbie dolls, musicals, tribute albums, movies (with Jennifer Lopez) and television series. The latest, coming from Netflix’s Selena: The Series” about the iconic Tejana singer proves her presence still very much lives on even after all this time. Even after 25 years when she was tragically killed at the young age of 23, her memory and music live on and will be continue to be entrenched in our popular culture.

Every legend begins with a dream
| Selena: The Series, 12/04, only on @netflix

Toda leyenda comienza con un sueño
| Selena: La Serie, 04/12, solo en @netflix pic.twitter.com/xjm6h6QhIl
— Selena: The Series (@selena_netflix) October 6, 2020

If you want to read in detail about Selena, the Quintanilla family and more, we have compiled the few select titles that chronicle her life, the best, in my opinion, being from her husband, Chris Perez.

To Selena, with Love: Commemorative Edition

Click here to see
“To Selena, with Love”
and help bookstores.
Also available on Amazon.

One of the most compelling and adored superstars in Latin music history, Selena was nothing short of a phenomenon who shared all of herself with her millions of devoted fans. Her tragic murder, at the age of twenty-three, stripped the world of her talent and boundless potential, her tightly-knit family of their beloved angel, and her husband, Chris Perez, of the greatest love he had ever known.

For over a decade, Chris held onto the only personal thing he had left from his late wife–the touching and sometimes painful memories of their very private bond.

Now, for the first time, Chris opens up about their unbreakable friendship, their forbidden relationship, and their blossoming marriage that was cut short.Click here to see “To Selena, with Love” and help Independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

Selena – Greatest Hits

Greatest Hits is a collection of most of the English songs by American Tejano-pop singer Selena. It contains all of her English songs from her Dreaming of You album, as well as both regularly and posthumously released English songs she had made throughout her career. “Don’t Throw Away My Love” is a remix of “My Love”.

Selena’s Secret: The Revealing Story Behind Her Tragic Death

Click here to see “Selena’s Secret”
and help bookstores.
Also available on Amazon.

There is no doubt that Yolanda Saldívar pulled the trigger and killed Tejano superstar Selena on March 31, 1995. But does anyone know what really happened in Room 158 of the Days Inn, moments before the crime took place?

María Celeste Arrarás has many answers, and her unrivaled coverage of the murder, trial, and aftermath made her the undisputed expert on the case. Arrarás shares firsthand information about the crime and the people involved–including details of her headline-making jailhouse interview with Saldívar, who repeatedly spoke of “Selena’s secret”–a powerful hidden piece of information that she refused to reveal in court but that she shared at length with Arrarás.

Many questions were raised and not all were answered…until now. Click here to see “Selena’s Secret” and help Independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

Selena – starring Jennifer Lopez

In this biographical drama, Selena Quintanilla (Jennifer Lopez) is born into a musical Mexican-American family in Texas. Her father, Abraham (Edward James Olmos), realizes that his young daughter is talented and begins performing with her at small venues.

She finds success and falls for her guitarist, Chris Perez (Jon Seda), who draws the ire of her father. Seeking mainstream stardom, Selena begins recording an English-language album which, tragically, she would never complete.

Dreaming: A Tribute To Selena Quintanilla-Pérez

Click to see “ Dreaming”
and help bookstores.
Also available on Amazon.

Dreaming brings together lyrical renditions, little boys dancing “the washing machine,” prayers over velas, and odes to purple, sparkly hips swaying to cumbia beats.

There’s thirty-three works of poetry, prose, and fiction on these pages that provide such narratives: “For Selena” by Timothy Daily-Valdés, “One of Us: Selena Quintanilla-Pérez” by Nancy de la Zerda, “La Milagrosa Selena” by Rubén Degollado and plenty more pieces showing the world the impact she continues to make on the dance floor and across generations.

Click to see “ Dreaming” and help Independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

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