In her signature leather jacket with bejeweled bra underneath, her mane of hair flew as she crossed the stage to the rousing rhythm of the large band behind her, sending out the sounds of South Texas, familiar to us from weddings, quinceañeras, and bailes, or dances, out into the nation's capital. But my memory is clear about the energetic performance Selena gave. My memory is a little fuzzy as to the event we attended but it was most likely the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Gala as Representative Solomon Ortiz of Texas, whose district included Corpus Christi where Selena grew up, was the chairman responsible for the program. That year's Hispanic Heritage Month provided a forum for members of Congress and Hispanic arts organizations to showcase the amazing talent in their respective districts. It's a good opportunity to reflect on the impact she made on American culture and to mourn what could have been.Īt a time when she was popular across the Southwest and in Mexico but relatively little known in other parts of the U.S., we saw Selena perform in Washington, D.C., in 1993. So it wasn't until that night that we learned she had been killed by the woman who was managing the Selena fan club and the artist's boutiques.Īs I prepare to publicize the museum's Hispanic Advertising History initiative with the opening of a new display on that includes Selena artifacts, I can look back and see how my life intersected with hers and how I came to know and admire who she was. And somehow we had missed the news that Friday morning. Billboard 200 chart with her predominantly Spanish-language album.
That someone turned out to be Selena Quintanilla-Perez-the 23-year-old Tejana singer who had just become the first Latina artist to top the U.S. "Berin and Melinda, call home immediately." All we understood was that someone had been shot. Each message from Cousin Victor in San Antonio, Texas, was more frantic than the last. On the evening of March 31, 1995, we returned home to the blinking light of the answering machine. Three women on the National Museum of American History staff share their personal connections with Selena and discuss why her legacy matters not just to them but to many Americans. A display opened in 2017 in the American Enterprise exhibition explores marketing history and this pop icon. A unique example of this includes the rise of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (1971–1995), whose hard-won fame spoke to a large cross-section of fans in the United States, in Latin American markets, and across the world. advertising started to shift from mass marketing to recognizing and defining distinct target markets. There’s no word yet on what will come of this (though I may already have high hopes for red lipstick), but if it’s anything like the MAC collection, then Selena’s sister, Suzette, may play a big role.Photograph for a Coca-Cola ad featuring Selena, 1994, by Al Rendon.
On that same day, Quintanilla also filed a trademark for Selenaville for the same purpose. Instead, it seems the Quintanilla family is the driving force behind this new line.Īs The Blast first reported, Selena’s dad, Abraham Quintanilla, filed to trademark the name “ Selena Vive.” The trademark, filed on December 13, 2018, covers body and beauty care cosmetics, compacts containing makeup, lipstick holders, makeup sets, nail polish, eye makeup and other beauty-related products. Now, it seems more Selena-inspired makeup is on the way – but this time MAC’s not behind it. The 13-item collection featured three lipsticks – including one titled Como La Flor, which was an exact color match to the signature red La Reina wore – lipgloss, and blush. Two years ago, MAC dropped a limited-edition makeup line that paid tribute to Selena.