Tosin Sanusi

Formal Draft for P3

Selenas Legacy
I was only very recently introduced to the story of Selena Quintanilla through
Selena, the 1997 biopic. My friend had wanted to show me a particular
scene, the one where she and her husband fall in love, and since I had other
things to do, we decided to skip to the right scene at the right time. It was
late, and I had a paper to write and a quiz to study for. However, that night,
the two of us ended up watching the entire movie. We watched the story of
her familys humble beginnings, her break into the local, regional and
national music scenes, and her meteoritic rise to stardom. We watched her
and her husbands love story unfold and the preparations she started making
to cross over to the English market. The film stayed bright and hopeful;
however, I wasnt a complete Selena neophyte, and I knew how the story
would end. When Selena was murdered by Yolanda Salvidar, the president of
her fan club, I cried. I saw the footage of actual hordes of Selenas fans
mourning and holding up tributes and I thought to myself: How could a light
so effervescent, so impactful, be snuffed out so soon?

Of course, the Selena I was introduced to wasnt Selena, but Jennifer Lopez.
Lopez portrayed Selena beautifully she seemingly captured her essence,
her charm, and her grace in this career-defining role. Her casting wasnt met
without controversy many fans were upset that a Puerto Rican actress was
playing Selena, who was of Mexican descent. However, after the movie was

released, and people saw her performance for themselves, the uproar died
down. It was hard to dislike her portrayal, and the movie went on to become
one of the most successful biopics of the twentieth century. Her family had
released the rights to the movie a mere three months after Selena died,
mainly because they didnt want any movie studios to release inaccurate
depictions of her story. The movie certainly introduced Selena to a large
number of people who were unaware of who she really was and how she
lived. It expanded her reach, and it made fans of people who may not have
understood everything she sang, but who admired her energy and
authenticity.

Though I am a recent Selena convert, there are large numbers of people who
have been involved with her story from the beginning, who were raised with
her voice and continually inspired by her dazzling personality. Recently, the
immensely popular makeup company MAC released a special collection of
Selena products, and it was sold out everywhere within a day. Many people
who were too young to remember the height of Selenas career stood in long
lines to purchase these products in Selenas memory. What was it about
Selena that inspired such loyal fans, that impacted this generation (and the
generation preceding it, of course) so strongly?
[quote about leaving a legacy here]

Of course, there are many facets of Selena to appreciate. Her voice, for one,
the instrument that made her famous. She was a mezzo-soprano, and her
voice had a raspy quality. Though Selena was not a native Spanish speaker,
most of her songs were in Spanish, and she was taught how to sing them
phonetically. Many of her listeners who were native speakers loved her
music, and she was able to successfully dominate the Mexican music market.
In Mexico, Chicano artists were oftentimes treated differently from Mexican
artists, but Selena remained unscathed, mainly because of her arresting
personality and general likeability.
What did she influence?
Music
Fashion and style
Latinx representation (Eva Longoria and her star of fame,
Selena Gomez, and of course Jennifer Lopez)
Body image
Works Cited
1. Arrars, Mara Celeste. Selena's Secret: The Revealing Story behind Her Tragic Death. New
York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1997. Print.
2. Hewitt, Bill. "Cover Story: Before Her Time Vol. 43 No. 15." PEOPLE.com. Time Inc., 17
Apr. 1995. Web. 12 Nov. 2016.
3. News, BBC. "Selena Quintanilla: The Tragic Latin Pop Icon Who Still Inspires." BBC News.
BBC, 5 Oct. 2016. Web. 12 Nov. 2016.