Portal:Latin music/Selected article or list/43
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (Spanish: [seˈlena kintaˈniʎa ˈpeɾeθ] or [seˈlena kintaˈniʝa ˈpeɾes]) (April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995) was an American singer, songwriter, spokesperson, actress, and fashion designer. Called the Queen of Tejano music, her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mexican American entertainers of the late 20th century. Billboard magazine named her the "top Latin artist of the '90s", the "best selling Latin artist of the decade". She is often called the "Mexican American equivalent" of Madonna for her clothing choices, by media outlets.{{efn|Media outlets who called Selena the "Mexican American equivalent" of Madonna includes The Victoria Advocate, The New York Times, MTV.com, and Rhapsody. She also ranks among the most influential Latin artists of all-time and is credited for catapulting a music genre into mainstream.
The youngest child of the Quintanilla family, she debuted on the music scene in 1980 as a member of the band Selena y Los Dinos, which also included her elder siblings A.B. Quintanilla and Suzette Quintanilla. Selena began recording professionally in 1982. In the 1980s, she was often criticized and was refused bookings at venues across Texas for performing Tejano music—a male-dominated music genre. However, her popularity grew after she won the Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year in 1986, which she won nine consecutive times.