Selena y Los Dinos
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music, entertainment |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Founder | Abraham Quintanilla, Selena Quintanilla |
| Defunct | 1995 |
| Headquarters | Corpus Christi, Texas , United States |
Area served | United States (primarily Texas) |
Key people | Selena Quintanilla (lead vocalist), Abraham Quintanilla (manager), A.B. Quintanilla, Suzette Quintanilla, Chris Pérez |
| Products | Music albums, live performances |
Selena y Los Dinos () was a Tejano music group from the United States, established in 1981 by vocalist Selena and her father, Abraham Quintanilla. The ensemble remained active until Selena's tragic death in 1995, which resulted in the band's disbandment. Following Selena's contract with EMI Latin, its president José Behar remarked that "the world wanted Selena, not Selena y Los Dinos," leading to her releasing music solely under her own name. Prior to this deal, the band had achieved sales exceeding 80,000 copies within Texas.
Origins (1956–1981)
From 1956 through 1971, Abraham Quintanilla performed with the group Los Dinos and encouraged his daughter Selena to develop her musical talents. At ten years old, she became part of the family band and turned professional two years later. Abraham assembled the group around Selena's abilities, including his older children: Abraham III on bass and Suzette on drums. Their early gigs took place on street corners, at quinceañeras, and family gatherings. In 1979, the family opened a Mexican restaurant called Papágayos in Lake Jackson, Texas, where Selena made her public debut at age nine alongside her siblings.
The economic downturn in 1981 severely affected their restaurant business, resulting in foreclosure. Consequently, the family moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, where Selena’s reputation as a young singer expanded. After the restaurant's closure and Abraham resigning from his job to manage the band full-time, they lived with relatives. The group performed frequently at weddings, fairs, and various events—earning appreciation in some locations but also encountering discrimination; on one occasion during a wedding performance they were booed and had food thrown at them.
Rise to prominence (1981–1988)
In 1981, Corpus Christi-based Freddie Records signed Selena y Los Dinos and promoted their debut album by distributing singles locally ahead of its release. The band increased their performances throughout Texas clubs and fairs. Their first full-length album, Selena y Los Dinos, was released by Freddie Records in 1984. However, due to concerns from the label's president about the band's professional readiness for a full album, Abraham Quintanilla Jr. chose to terminate the contract. Meanwhile, Abraham collaborated with local Cara Records, which issued promotional singles such as Encontré El Amor in 1983; however, the rumored album The New Girl in Town never reached commercial distribution.
In 1987, after being discovered by GP Productions, Selena y Los Dinos secured an annual contract and recorded their second album, Alpha, marking their first release free of legal complications. That year also saw the release of Muñequito de Trapo (Rag Doll), which enhanced sales and visibility at the Tejano Music Awards. Selena earned "Female Vocalist of The Year," an honor she would claim eight years consecutively; simultaneously, the band received awards as well. Building on this success, Abraham released And the Winner Is..., directing Selena toward more traditional Tejano music and Mexican songs to increase industry acceptance.
By 1988, Preciosa had sold 20,000 copies within Texas alone. That same year marked the release of their final independent studio album, Dulce Amor (Sweet Love). The album's achievements paved the way for Selena’s breakthrough at the 1989 Tejano Music Awards where José Behar, recently appointed head of EMI Latin, witnessed her performance and signed her as a solo artist. Following this development, Selena issued albums under her own name while Los Dinos continued supporting her as a backing band during live performances.
Chris Pérez (1988–1995)
A.B. Quintanilla, Selena's brother, encountered Chris Pérez during their involvement in the Texas Tejano circuit. At the time, Pérez was the guitarist for Shelly Lares and was invited to try out for Selena y Los Dinos following Jesse Ybarra's departure. Although Abraham Quintanilla initially resisted the idea due to Pérez's rock music background and preference for English lyrics, A.B. persuaded his father to bring Pérez on board as the lead guitarist. Pérez's inclusion had a profound impact both musically and personally, as he and Selena developed a romantic relationship. Abraham opposed their romance, concerned it could harm the band's reputation, which led to Pérez being removed from the group. Despite this, Selena and Pérez secretly wed on April 2, 1992, with Selena taking his last name. Their marriage eventually became public knowledge, prompting Abraham to accept Pérez and reinstate him in the band. After Selena's tragic death in 1995, Pérez established the Chris Pérez Band and dedicated a song entitled "The Best I Can" to her memory. Following the band's dissolution in 2002, he collaborated with A.B.'s projects—the Kumbia Kings and later the Kumbia All Starz—both of which continue to celebrate Selena’s musical heritage.
The Reunion: Selena ¡Vive! (2005)
On April 7, 2005, former members of Selena y Los Dinos came together for Selena ¡VIVE!, a tribute concert held at Houston's Reliant Stadium. The event quickly sold out and achieved record-breaking ratings as the highest viewed Spanish-language television special to date. The show featured performances by Gloria Estefan and the Kumbia Kings, with Jennifer Lopez—who portrayed Selena in film—delivering the opening remarks. Suzette Quintanilla, Selena’s sister and former drummer for the band, announced their reunion to record a new track for A.B. Quintanilla’s ensemble Kumbia All Starz, which appeared on their 2010 album La Vida de un Genio and included guest appearances from surprise artists.
Band members
- Selena Quintanilla – lead vocals (deceased 1995)
- Chris Pérez – lead and rhythm guitars (1989–1991, 1992–1995)
- Ricky Vela – keyboards
- Joe Ojeda – keyboards
- A.B. Quintanilla – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Suzette Quintanilla – drums, percussion, backing vocals
- Arturo Meza – percussion, congas
- Pete Astudillo – backing vocals, co-lead vocals
- Don Shelton – backing vocals (deceased 2014)
- Freddy Correa – backing vocals
- Rena Dearman – keyboards (1981–1983)
- Ricky Landeros – percussion
- Jesse Ybarra – lead and rhythm guitars (1986–1989)
- Roger Garcia – lead and rhythm guitars (1984–1986)
- Michael Luna – lead and rhythm guitars (1991–1992)
Discography
Selena y Los Dinos albums
- Selena y Los Dinos (1984)
- Alpha (1986)
- Muñequito de Trapo (1986)
- And the Winner Is... (1987)
- Preciosa (1988)
- Dulce Amor (1988)
Selena solo albums
- Selena (1989)
- Ven Conmigo (1990)
- Entre a Mi Mundo (1992)
- Selena Live! (1993)
- Amor Prohibido (1994)
- Dreaming of You (1995)