In the fall of 2001, I spent a week in Corpus Christi, Texas, where I had the pleasure of encountering a local music festival. Because I had a free afternoon, I decided to listen to several bands who played one after another on the small stage. One of the local groups, played a style of music that I knew little about and had little exposure to until then: Tejano. Tejano music covers various forms of folk and popular music by the Mexican-American populations of Central and Southern Texas. Soon after I returned home, I began to see and hear more about Tejano and about the “Queen of Tejano,” Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, who was murdered tragically in 1995 at the age of 23. I quickly learned how influential she was to Tejano musicians and other artists around the world. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, I will scratch the surface of those inspired by Selena’s life and work.
The creation of new works inspired by a person’s life and derivative works based on other creative works is part of the natural copyright lifecycle. Think about your favorite artist’s influences, and it’s easy to see how this process works. A person takes in what they experience and uses that to create works that go on to inspire others to create their own works. Selena brought to life dozens of songs registered in our Copyright Catalog. She transformed the then male-dominated Tejano style by adding R&B and pop sounds, which broadened its appeal beyond the traditional audience of the time. Therefore, it’s no surprise that she influenced others as one of the top Latin artists of the 1990s, according to Billboard.
Where can we find her mark? To name a few subjects:
- Music – Recording artists like Becky G, Ivy Queen, Solange, and Jennifer Lopez have performed their own covers of Selena’s work. Other artists clearly acknowledge her influence, such as Beyoncé, who as a young girl met Selena in a mall, and Selena Gomez, who was named after the Tejano star.
- TV and Movies – Speaking of Jennifer Lopez, it’s impossible to talk about Selena without mentioning the 1997 biopic staring Lopez. This part is often cited as her breakout role. Among the other biographical dramas of her life is Netflix’s Selena: The Series, which completed its two-season run in 2021.
- Visual and Literary Works – Others have been inspired by Selena to draw, paint, or take pictures. Michael Frizell and Ramon Salas recently released a biographical comic book, Female Force: Selena, to illustrate how Selena changed the world.
These and other examples demonstrate how one creative can influence many more decades after their passing. Does Selena inspire you to create your own works? Visit our What Musicians Need to Know about Copyright and Engage Your Creativity pages for more info on how to protect your work. Also, if you need resources in Spanish to use or share with others, we have a page with links to publications and frequently asked questions ready for you.
Comments (10)
Selena is la reina!
I saw the movie about Selena. It was fantastic and very sad throughout various parts of the movie. When I saw this tribute to Selena, during Hispanic Heritage Month, I was delighted and inspired to see continued respect adoration and appreciation for a very talented entertainer.
Would carry more weight if you got the name of the city right in the first line.
That’s now been corrected. Thank you.
I love this article and yes The ones that has crossed over can still to this day inspire and communicate to us there music and other scientific types ways.. just because our human body has passed our Spirited Soul Is still Alive. Music is one of the best ways to describe things and messages to humans especially if you have knowledge on how to concentrate and meditate.
These are just my thoughts not facts or proven far as I know..
Oneluv17
I believe everything posted was actually very logical.
However, think on this, suppose you added a little content?
I mean, I don’t wish to tell you how to run your blog, but what if you added a title that grabbed folk’s attention? I mean The
Inspiring Life and Work of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez | Copyright: Creativity at
Work is a little boring. You ought to glance at Yahoo’s front page and note
how they create news titles to get viewers to click.
You might add a related video or a related pic or two
to grab readers excited about what you’ve written.
Just my opinion, it would bring your posts a little bit more interesting.
betflix22
i love selena quintanilla i the number 1 fan
Thank u for writing this, VERY INSPIRATIONAL!
i love her with all of my heart i had wished she had lived longer but sometimes it just has to happen. :c
Selena is the best to write about