Selena: The Series - Who was Selena Quintanilla? The real-life story behind Netflix’s drama

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Netflix’s biographical drama Selena: The Series releases its second season tomorrow (4 May), following the first season’s premiere in 2020.

The series is a coming-of-age story focusing on Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla, who became known as “The Queen of Tejano music”. There are nine episodes in each season.

According to the series’ official description, Selena: The Series follows the “heart-wrenching and life-changing sacrifices she and her family make as they navigate the highs and lows of success, loss, love and music”.

However, many people are already familiar with the real-life story of Quintanilla.

Spoilers follow for Selena: The Series on Netflix….

Born in 1971, Quintanilla made her musical debut at the age of 10, as part of the band Selena y Los Dinos, alongside two of her her older siblings. 

She performed Tejano music, a musical fusion style which borrows from Mexican, American, Czech and German traditions. 

After winning the Tejano Music award for Female Vocalist of the Year in 1987 (the first of nine wins), Quintanilla spearheaded a surge in popularity for the genre.

She became the top-selling Latin artist of the Nineties according to Billboard, being inducted into its Latin Music Hall of Fame in 1995.

On 31 March 1995, when she was 23, Quintanilla was shot and killed by Yolanda Saldívar, the former president of her fan club who had been recently fired for embezzling money.

The 1997 film Selena cast Jennifer Lopez as Quintanilla, with Lupe Ontiveros playing Saldívar.

In the Netflix series, the singer will be portrayed by Twilight’s Christian Serratos.