While most viewers are happy to leave behind any memory of 2020, there were a few shows released that audiences should revisit in 2021. One such series is detailing the life of Selena Quintanilla, Queen Of Tejano music.
The series covers everything from Selena’s upbringing to the struggles she and her band, Selena y Los Dinos, faced to reach the mainstream charts. Part 1 of the series features some of Selena and the groups’ best songs and performances, with many more coming in Part 2 of the series. Here is a list of the best so far.
"Como La Flor" - Episode 1
Arguably one of Selena’s most famous songs, Como La Flor remains a timeless hit in the genre of popular and Tejano music. Though viewers only received a glimpse of Selena’s famous performance of this song in episode 1, it is one of the series most important performances, as it marked the first time the audience saw Selena perform solo, marking a new beginning for the star.
"Parece Que Va A Llover" - Episode 2
After multiple basements and local wedding performances, in episode 2 of the series, the audience finally gets to see Selena Y Los Dinos perform in front of a full crowd. This is one of the show’s best performances, as it gave the audience an early glimpse of Selena as a performer and the chemistry of the band.
The song, originally written by Spanish Cuban Antonio Matas, was rearranged by A.B Quintanilla III for Selena to perform in the early 1980s. The cover of Parece Que Va a Llover went on to be featured in Selena Y Los Dinos’ first album, Mis Primeras Grabaciones.
"La Bamba" - Episode 3
In Part 1 episode 3 of Selena: The Series, audiences slowly watched as Selena y Los Dinos continued to gain notoriety in the Tejano music scene. Having recently won the Female Vocalist Of The Year award at the Tejano Music Awards, Selena Y Los Dinos were being offered more and more performance opportunities.
One of those was during the band's first visit to Matamoros, Mexico. In an attempt to change up her style and test venturing out into her English sound, Selena performed a Joan Whatley cover, which unfortunately was not well received by the attending audience. This was a moment where the band, particularly Suzette, had to act proactively and change the tempo to perform the upbeat song La Bamba, a move that went over with fans much better.
"Terco Corazon" - Episode 5
Terco Corazon is the song Selena Y Los Dinos performed in the series for their first Tejano Music Award performance. The song, written by AB Quintanilla III, was another moment where the band could shine, only this time on a much larger scale.
This was special for the band, as they had been the industry newbies and had now moved up to take center stage at this prestigious award show. Despite it being a big deal, Selena Y Los Dinos were able to do what they do best and that was to entertain.
"Always Mine" - Episode 5
Viewers following the series would know that one of Selena’s main struggles was her continued desire to break into the U.S. mainstream market. Despite countless setbacks and rejections, Selena and her father Abraham always bargained for the ability for Selena to sing in English.
Fans get a taste of this in episode 5's “Dulce Amor,” where Selena Y Los Dinos performs Always Mine, an original English/Spanish song written by A.B Quintanilla. The song was not only well received by the audience, but it showed Selena’s incredible versatility and talent, making it one of the most memorable performances in the series.
"La Carcacha" - Episode 8
After gaining relative success, Selena y Los Dinos was ed by another famous Tejano music artist, Pete Astudillo. The group began frequently performing together and were much loved by fans.
Their performance of La Carcacha in episode 8 of the series reflects this and the crowd’s enjoyment and Selena and Pete’s chemistry makes it one of the band's best performances. Though Pete would later embark on a solo career, he remained one of the foundational of Selena Y Los Dinos and is attributed to many of Selena’s hit songs.
"Enamorada De Ti" - Episode 7
After another successful year, Selena was invited to again perform at the Tejano Music Awards. This time, she brought a vibrant and funky performance through ‘Enamorada De Ti.
Selena not only donned a new style, but also brought on backup dancers for the first time. Not only was the crowd able to see Selena’s dance moves, but also her ability to perform without her band and set her up as a strong solo artist.
"Baila Esta Cumbia" - Episode 7
Baila Esta Cumbia is one of Selena Quintanilla’s most famous songs and will go down as one of her most memorable ‘baila/dance’ tracks. In episode 7 of Selena: The Series, fans were shown how the song was conceived. Throughout the series, viewers would come to find out the pressure A.B Quintanilla III was constantly under as the main songwriter and producer for Selena Y Los Dinos.
This meant that even when he was spending time with his family, he had to keep thinking about music. In this episode, this actually inspired a new song, which Selena would later on go to perform in the episode and again in the Part 1 finale.
"Buenos Amigo" - Episode 8
As Selena’s career progressed throughout the show, viewers got to experience the artist perform in different settings. One of these was in Selena’s music video shoot for the song Buenos Amigo, as seen in episode 8, “Gold Rush.''
The song, which translates to "Good Friends," is about two lovers who can’t be together and hence settle on being good friends. This particularly rang true for Selena, as she herself was struggling to maintain her secret relationship with fellow bandmate, Chris Perez. This video shoot performance not only showcased Selena’s natural talent in front of the camera, it was also filled with a ion that reflected her real-life circumstances.
"Qué Creías" - Episode 9
Selena’s style and performance ability continued to evolve throughout her career and in the series. Her performance of Qué Creías in the Part 1 finale truly reflects this, as the star increases her audience interaction to better aid in her performance.
The song, which is about someone in love questioning their lover, placed Selena in character as an angry girlfriend and a lucky audience member as an ex-boyfriend. This performance reflected the star’s acting skills and constant appreciation of and engagement with her fans, which set her apart.
