Courtesy of Persaud Entertainment
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, better known as Selena, was a trailblazing singer who broke barriers and crossed genres in the Latin music scene. She was born in Texas to a Mexican-American family and started performing with her siblings in their band Selena y Los Dinos when she was nine years old. She soon became a star in the Tejano music industry.
Selena’s talent, charisma, and beauty captivated audiences across the United States and Latin America. She released several successful albums, such as Entre a Mi Mundo (1992), Live! (1993), and Amor Prohibido (1994), which featured some of her most iconic songs, such as “Como la Flor”, “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom”, and “No Me Queda Más”. She won a Grammy Award for Best Mexican/American Album in 1994, becoming the first female Tejano artist to do so. She also ventured into other fields, such as fashion, acting, and entrepreneurship. She launched her own clothing line and boutiques and planned to release an English-language crossover album.
However, Selena’s life was tragically cut short on March 31, 1995, when she was shot and killed by the former manager of her boutiques. Selena was only 23 years old. Her death shocked and saddened millions of fans around the world, who mourned the loss of their idol. Her posthumous album Dreaming of You (1995) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, making her the first Latin artist to achieve this feat. Her legacy lives on through her music, which continues to influence and inspire generations of artists and listeners.
One of those artists is Ricky Persaud, Jr., a singer-songwriter from New Jersey who grew up listening to Selena’s music. He says that Selena was one of his biggest influences and that he admired her for her versatility, passion, and positivity. He decided to pay tribute to her by writing and recording a song called “Selena”. The song is a blend of pop, rock, Latin, and Tejano elements that reflects Selena’s musical style and spirit. It also features lyrics in both English and Spanish that celebrate Selena’s life and legacy.
Ricky Persaud, Jr. — “Selena”
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The song seeks consideration for a Grammy Award nomination as Best Global Music Performance in 2024. This new category recognizes solo or collaborative performances of music that is influential from around the globe.
The final product involved a collaborative effort between Masa Takumi, Ryoji Hata, Naoki Tate, Hideki Kodera, and Dave Stringer. Persaud hopes his song will introduce Selena’s music to new audiences and keep her memory alive.
“We all crafted a really cool track together. I’m honored to pay tribute to one my favorite artists,” said Persaud. “‘Selena’ is a tribute song to honor her life and legacy. As the song says, ‘This one is for Selena’.”
“Selena” is not only a tribute to the Queen of Tejano Music but also a testament to the power of music to transcend boundaries and connect people across cultures and generations. It is a song that honors the past while looking forward to the future. It is a song that celebrates Selena.
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