The Memoir Of Ms. Butterfly

When thinking about those who left a significant imprint in life, I can’t but think about Selena Quintanilla Perez. On March 31, 1995, the music world and the world would be with a significant void.

 Selena grew up speaking English, but her father taught her to sing in Spanish so she could resonate with the Latino community.

She learned the lyrics phonetically at first and eventually learned to speak Spanish fluently.

Selena’s career began when she was eight when her dad decided to start a band with his kids.

 They became Selena y Los Dinos after performing at their father’s restaurant, Pappagallo, which served typical Mexican food.

Once her father lost his restaurant, he decided to move his whole family to Corpus Christi to try to give them a better life.

Abraham Quintanilla would the band play at weddings and carnivals around town.

 Abraham Quintanilla knew that any exposure would suit kids to get signed to a record label. Not understanding that record labels don’t drop from the sky just because we want them to.

Selena’s brother A.B. Quintanilla began writing specifically for his sister’s voice and things people could relate to.

Selena’s rise to fame was not easy; it was a lot of her own whom she wanted to be as an artist and everyone except her. 

 Her father believed that family is always first and no one from the outside world will tear them apart.

 Selena Quintanilla made her recording debut in the ’80s, becoming an award-winning recording artist in the Latin music scene with albums like Amor Prohibido and Selena Live.

At 15 years old, Selena became famous when she won Tejano Music Award for Female Entertainer of the Year. That award led Selena to a major record label contract with Capitol Records and six successful albums.

That’s why he had such difficulty adjusting to Chris Perez when he joined the band because Abraham felt Chris Perez would get in the way of Selena’s growing music career.

 Of course, Chris and Selena were in love at first sight, but for her dad, Chris was a bad boy, and he did not want Selena anywhere near Chris Perez because he did not want a negative image to be attached to his kid’s futures.

Chris and Selena’s love story has always been like something out of a fairytale book that not many people get the opportunity to experience in this generation. Despite her father’s disapproval of his daughter’s relationship with Chris Perez. Selena and Chris decide to envelop.

 On April 2, 1992, Selena and Chris elope between 20 and 22. Unfortunately, Selena did not get the chance to break the news to her family.

 Instead, media outlets announced it to the world, making it scary for Selena to tell or explain to her family why she chose the road she decided with Chris Perez. In my own personal, I believe that besides being crazy in love with each other eloping gave her a sense of power over her own life.

I believe that no matter how many new female artists in the genre of music come to light will never be able to accomplish what Selena had done in her short life. Likewise, those who try to imitate her style and music will never be close to who she was as an artist.

 The thing that made Selena stand out was the fact that she had a real connection with her fans, and she was down to earth. Selena also had contagious laughter and also loved playing jokes on people.

 Her fans meant the world to us, just like she meant the world to us as fans. But unfortunately, the joy of her fans left her vulnerable to running into some people.

Of course, who would have bad intentions regarding her as a person? That’s how she ran into Yolando Salivar because she always believed in the goodness of people.

But on the other hand, Selena always struggled. First, to realize that there could be people out there to be willing to hurt her.

Then, as she worked on her cross-over album and her sister worked in the boutiques. Selena realized that she would need extra help with the fan club. So Selena suggested looking into hiring someone she could trust to help her with the fan club.

Upon meeting Saldivar, Selena’s father was unsure of hiring Saldivar as president of Selena’s fan club. Still, Selena thought it would be a good idea because Saldivar already things about Selena. However, Selena and her family had no clue that the woman that worked so closely with Selena would be the one to take her life’s future away.

 For many months Selena’s father knew that Selena’s fans were not receiving their items from the fan club, and he also noticed some missing financial papers.

After Selena and her father had that meeting with Saldivar, Saldivar asks Selena to meet her the following day so she can give Selena the missing document of her finances.

 So Selena did just knowing she would be killed by someone she thought she could trust.

 On March 31, 1995, not only would the world be turned upside down, but the Quintanilla Perez family would be losing a daughter, sister, and wife.

  Selena was shot by someone she trusted.

 The world has only had one question since passing. That’s why Selena would choose to meet up with Saldivor alone, not knowing what Saldivor’s purpose was, asking Selena to meet her at Day Inn room 158.

 The only thing I understood of that day as I watched on the T.V. was that we lost someone way too soon and who had a great future once again. Selena, being shot, was able to muscle up the strength to run across the courtyard into the hotel lobby and Yolanda and room 158 before clasping on the floor. But unfortunately, Selena was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.

 After that, the world would be devasted by news outlets releasing the news of Selena’s death. Still, there was no time to grieve. Instead, it was time to get justice for our falling star Selena Quintanilla Perez, which happened when the jury found Saldivar was sentenced to life imprisonment on November 22, 1995, with no chance of parole in 2025.

Selena Quintanilla Perez was laid to rest during a private funeral on April 3, 1995, at Seaside Memorial Cemetery, a day after what would have been her third wedding anniversary with Chris Perez.

 Selena’s fifth studio album, Dreaming of You, was released on July 18,  1995, three months after her death of Selena. In the first week of being released, it went straight to #1.

As a family started to talk about pursuing a movie about Selena’s life, The whole world became overwhelmed with the idea of watching a story play out on the big screen. So when the family decided to do an open casting call to see who would play Selena, millions of girls and young ladies came out to Fulfilled Out their biggest dream by playing such a legend as Selena.

 Everybody knows that Selena is Mexican American, So when casting for the role of Selena, it would’ve been detrimental not to release someone Mexican American like she was.

The whole world was appalled when Jennifer Lopez, of Puerto Rican descent, was Cast to play Selena, who was Mexican American. But thinking back on today, speaking from my opinion, I just Jennifer Lopez did a fantastic job portraying Selena down to what she even said.

Jennifer Lopez was born and raised on the South side Of the Bronx. Jennifer Lopez loved anything that had to do with dance. Everyone knows that Jennifer Lopez Started her dance career on a television show called in living color, Produced by Keenan Wayne.

Jennifer Lopez was one of the fly girls who would dance hip-hop on Sundays. However, what made Jennifer Lopez a household name was When she played Selena, which opened many doors for her. Even though Jennifer Lopez never met Selena in person, Selena became her mentor and pushed her to do her first album on the 6.

Jennifer says that Selena was iconic not just with her music but with her personality and the fact that she was so bubbly. Spending time with the family getting prepared for the role of playing Selena, she says that she learned a lot about the business and also about the type of person that she was behind the music.

Jennifer says she understood why so many people loved and cared about her. I still care about her until the day, and her music will never die, just like she never let the music die. With no idea, Jennifer says it was an honor and a privilege to play such an iconic role. Still, it would open up a whole world for her and her career, so she’s thankful for the opportunity that she would never change because it changed her life.

 Jennifer Lopez says that, but she learned how to seize the moment. I appreciate the things you have in front of you and do not take anything for granted. Selena has left such a significant imprint in Jennifer Lopez’s life that it’s very challenging to see someone else try to leave a mark like Selena left in life and the music industry.

Ms. Butterfly Genesis