Selena Portrait

April 16 Known as the "queen of Tejano music," Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (born on this day in 1971) brought wide recognition to this South Texas blend of Mexican and American musical styles. Her powerful voice made her the idol of fans on both sides of the border. Wearing a bustier, tight pants, and a pouting smile, Selena set a new standard for Latin beauty, and her self-confidence on stage brought comparisons with Madonna. In 1990 she released Ven Conmigo, the first Tejano album by a female artist to go gold, and soon she had her own clothing line and national product endorsements. She won a Grammy Award in 1993, but her life ended tragically two years later, when a former president of her fan club shot and killed her. Selena’s death at age twenty-three caused a huge outpouring of grief, and her legend then converged with the rising stardom of fellow Latina singer Jennifer Lopez, who gave a strong performance in her first leading role in Selena (1997).

Selena

Data Source: National Portrait Gallery

Artist: Al Rendon, born 1957
Sitter: Selena, 16 Apr 1971 - 31 Mar 1995

Date: 1993

Credit Line: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Alfred and Elizabeth Rendon

Medium: Gelatin silver print
Dimensions: Image: 33.2 x 25.9 cm (13 1/16 x 10 3/16"); Sheet: 33.9 x 26.6 cm (13 3/8 x 10 1/2"); Mat: 50.8 x 40.6 cm (20 x 16")

Type: Photograph

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .

IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.

View manifest View in Mirador Viewer