Selena made her first public appearance at her father's Mexican restaurant in Lake Jackson at eight and recorded her first record at nine. Throughout her adolescence Selena was constantly on tour. She completed her education via correspondence courses. The singer signed with Capitol EMI in 1989, and released several albums with that label, including 1994's wildly popular 'Amor Prohibido'.
Chris Perez replaced Roger Garcia as guitar player. A romance budded between Perez and Selena, and the two married on April 2, 1992. Even as Selena's career skyrocketed she remained very close to her family, choosing to live next door to them in Corpus Christi.
Selena holds the record of drawing the biggest concert crowd in the history of the Houston Astrodome, for her February 1995 performance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
The greatest irony in Selena's musical career is that she became a star singing in her second language. Her first language was English, not Spanish.
Aside from her singing, Selena was an avid clothing designer. Boutique shops with the Selena name opened in Corpus Christi and San Antonio in 1994. She also dabbled in acting, making a cameo in the Johnny Depp film 'Don Juan de Marco'.
A woman named Yolanda SaldΓvar worked her way into the singer's inner circle, becoming president of Selena's fan club and manager of the boutiques. In 1995 the Quintanillas found out Saldivar had embezzled money from these ventures and decided to fire her. Selena agreed to meet Saldivar at a Corpus Christi Days Inn on the morning of March 31, 1995 in order to retrieve paperwork for tax purposes. At the motel an argument ensued over the embezzlement and Saldivar shot the singer once in the back. Selena died within hours at a local hospital.
Selena's death shocked and saddened Tejano fans in Latin communities throughout the United States and in Mexico. Numerous vigils and memorials were held in the singer's honor. That summer her album 'Dreaming of You', a combination of Spanish language hits and new English language tracks, debuted at #1 on the Billboard music charts in the US.
In October of 1995 a Houston jury convicted SaldΓvar of murder and sentenced her to life in prison, with parole eligibility in thirty years.
There is a museum to honor Selena's memory and a bronze life-sized statue of her on Ocean Drive in Corpus Christi. In 1997, Jennifer Lopez played Selena in the movie of the same name. The movie became the basis in which Lopez rose to superstardom.
In December 2020, Netflix released "Selena: The Series", together with Selena's family in production, based on her life in childhood, before fame, her space in the music industry and her importance for the Latin scenary, played by Christian Serratos. The series contains 2 parts with 18 episodes in total. The second and final part was released in May 2021.
La Bamba
Selena Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oye tΓΊ, ven pa' acΓ‘
Para bailar la bamba
Para bailar la bamba se necesita
Una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia y otra cosita
Ay, arriba y arriba y arriba irΓ©
Yo no soy marinero
Yo no soy marinero, por ti serΓ©
Por ti serΓ©, por ti serΓ©
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba
Para subir al cielo
Para subir al cielo se necesita
Una escalera grande
Una escalera grande y otra chiquita
Ay, arriba y arriba
Ay, arriba y arriba y arriba irΓ©
Yo no soy marinero
Yo no soy marinero, soy capitΓ‘n
Soy capitΓ‘n, soy capitΓ‘n
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba
Una vez que te dije
Una vez que te dije que eras bonita
Se te puso la cara
Se te puso la cara coloradita
Ay, arriba y arriba
Ay, arriba y arriba y arriba irΓ©
Yo no soy marinero
Yo no soy marinero, por ti serΓ©
Por ti serΓ©, por ti serΓ©
Sabor
Hey
Muchos tocan la bamba
Muchos tocan la bamba, pero Los Dinos
Le dan saborcito
Le dan saborcito, pero bonito
Ay, arriba y arriba
Ay, arriba y arriba y arriba irΓ©
Yo no soy marinero
Yo no soy marinero, soy capitΓ‘n
Soy capitΓ‘n, soy capitΓ‘n
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba (sabor)
Para bailar la bamba
Para bailar la bamba se necesita
Una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia y otra cosita
Ay, arriba y arriba
Ay, arriba y arriba y arriba irΓ©
Yo no soy marinero
Yo no soy marinero, por ti serΓ©
Por ti serΓ©, por ti serΓ©
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
The lyrics to Selena's version of "La Bamba" describe the dance of the same name and the singer's willingness to take on any challenge or role necessary in order to be with the person she loves. The song begins with an invitation to dance the bamba, which requires "a little bit of grace" and "a little bit of something else." The singer then exclaims "up and up, up and up I'll go," indicating her determination to succeed in whatever she sets her mind to. She declares that although she is not a sailor, she will become one "for you." The chorus repeats the phrase "bamba bamba" several times, with various interjections such as "sabor" (taste/flavor).
The second verse details the steps required to "climb to heaven," which require "a big ladder" and "a little one." The singer again affirms her determination to succeed, proclaiming that although she is not a sailor, she is a captain. The third verse takes a slightly romantic turn, as the singer reminisces about telling someone they were beautiful and watching their face turn red. The final verse repeats the theme from the beginning, emphasizing the unique flavor that Los Dinos brings to the bamba dance.
Line by Line Meaning
Bamba, bamba
The repeated phrase 'Bamba, bamba' serves as a catchy and attention-grabbing introduction to the song.
Oye tΓΊ, ven pa' acΓ‘
The singer is addressing someone and inviting them to come closer to dance to the bamba.
Para bailar la bamba
The song is about the bamba dance and the singer is inviting people to join in.
Para bailar la bamba se necesita
The singer is explaining what is required to dance the bamba.
Una poca de gracia
To dance the bamba, one needs to have some grace and rhythm.
Una poca de gracia y otra cosita
In addition to grace and rhythm, there is something else that is needed to dance the bamba.
Ay, arriba y arriba
This lively exclamation is used to encourage people to keep moving and dancing upwards.
Yo no soy marinero
The singer is saying that she is not a sailor.
Yo no soy marinero, por ti serΓ©
Despite not being a sailor, the singer will become one for the person she is addressing.
Bamba
This word is repeated as a way to keep the energy and excitement of the song going.
Para subir al cielo
The singer is using the metaphor of climbing a ladder to describe a romantic pursuit.
Para subir al cielo se necesita
The metaphorical ladder has specific requirements to climb it.
Una escalera grande
The ladder to the heavens needs to be large and sturdy.
Una escalera grande y otra chiquita
In addition to the large ladder, there is also a smaller one that is needed to reach the top.
Soy capitΓ‘n
The singer is declaring that she is a captain of this romantic pursuit.
Una vez que te dije
The singer is referring to a previous conversation where she complimented the person she is addressing.
Una vez que te dije que eras bonita
The compliment was that the person addressed is beautiful.
Se te puso la cara
The compliment caused the person addressed to blush and become embarrassed.
Se te puso la cara coloradita
The person addressed blushed and their face became red.
Sabor
This word means 'flavor' and is used as a way to add extra enthusiasm and excitement to the song.
Muchos tocan la bamba
Many people know how to play the bamba music.
Le dan saborcito
The singer is saying that her band, Los Dinos, adds a special flavor to the bamba music that other musicians don't.
Le dan saborcito, pero bonito
Not only does Los Dinos add flavor, but it's a beautiful flavor that enhances the bamba music.
Lyrics Β© Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brian Moore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind