Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (April 16, 1971 - March 31, 1995), known mononymou… Read Full Bio ↴Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (April 16, 1971 - March 31, 1995), known mononymously as Selena, was an American singer who is regarded as one of the biggest stars of the Tejano genre of music. She was born in Lake Jackson, Texas and grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, where she began her musical career. Her father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., was a singer with the original Los Dinos from 1957-1972, and nurtured the burgeoning musical talent of his children. Selena, her brother Abe III (bass), and their sister, Suzette (drums), were a second generation of Los Dinos. Its other two members who started in the band were Ricky Vela on keyboards and Roger Garcia on guitar.

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 Saldívar 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 Saldívar 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.

Te Amo Solo a Ti
Selena Lyrics

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Yo te juro que mis intenciones fueron buenas
why si tu no quisiste mi amor, que le vamos a hacer?
Me retiro para ver si llegas
a encontrar lo que nunca te dÂ¨Âª
Pero quiero que sepas que yo te amo solo a ti
Si algun dÂ¨Âªa tus pasos te llevan a mi puerta
Solo puedo decir que mis brazos
siempre abrÂ¨Âª para ti

Porque no soy capaz de ofenderte,
rechazarte o burlarme de ti
Pero quiero que sepas que yo te amo solo a ti

No me importa que diga la gente

Yo te amo, quÂ¨Â¦ puedo decir?
Solo puedo seguir tu corriente,
porque no valgo nada sin ti

Si algun dÂ¨Âªa tus pasos te llevan a mi puerta
Solo puedo decir que mis brazos
siempre abrÂ¨Âª para ti
Porque no soy capaz de ofenderte,
rechazarte o burlarme de ti
Pero quiero que sepas que yo te amo solo a ti
Te amo solo a ti,

Te amo solo a ti,
Te amo solo a ti

Overall Meaning

In the song "Te Amo Solo a Ti" by Selena, the singer expresses her love and devotion to someone who she wishes would reciprocate her feelings. Selena swears that her intentions were good, but the person she loves did not return her love. She acknowledges this rejection and retreats to give the other person space to find something better but assures them that her love only belongs to them. She wants the person to know that her arms are always open for them, she could never hurt or reject them, and she is willing to follow their lead because she feels she is nothing without them.

The lyrics reveal the emotional struggle of unrequited love and the pain of holding onto hope while facing the reality of someone not feeling the same way. Selena's delivery adds to the sincerity of the song and showcases the intimate and passionate nature of her voice. The repeated phrase "Te amo solo a ti" emphasizes the exclusivity of Selena's love and how she cannot imagine loving anyone else but this person.

Overall, the song is about unrequited love and how one person can be completely devoted to someone who can't or won't love them back. Selena portrays this feeling through her emotional delivery and the lyrics that express her unwavering love and dedication to the person she loves.

Line by Line Meaning

Yo te juro que mis intenciones fueron buenas
I swear to you that my intentions were good.

Si tu no quisiste mi amor, que le vamos a hacer?
If you didn't want my love, what can we do?

Me retiro para ver si llegas a encontrar lo que nunca te di
I'm leaving to see if you can find what I never gave you.

Pero quiero que sepas que yo te amo solo a ti
But I want you to know that I love only you.

Si algún día tus pasos te llevan a mi puerta, solo puedo decir que mis brazos siempre abrían para ti
If someday your steps bring you to my door, I can only say that my arms will always be open for you.

Porque no soy capaz de ofenderte, rechazarte o burlarme de ti
Because I'm not capable of offending, rejecting or mocking you.

No me importa que diga la gente
I don't care what people say.

Yo te amo, ¿qué puedo decir?
I love you, what can I say?

Solo puedo seguir tu corriente, porque no valgo nada sin ti
I can only go along with whatever you want, because I'm nothing without you.

Te amo solo a ti
I love only you.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: E.J. LEDESMA, JAIME LEDEZMA ENCARNACION

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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