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.

Tu Robaste Mi Corazon
Selena Lyrics

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Como he llegado a caer aquí contigo
Entre tus brazos de sed amor
Que bonito es, encontrarte al fin
Después de tanto tiempo solo
Como es que todo se ve mejor contigo
Como es que nada parece igual
No puede ser amor, lo que siento en mí
Es mucho más de lo que imaginaba

En un momento el corazon perdí
Sin darme cuenta todo te lo dí
Y en el pecho siento nueva vida
Donde mi corazón dormía
Tú, tú robaste mi corazón
Qué puedo hacer?
Me siento presa de ti
Y no me quiero escapar de tu vida
Tú, tú llegaste a mi corazón
con tu querer,
con tu alma y tu ser
No te quiero perder, nunca nunca
En un momento has cambiado todo, amigo
Lo que esperaba al fin llegó
Lo que en nadie más pude encontrar
Sin esperar, caí en mis manos
Como es que todo se ve mejor contigo
Como es que nada parece igual

No puede ser amor, lo que siento en mi
Es mucho más de lo que imaginaba

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Selena's "Tu Robaste Mi Corazon" describe the feeling of falling in love with someone unexpectedly and the intense emotions that come along with it. The singer is surprised to find themselves in the arms of their lover, who they describe as having stolen their heart. They express how much better life seems with this person by their side and how their love is more than they ever imagined. The lyrics evoke a sense of being overwhelmed by the power of love and the desire to never let go.

The song is a testament to Selena's emotional depth as a performer and her ability to capture the essence of romantic love in her music. The song was released posthumously and is a beloved track among Selena's fans. The music video shows Selena performing in a garden, emphasizing the natural beauty that she writes about in the lyrics. The song is also notable for its use of a bachata rhythm, a popular style of Latin music from the Dominican Republic.

Line by Line Meaning

Como he llegado a caer aquí contigo
I can't believe I've ended up falling for you

Entre tus brazos de sed amor
In your seductive arms

Que bonito es, encontrarte al fin
It's so beautiful to finally find you

Después de tanto tiempo solo
After being alone for so long

Como es que todo se ve mejor contigo
Everything seems better with you

Como es que nada parece igual
Nothing seems the same

No puede ser amor, lo que siento en mí
It can't be love, what I feel inside

Es mucho más de lo que imaginaba
It's much more than I imagined

En un momento el corazon perdí
In a moment, I lost my heart

Sin darme cuenta todo te lo dí
Without realizing it, I gave you everything

Y en el pecho siento nueva vida
And in my chest I feel new life