Selena y Los Dinos facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Selena y Los Dinos (stylized as Selena & The Guys)
The Members as of 1995
Background information
Origin	Lake Jackson, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Tejano, pop music, traditional rock
Years active	1981–1995
Labels	Freddie Records (1981–1984) Cara Records (1985) GP Records (1986–1989) EMI Latin (1989–1995)
Associated acts	Pete Astudillo Álvaro Torres Ida Saenz Abraham Quintanilla III Ricky Vela José Behar Frane Goldb Robert Quintanillo Olivores Keith Thomas Norman Saleet Edward James Olmos Tony Joe White Barrio Boyzz Roger Garcia Buffy Wyclef Jean

Past members	Selena Abraham Quintanilla III Suzette Quintanilla Rena Dearman Rodney Pyeatt Mike Dean Dale Balint Ricky Vela Roger Garcia Jesse Ybarra Joe Ojeda Pete Astudillo Mike Orosco Chris Pérez Don Shelton Freddie Corea

Selena y Los Dinos (meaning "Selena and the Guys" in English) was a popular American Tejano band. It was started in 1981 by the singer Selena and her father, Abraham Quintanilla. The band played music together until Selena's death in 1995. After she passed away, the band stopped performing.

When Selena signed with EMI Latin, the company's president, José Behar, felt that the world wanted to hear Selena as a solo artist. So, Selena began releasing her own albums under her name and a special logo. Before she signed with EMI, the band had already sold over 80,000 copies of their music in Texas.

Band History
Band Members
Discography
See also

Band History

How the Band Started (1957–1981)

Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla, loved playing music. He was part of a band called Los Dinos from 1957 to 1971. He encouraged Selena to sing, and even though she wasn't sure at first, she soon discovered she loved it.

Selena joined the family band when she was just ten years old. Two years later, they became professional musicians. Selena's father noticed her amazing voice. He formed a new family band around her. Her older brother, Abraham III (A.B.), played the bass guitar. Her sister, Suzette, played the drums.

The family first performed on street corners and at parties. In 1981, Selena's father opened a Mexican restaurant in Lake Jackson, Texas, called Papágayos (meaning "Parrots"). Selena, at nine years old, performed there with her siblings to entertain the customers. However, the restaurant struggled when the economy slowed down in South Texas. It eventually had to close. After the restaurant closed, Selena's family moved to Corpus Christi, Texas. There, Selena started to become well-known as a child singer.

The family's restaurant went out of business within a year. Abraham had quit his job to manage it full-time, so the family had to live with relatives. The band played wherever they could, like at weddings, on street corners, and at fairs. Sometimes, they were very popular. Other times, especially where Mexican Americans were not easily accepted, people would boo them. Once, at a wedding, people booed and even threw food at them.

Becoming Popular (1981–1988)

In 1981, a record company called Freddie Records in Corpus Christi, Texas, signed Selena y Los Dinos. They started selling songs from the band's first album in local stores. Selena y Los Dinos began playing more often in Texas clubs and at fairs as their fame grew.

In 1984, Freddie Records released the band's first full album, Selena y Los Dinos. However, the owner of Freddie Records thought the band wasn't ready for a full album. So, Abraham ended their record deal. While still looking for a new deal, Selena's father found another small record company called Cara Records. An album rumored to be called The New Girl in Town was never fully released. But some songs from Cara Records, like "Encontré El Amor", were sold as special promotional singles in 1983.

In 1987, a company called GP Productions saw Selena y Los Dinos perform and signed them to a yearly contract. The band quickly went into the recording studio. That same year, Selena y Los Dinos released their second full album, Alpha. This was their first album released without any legal problems.

In 1987, the song "Muñequito de Trapo" (Rag Doll) was released. It helped the band become even more famous. They were featured at the Tejano Music Awards. Selena won "Female Vocalist of The Year," an award she would win eight times in a row! The band also won other awards.

Abraham Quintanilla Jr. was very proud of the band's success. In 1987, he released And the Winner Is.... He wanted Selena to sing more Tejano and Mexican songs to honor their heritage. This helped them gain more recognition in the Tejano music world.

In 1988, Selena y Los Dinos released Preciosa (Precious). This album was named after a nickname given to Selena when she was a child. It sold 20,000 copies in Texas alone. By 1988, Selena's albums were selling 20,000 copies each.

The band's last independent album was Dulce Amor (Sweet Love), released in 1988. This album helped Selena get noticed at the 1989 Tejano Music Awards by José Behar. He had just started the Latin music division of EMI Records, called EMI Latin. Jose Behar remembered seeing Selena perform and how she filled the whole place with excitement and enthusiasm. Soon after, Behar signed Selena as a solo artist. Selena began releasing albums with her new logo, but Los Dinos still performed with her at concerts.

Chris Pérez Joins (1988–1995)

Selena's brother, A.B., met Chris Pérez while touring in Texas. Chris was a guitar player for another Tejano artist, Shelly Lares. They became friends. Selena's previous guitarist, Jesse Ybarra, left the band. So, A.B. suggested Chris Pérez.

Chris auditioned at Abraham Quintanilla's house. Abraham wasn't sure about Chris at first. Chris had his own rock band and played only in English. But A.B. promised that Chris would quickly learn the band's music. Abraham agreed to hire Chris as the new lead guitarist.

Chris joining the band brought an unexpected change. He and Selena fell in love. Selena's father found out and told them they had to end their relationship or the band would break up. Chris was fired, but Selena stayed with the band. However, they secretly married on April 2, 1992. Selena added Chris's last name to hers. She tried to keep the marriage a secret, but the news quickly spread on radio stations and news reports.

Later, Abraham Quintanilla accepted Chris into the family. He also allowed Chris to rejoin the band. After Selena's death in March 1995, Chris left to form the Chris Pérez Band. He wrote a song for Selena called "The Best I Can." His band broke up in 2002. Chris then joined Selena's brother A.B. in his bands, the Kumbia Kings in 2002 and the Kumbia All Starz in 2006. A.B. continues to honor Selena in his music.

The Reunion: Selena ¡Vive! (2005)

The surviving members of Selena y Los Dinos reunited for a huge tribute concert. It honored Selena on April 7, 2005. The concert, called Selena ¡VIVE!, was held at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. All the tickets sold out, and it became the most-watched Spanish-language TV special ever.

Many famous artists attended, including Gloria Estefan and the Kumbia Kings. Jennifer Lopez, who played Selena in the movie about her life, gave an introduction. Suzette Quintanilla, Selena's sister and the band's former drummer, announced that Los Dinos would reunite. They would record a new song for A.B. Quintanilla's group Kumbia All Starz in 2010. This song would feature surprise guest artists on the album La Vida de un Genio.