U.S. #4499
2011 44¢ Slena
Latin Music Legends
Issue Date: March 16, 2011
City: Austin, TX
Printed By: Avery Dennison
Printing Method: Photogravure
Color: Multicolored
Traveling across the Texas countryside in a family bus, young Selena Quintanilla (1971-1995) developed her talent singing in the family band. Ten years later, known just as Selena, she was the face of Tejano, a blend of American and European folk music. At age 23, she was poised for mainstream stardom. That was tragically cut short when Selena was slain by the president of her fan club.
In the months that followed Selena’s death, the world got a chance to see what might have been. Her album “Dreaming of You” was issued shortly after her death. A mix of Spanish- and English-language songs, it debuted at number one on U.S. charts. The album displayed the vocal power and intensity that made Selena the Tejano Female Artist of the Decade for both the 1980s and the 1990s. She also won a 1993 Grammy Award.
Selena’s talent was refined during the years spent touring with the family band as part of Selena and Los Dinos. She began performing at age 9, and recorded her first album at 12, specializing in Tejano music. Tejano was born in Texas, a blend of influences from the Mexican, German, and Polish immigrants who settled the region. For nearly 100 years, Tejano was mostly limited to the Texas region where it had its roots. Selena’s performances helped make the music popular across the country.