She was called the ‘Tejano Madonna’ back in the 1990s thanks to her closet choices and the popularity of her music. But although Selena Quintanilla ’s life was tragically cut short her influence lives on in the Latinx music of today and many stars took to Instagram to mark the 25th anniversary of her death.
Foremost amongst them was Salma Hayek , who wrote: “Remembering Latin legend Selena, who we lost 25 years ago. But who will always stay in our hearts.” She posted a clip of Selena singing Como La Flor, tagging the Mexican-American singer’s official Instagram account @SelenaQOfficial, which has over 800k followers. Salma herself was offered the role of the singer in the 1997 biopic but turned it down, deeming it “too soon” for such a movie. The part was eventually played by Jennifer Lopez who garnered a Golden Globe nomination for her performance and it became a career-defining moment for the Bronx-born star.
There’s still a lot of interest in the tragic star with an up-coming Netflix show called Serena: The Series with Christian Serratos in the title role set to air this year. Christian also took to Instagram to pay tribute to the star, writing: “What I find most enduring about Selena is her ability to defy boundaries. She paved the way for Latinas and inspired so many to continue in the face of adversity. I will be forever grateful for the memories she has given me, and what she’s done for when like me and my daughter.”