Amor Prohibido
Encyclopedia
Amor Prohibido is the fifth studio album
by American Tejano pop
singer Selena
. The album was released on March 13, 1994 by EMI Latin
. It was re-released on September 24, 2002, as part of the Selena: 20 Years of Music collection, and included music videos and spoken liner notes by her family, friends and her former band
. Amor prohibido incorporates mostly cumbia and dance-pop
songs sung in Spanish, which later helped shaped the "Tejano Music Movement" across the United States. Production of the album was delayed by the success of Selena's clothing line and boutiques
, and the extensive tour
for her previous album, Live!
. Selena's brother and producer of her music, A.B. Quintanilla III, was the main songwriter for Amor prohibido, though lead keyboardist
Ricky Vela
and backup singer Pete Astudillo
helped with writing a song or collaborating with Quintanilla III.
Selena recorded a diversity of Tejano and Mexican
songs, which were well received by critics. Amor prohibido debuted at number-one on Billboard
Regional Mexican Albums
and Top Latin Albums
chart. It went on to peak at number 29 on the Billboard 200
. The album sold more than 500,000 copies in its first year, and it eventually became the Best-Selling Latin Albums of All Time, though her posthumous album Dreaming of You broke the record a year later. It was then certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) in April 1994, platinum in May, quadruple platinum (Latin type) in April 1995, double platinum in October 2002 and 20× Disco De Platino in February 2010. Promotion of the album began with the start of Selena's worldwide tour
in April 1994.
The album received mostly positive reviews and was given high praise, for "stepping-out" of the Tejano genre and into Contemporary Latin pop music. Eventually, Amor prohibido was nominated for Best Mexican-American Performance
at the 37th Grammy Awards. Selena had broke several unprecedented records in the Latin world with Amor prohibido. The album was believed to have "open the doors" to Jennifer Lopez
, Christina Aguilera
, Enrique Iglesias
and Ricky Martin
. After the album had begun to sell in other parts of the United States, where Tejano was little known, Selena was considered "bigger then Tejano itself". Selena had won two awards during the 1994 Tejano Music Awards
and won six prestigious awards posthumously at the 1995 Tejano Music Awards
and the Lo Nuestro Awards
. The album spawned four number-one singles, one posthumous, on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart, which became the only Spanish-album by a female artist to do so, as of 2011.
for her first live
album, Selena Live!
at the 35th Grammy Awards preparations began for developing a Spanish-language studio album. Production of the album was halted because of Selena's booming-success of her clothing line, boutiques
and her extensive touring for Live!
. Selena's brother, who was the producer of her music, A.B. Quintanilla III, had became the lead producer of the album. Quintanilla III, quickly assembled Pete Astudillo
and Ricky Vela
for ideas and inspiration in productive-writing. Chris Perez
, the widower of Selena, was approached by Quintanilla III to collaborate with him on a rock song
, written entirely in Spanish
. Perez stated, during an interview with a family friend, Brian "Red" Moore, that he was shocked and surprised that Quintanilla III allowed him to write a rock song for the album. With not enough lyrics to complete a full-length album, Quintanilla III began writing songs directly out of the Tejano music genre and into Contemporary Latin pop music. When asked if he was trying to changed Selena's style of music, Quintanilla III replied that he didn't want to write "the same songs continuously", he also commented on the question, stating that he wanted to keep the band's image fresh and "cool" so it can be accessible to a younger audience, which helped expanded the "Tejano Music Movement". The movement, which at the time was only a movement
in the state of Texas, helped further awareness of Tejano music and it becoming a popular trend. Quintanilla III, kept the album further immersed in the Latin territory, sticking to mixing of the genres such as Latin jungle and Latin soul into the songs he had wrote for the album.
Beginning in January 1994 and ending in mid-February 1994, recording sessions were mostly done and remixed at Selena's father's, Abraham Quintanilla Jr
's, recording studio; Q-Productions
. Some recording sessions were done at Tejano singer Manny Guerra's recording studio, and in Hollywood, California
. Selena used three recording studios simultaneously. Producers and songwriters having collaborated with Selena on the album include Quintanilla III, Pete Asudillo, Ricky Vela, Chris Perez, Bebu Silvetti
, Joe Ojeda and Jorge Alberto Pino. For the Selena: 20 Years of Music collection Miguel Flores, Desmond Child
and K. C. Porter
were associated with "Donde Quiera Que Estes
", which was a duet that Selena corroborated with the Barrio Boyzz
. Additionally, she collaborated with some musicians that she had never worked with in the past, Stephanie Lynn had done backing vocals for "Amor prohibido
" as well as Rick Alvarez. Composer, José Luis Borrego had worked with Selena on the track "Cobrarde". Lead vocalist for The Pretenders
, Chrissy Hynde was given lyric rights for the song "Fotos y recuredos", which was a sample of their single "Back On The Chain Gang". Puerto Rican American producer, Domingo Padilla
had filled in for Brian "Red" Moore for the duet with the Barrio Boyzz. Gregg Vickers, Roger Emerson, Steven Torres and James Moore also worked with Selena for the first time on Amor prohibido.
Selena later revealed that some songs that were written, such as "Corazon de Hielo" and "Desprecios y Desaires", didn't make the final cut. Quintanilla III later responded, that the songs that didn't make it on the album were going to be enlisted in Selena's forthcoming Tejano-influenced album, which was projected to be released several months after the initial release of Selena's crossover attempt. After Selena was murdered
on March 31, 1995, the songs remained unreleased.
", the lead single
off of the album, was written and produced by Jorge Alberto Pino, Bebu Silvetti
, A.B. Quintanilla III, Pete Astudillo
and Abraham Quintanilla Jr
. Selena, who also co-wrote the song, had gathered inspiration from her grandparents. Selena's grandparents, who were Mexican immigrants, were not allowed to be together. Their parents, Selena's great-grandparents, had forbidden them to love each other because they were both from different social class
. "Amor prohibido" is a mid-tempo
corrido
with dance-pop
influences. Written in the key
of E major
, the beat
is set in common time
and moves at a moderate 90 beats per minute. Selena's vocal range
in the song spans two octaves. "Amor prohibido" uses an uptempo keyboard synthesizer and a electronic keyboard
. The song uses percussion and the hi-hat
cymbal
as its musical foundation. The Daily Democrat wrote that the song was "... mixing the modern cumbia sounds of guitars, accordions, bass guitar, flutes, drums and other percussion's ..." "Amor prohibido" was critically praised for Selena's choice in "stepping out" of the Tejano music world because the song was taken directly out of the genre of Tejano music and had Latin American sounds and rhythm. Furthermore the song became the "biggest hit" in Selena's career. Quintanilla III had written songs out of the boundaries of Tejano music, which led Selena to become "The Queen of Tejano music" due to her being the first and only Tejano artist to have achieved this feat. Ramiro Burr stated that "The hits were obvious—the eloquent "Amor Prohibido," on love conducted in secret", the song also was the first of his named "hits" for the album. With "Amor prohibido" and thirteen other of Selena's top-ten singles in the Top Latin Songs chart, she was named the "top Latin artist of the '90s" and "Best selling Latin artist of the decade" by Billboard
. "Amor prohibido" and "No me queda más", became the most successful singles of 1994 and 1995. The central theme and lyrical content of the song conveys a Romeo and Julet-based background about two lovers who are given negative comments from society because they come from two different aspects of the world, though they ignore everyone and continue on with their relationship, while overcoming parental disapproval and poverty differences. The song peaked at number-one on the US Hot Latin Tracks and number five on the Latin Regional Mexican Airplay chart.
"Bidi bidi bom bom
" was the second single released from Amor prohibido. The song was written and produced by Selena, Quintanilla III, Astudillo, Silvetti and Chris Perez
, the widower of Selena. The song had became one of Selena's most famous songs after it had won several unprecedented achievements. "Bidi bidi bom bom" which was an unplanned song and was originally themed around a fish living in the ocean, helped Amor prohibido to become a more exotic progressive album that Quintanilla III had wanted to attract younger and wider audiences to their band
. "Bidi bidi bom bom" is a mid-tempo roots reggae
song mixed with Colombia Cumbia
music, which draws influences from Rock fusion, Latin rock and Caribbean reggae genres. Selena sings with a soprano
voice, which spans two octaves. The song's chorus
has a basic chord progression
C–F–G7. Billboards Ramiro Burr, noted that, with French lyrics, the song could have been popular in European night clubs. Kristine Helen Burns, in her book, Women and Music in America Since 1900 (2002) stated that "No me queda más" and "Bidi bidi bom bom" helped Selena peak in her fan base by 1995. Antonio Morales of Gringo Gazette
, stated that "Bidi bidi bom bom" was one of his favorite songs, while he opined that "... Selena was having fun with this track. You could really hear her excitement, enthusiasm and lovely voice in this gem ..." He also ended his review stating that he had really enjoyed her laugh during the guitar solo of the song. Aaron Sebastian Cruz, also from Gringo Gazette, wrote that "... Selena's passion and conveying abilities, helped her with recording Bidi bidi bom bom ..." Cruz stated that the song was a "fun reggae song" that is best at any social gathering. The song describes a girl who is interested in a guy that just walked by her, making her heart palpitate. The song peaked at number-one on the US Hot Latin Tracks, number four on the Latin Regional Mexican Airplay and number 11 on the Latin Pop charts.
"No me queda más
", released as the third single from Amor prohibido, was written and produced by lead keyboardist
of the group Ricky Vela
, Quintanilla III and Silvetti. The song was written out of emotions by Vela who had fallen in love with Selena's sister Suzette Quintanilla. However, when Vela had met Suzette's husband, Billy, Vela had wrote down his frustrations. After he was finished, he and Quintanilla III had transformed the writings into a song. Quintanilla III had then wanted Selena to record it for Amor prohibido. "No me queda más" is a corrido-ballad
song drawing influences from flamenco
and power music genres. During the 16th anniversary of Selena's murder, Polish newspaper, Onet.pl
described "No me queda más" as one of the biggest hits that Selena produced for Amor prohibido. Ramiro Burr praised "No me queda más" as a "lovely and stoic song facing the end, yet keeping a sense of dignity and self-worth". Raúl Manuel Rodríguez had stated that the song is one of Selena's "... best songs, a lovely ballad that will not die ..." Rodríguez also said that "... "No me queda más" is an example of where Selena [was] heading to, and that [was] crossover super-stardom ..." The song describes an emotional distraught woman who had recently fallen in love with a man, but later finds out he is getting married. The women then feels like there's nothing left to live for without being with him. The song peaked at number-one on the Hot Latin Tracks and on the Latin Regional Mexican Airplay charts and number 13 on the Latin Pop charts.
"Fotos y recuerdos", released as the fourth single from Amor prohibido, was written by lead vocalist for The Pretenders
' Chrissie Hynde
, with Spanish translation by Vela and produced by Quintanilla III. The song was covering The Pretenders' "Back on the Chain Gang". The song was retitled "Fotos y recuerdos," (which translates as "Photos and Memories"), and even though there were no references to prisoners in the Spanish lyrics, Selena's version sampled the chain-gang chant hook
in the chorus. The song was highly praised by music crictics who believed the song was an "improvement" from the Pretenders' version. The song's lyrics describes a bewildered women whose boyfriend was no longer with her, crying continuously at his picture and thinking of the good times they shared together. The song peaked at number-one on the Hot Latin Tracks.
"Techno Cumbia
", released as a promotional single from Amor prohibido, was written and produced by Quintanilla III, Astudillo and Vela. The song was written during Selena's Live! Tour
. Quintanilla III had wanted the song to be a cumbia song mixed with techno. He also believed that Selena was the first artist to sing a "Techno-Cumbia" song to have influences of R&B, blues and funk. Suzette believed that if Selena was still alive, Los Dinos would have been performing that type of "cumbia". "Techno Cumbia" is a Technopop cumbia song performed in a moderate Reggae
groove. It drew influences from dancehall
, ska
, two-step
, dance-club, nortec
, drum and bass
, dancehall-rap en español
, and salsa funk
. Michael Joseph Corcoran stated that "Techno Cumbia" had Michael Jackson
-like trills, in his book about heroes in Texas music
. Sara M. Misemer and Walter Aaron Clark, wrote in their book Secular saints: performing Frida Kahlo, Carlos Gardel, Eva Perón, and Selena that "Techno Cumbia" reminded them of Guillermo Gómez-Peña
's suggestion that "... cultures are being superimposed ...", because of Selena's mixed genres that were influenced by music from Colombia and the Caribbean. The song's lyrics describes Selena attending a party that is not favored among young adolescences and teaching them the "Techno Cumbia" dance. The song peaked at number-one on the Hot Latin Tracks and on the Latin Regional Mexican Airplay charts and number 13 on the Latin Pop charts.
"Si una vez
", released as the second promotional single of Amor prohibido, was written and produced by Astudillo, Quintanilla III and Silvetti. "Si una vez" became the second song, after "No me queda más", to be included in Amor prohibido to be written out of emotions by Los Dinos members. The song was written, in a man's point of view, by Astudillo after being dumped by his girlfriend. Quintanilla III said in an interview that he really liked the song because of its message and different styles of music, which helped the song "fit in" for the album. Quintanilla III, while being interviewed for Selena 20 Years of Music collection, stated that "Si una vez" was an experimental music and helped boost Amor prohibido as a progressive cumbia album, with its Mariachi Cumbia
rhythms. Vela, who also was interviewed, revealed that the band wanted to performed with the Guitarrón guitar, instead of the traditional guitars
that they had used for the other songs in the album. Vela also confessed of using a Mariachi trumpet
, with a moderate Cumbia-beat. The song starts off with the pitch of La Dièse, which is the eleventh semitone
of the solfege
, and progress to a B-flat, the eleventh semitone of the Western chromatic scale
, before changing back to the pitch of La Dièse. Music notations, Dm
, which is a minor chord
on D, transfers to Gm
. Selena's Mariachi-yells has a basic sequence of C♯-F
-B flat in its chord progression. "Si una vez" ends with the dominant seventh chord
simultaneously with minor chord, Dm. Selena's vocal spans two octaves. Nathan Cone, from the Texas Public Radio
, said the song "resonates best" with South Texas
. Entertainment Weekly
editor David Browne
stated, "... At least half of Amor prohibido showcases her conjunto
side: "Si Una Vez", which, with its mariachi horns and Selena's own full-throated warbling, recalls Lydia Mendoza
, conjunto's leading lady ..." "Si una vez" was awarded "Song of the Year" at the 1994 BMI Pop Music Awards. The lyrics describes a women feeling regretful of loving a man who does not know what love is. She tells him that she regrets ever being with him and that she will never fall for him again. The song peaked at number four on the Latin Regional Mexican Airplay chart.
"El chico del apartamento 512
", released as the third and final promotional single, was written and produced by Quintanilla III, Vela, Silvetti, Joshua Munoz, Steven Torres and James Moore. During an interview with La Nación
, Selena stated that she wanted to record the song because she believed her fans would appreciate her choice in Latin pop dance
. She also wanted to gain other Hispanics who weren't acquainted with her music. "El chico del apartamento 512" is a fast up-tempo
song, drawing influence from pop
and dance
music genres. The song is largely based from several musical instruments, including the french horn, violin
and piano
. During the beginning of the song, hymn tune
s are accompanied by Selena's singing of being depressed. The song's lyrics describes a young women who sees a guy she is interested in at apartment number 512, however, several guys who are not her "type" begins to hit on her. The young women is finally confronted by the guy's girlfriend, which makes her feel depressed.
were the only Tejano singers to accomplished this feat. By the fall of 1994, Amor prohibido was a commercial success in Mexico and made four number-one hits, replacing Gloria Estefan
's Mi Tierra
as the chart's number-one spot. It sold over 50,000 copies in the United States, reaching gold status (RIAA) in April 1994, platinum in May, quadruple platinum (Latin type) in April 1995, double platinum in October 2002, and 20× Disco De Platino, representing shipments of 2,000,000 copies in the United States.
Before Selena was murdered, Amor prohibido sold barely 2,000 units a week, after her murder the sales of the album soared to a 135% increase when it had sold 28,238 copies in one week in April 1995. The album was believed to help Selena become the "most successful artist of the decade". Amor prohibido was among the "best selling albums of the United States". The success of the album helped Selena "shape Tejano music" to be more accessible to a younger and wider audiences, which had never been done in the history of Tejano music. The album was believed to have "opened the doors" to other Latin artists, such as Jennifer Lopez
, Christina Aguilera
, Enrique Iglesias
and Ricky Martin
. Jose Behar, who signed Selena to Capitol EMI Latin, believed Gloria Estefan had opened the doors, but Selena had "blew it wide open" with Amor prohibido.
concert, where Selena had performed to a record of over 65,000 fans—more than country stars George Strait
, Vince Gill
, Clint Black
and Reba McEntire
. Because of the success of the album, Selena was in constant demand and had little time to record her crossover album. Michael Clark of Houston Chronicle
, wrote that "... Her appearance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Feb. 26, 1995, was supposed to be not only a celebration of Amor prohibidos success, but also a preview of things to come ...". Clark also stated that the concert was "historic" for being her final televised concert. Selena toured for the first time in Guatemala
. Selena's duet with the Barrio Boyzz
', "Donde Quiera Que Estés
", reached number-one in the Billboard Latin Charts. This prompted Selena to tour in New York City, Argentina, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Central America.
chart at number 183 in June 1994 but promptly slipped off the chart. The album reentered the Billboard 200 chart at number 92 following Selena's murder. The following week it took the 36 slot respectively, before it peaked at number 29. On the Billboard Latin 50 chart, Amor prohibido peaked at number-one, it remained on the chart hovering the top five slots since the albums release. The album peaked at number-one on the Billboard Latin Regional Mexican Albums
and Top Latin Albums
chart. Amor prohibido peaked at number 18 on the Heatseekers Albums
chart in 1994.
Amor prohibido peaked at number-one on the Mexican Albums Chart in 2005, and remained at number-one for five consecutive weeks. In Mexico, the album was certified 5x platinum for selling 500,000 copies. The album had peaked at number 34 on the Italian Albums Chart, number 79 on the Spanish Albums Chart and number four on the Argentinian Albums Chart
. Amor prohibido was nominated for a Grammy Award
for "Best Mexican-American Performance
" at the 37th Grammy Awards. The album spawned four number-one hits, which made Selena the first Hispanic singer to accomplished this feat. Amor prohibido had won "Album of the Year – Orchestra" and "Record of the Year" at the 1994 Tejano Music Awards
. At the 1995 Lo Nuestro Awards the album won "Regional/Mexican Album of the Year" and "Pop Balad of the Year". The album led Selena to win "Female Vocalist of The Year
", "Female Artist of the Year", "Female Entertainer of the Year" and "Song (artist/songwriter) of the Year" posthumously at the 1995 Tejano Music Awards
and the 1995 Lo Nuestro Awards.
believed that Amor prohibido "... firmly established [Selena] as the preeminent female star in the US Latin market ..." He also commented that the album showcased songs ranging from ranchera
s to hip hop music
. According to Mario Tarradell of The Dallas Morning News
"... Selena had conquered the Latin pop landscape and was poised to crossover to mainstream ..." after the release of Amor prohibido. Frank Hoffmann wrote in his book Encyclopedia of recorded sound, Volume 1 that Amor prohibido had "... demonstrated the band's wide range of styles ..." while also stating that "Bidi bidi bom bom
" was a "reggae-inflected dance flare", "Fotos y recuerdos" was a "hard-edge rock" song, while ending his review with naming "No me queda más
" as a "touchy ballad". Stephen Thomas Erlewine
of Allmusic complained that Amor prohibido was "slightly uneven" however he then stated that "... [Selena] is a dynamic, charismatic singer and is able to pull off the weaker material ...". He ended his review stating that the album was Selena's strongest and is the reason why she was the biggest Tejano star of the '90s. During Erlewine's review of Dreaming of You (1995) he stated that Amor prohibido was a more "consistent release". Erlewine also stated that Amor prohibido was an "... introduction and showed why she was so beloved by Tejano fans ...".
Ed Morales wrote in his book The Latin Beat: The Rhythms and Roots of Latin Music from Bossa Nova to Salsa and Beyond that much of the album was recorded in the "minimalist Tejano style". He also noted that there were "... hints of a subtle evolution in her music ..." Ending his review, Morales stated that the only disappointment in the album was that it was leading to Selena's "best works", which Selena didn't get to do. Herón Márquez wrote in his book Latin Sensations that Amor prohibido was a "landmark". James McConnachie wrote in his book The Rough Guide to World Music that the album captures Selena's "sex appeal" and that the album had the most "authentically Tejano sound". Spin magazine
named Amor prohibido the "most interesting" album out of Dreaming of You and 12 Super Exitos
(1994). Ramiro Burr wrote in his book The Billboard guide to Tejano and regional Mexican music that he believed Amor prohibido was Selena's and Los Dinos
"crowning achievement". Burr also commented that the album had hit the right keys for "pop potential" and believed that the album was the bands most creative work. Michael Clark of Houston Chronicle
wrote that "... she and Los Dinos took Tejano to an unprecedented level of mainstream success with the 1994 release of Amor prohibido. A.B. added even more world-music flourishes to songs like "Bidi bidi bom bom", "Fotos y recuerdos", "No me queda más" and the title track, which all became [number one] singles on Billboards Latin charts ..."
" continues to receive extensive airplay in South Texas
and at Tejano nightclubs. Songs from Amor prohibido such as the title track and "Bidi bidi bom bom
" were favored among LGBT
Americans because of the lyrical content meaning. Songs off the album continued to share spins at LGBT clubs and at drag shows
across the United States. Amor prohibido was selling in Puerto Rico
when the album was released, this mark the first time Puerto Ricans bought an album by Selena. She was then considered "bigger then Tejano itself" and had broke Latin barriers in the Latin music world, which was then unprecedented. Amor prohibido became the Best-Selling Latin Albums of All Time, though her following album, which was released posthumously, broke the record. After Selena was murdered, a "Amor prohibido doll" was released by Q-Productions
, along with the Amor prohibido perfume.
Managerial
Performance credits
Visuals and imagery
Instruments
Technical and production
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American Tejano pop
Tejano music
Tejano music or Tex-Mex music is the name given to various forms of folk and popular music originating among the Mexican-American populations of Central and Southern Texas...
singer Selena
Selena
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez , known simply as Selena, was a Mexican American singer-songwriter. She was named the "top Latin artist of the '90s" and "Best selling Latin artist of the decade" by Billboard for her fourteen top-ten singles in the Top Latin Songs chart, including seven number-one hits...
. The album was released on March 13, 1994 by EMI Latin
EMI Latin
EMI Televisa Music, also known as EMI Latin and EMI International, is a subsidiary of EMI which focuses on Latin American music....
. It was re-released on September 24, 2002, as part of the Selena: 20 Years of Music collection, and included music videos and spoken liner notes by her family, friends and her former band
Selena y Los Dinos
Selena y Los Dinos was the band in which Grammy-Award-winning Tejano music singer Selena performed, until her death on March 31, 1995. Selena fronted the band since 1980, started by her father Abraham Quintanilla, Jr....
. Amor prohibido incorporates mostly cumbia and dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
songs sung in Spanish, which later helped shaped the "Tejano Music Movement" across the United States. Production of the album was delayed by the success of Selena's clothing line and boutiques
Selena Etc.
Selena Etc. was a South Texas-based boutique, salon, and clothing store, which was built by Latin Superstar, Selena. Selena Etc. was built and finished on January 27, 1993 in Corpus Christi, Texas which was the headquarters building...
, and the extensive tour
Selena Live! Tour
The Selena Live! Tour was the second concert tour by the late popular Latin-American singer, Selena.-About the tour:The Selena Live! Tour was the second concert tour from Selena and her band "The Dinos". The tour was the more successful than their previous "Entre A Mi Mundo Tour". They performed in...
for her previous album, Live!
Selena Live!
"Live!" or "Selena Live!" is a live album by American Tejano pop singer Selena, released on May 4, 1993 by EMI Latin. The album was re-released on September 22, 2002 as part of the Selena: 20 Years of Music collection that included spoken liner notes by her family, friends and her former band...
. Selena's brother and producer of her music, A.B. Quintanilla III, was the main songwriter for Amor prohibido, though lead keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
Ricky Vela
Ricky Vela
Ricardo "Ricky" Vela is an award-winning song-writer and keyboards for the band Selena y Los Dinos. Ricky Vela joined the band as the bands keyboard player...
and backup singer Pete Astudillo
Pete Astudillo
Pedro "Pete" Astudillo is a Mexican American songwriter.-Life:Astudillo was one of the leaders of the Tejano music scene, and from an early age followed mariachi and conjunto music. He began his musical career as a backup vocalist for the queen of Tejano, Selena, as a member of Selena y Los Dinos...
helped with writing a song or collaborating with Quintanilla III.
Selena recorded a diversity of Tejano and Mexican
Music of Mexico
The music of Mexico is very diverse and features a wide range of different musical styles. It has been influenced by a variety of cultures, most notably indigenous Mexican and European, since the Late Middle Ages...
songs, which were well received by critics. Amor prohibido debuted at number-one on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Regional Mexican Albums
Regional Mexican Albums
Regional Mexican Albums is a record chart published by Billboard magazine. Established in June 1985, the chart compiles information about the top-selling albums in genres like mariachi, norteño, banda and Duranguense, which are frequently considered regional Mexican. The chart features only...
and Top Latin Albums
Billboard Top Latin Albums
Latin Albums is a record chart published by Billboard magazine and is labeled as the most important music chart for Spanish language, full-length albums in the American music market. Like all Billboard album charts, the chart is based on sales...
chart. It went on to peak at number 29 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. The album sold more than 500,000 copies in its first year, and it eventually became the Best-Selling Latin Albums of All Time, though her posthumous album Dreaming of You broke the record a year later. It was then certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) in April 1994, platinum in May, quadruple platinum (Latin type) in April 1995, double platinum in October 2002 and 20× Disco De Platino in February 2010. Promotion of the album began with the start of Selena's worldwide tour
Amor Prohibido Tour
The Amor Prohibido Tour was the final concert tour by popular Latin-American singer, Selena, before she was shot and killed on March 31, 1995. After her "Amor Prohibido" tour she would be getting ready for her "Crossover"-tour that would be from late April 1995- until June 1995 in Texas, then...
in April 1994.
The album received mostly positive reviews and was given high praise, for "stepping-out" of the Tejano genre and into Contemporary Latin pop music. Eventually, Amor prohibido was nominated for Best Mexican-American Performance
Grammy Award for Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album
The Grammy Award for Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album was an honor presented to recording artists for quality albums in the Mexican music genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
at the 37th Grammy Awards. Selena had broke several unprecedented records in the Latin world with Amor prohibido. The album was believed to have "open the doors" to Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
, Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
, Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish pop music singer, a son of singer Julio Iglesias.Enrique started his musical career on Mexican label Fonovisa...
and Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
. After the album had begun to sell in other parts of the United States, where Tejano was little known, Selena was considered "bigger then Tejano itself". Selena had won two awards during the 1994 Tejano Music Awards
1994 Tejano Music Awards
The 14th Tejano Music Awards were held in 1993. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. The Tejano Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony recognizing Tejano music musicians.- Vocalists of The Year :*Male Vocalist of The Year...
and won six prestigious awards posthumously at the 1995 Tejano Music Awards
1995 Tejano Music Awards
The 15th Tejano Music Awards were held in 1995. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. The Tejano Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony recognizing Tejano music musicians.- Vocalists of The Year :*Male Vocalist of The Year...
and the Lo Nuestro Awards
Lo Nuestro Awards
Lo Nuestro is an awards show honoring the best of Latin music, presented by television network Univision. The awards began in 1989. Notable recipients include Selena, Gloria Estefan, Juan Gabriel, Olga Tañón, Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin, Juanes, Laura Pausini, Luis Miguel, Maná, Juan Luis Guerra, ...
. The album spawned four number-one singles, one posthumous, on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart, which became the only Spanish-album by a female artist to do so, as of 2011.
Production and development
After Selena had won her first Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for her first live
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
album, Selena Live!
Selena Live!
"Live!" or "Selena Live!" is a live album by American Tejano pop singer Selena, released on May 4, 1993 by EMI Latin. The album was re-released on September 22, 2002 as part of the Selena: 20 Years of Music collection that included spoken liner notes by her family, friends and her former band...
at the 35th Grammy Awards preparations began for developing a Spanish-language studio album. Production of the album was halted because of Selena's booming-success of her clothing line, boutiques
Selena Etc.
Selena Etc. was a South Texas-based boutique, salon, and clothing store, which was built by Latin Superstar, Selena. Selena Etc. was built and finished on January 27, 1993 in Corpus Christi, Texas which was the headquarters building...
and her extensive touring for Live!
Selena Live! Tour
The Selena Live! Tour was the second concert tour by the late popular Latin-American singer, Selena.-About the tour:The Selena Live! Tour was the second concert tour from Selena and her band "The Dinos". The tour was the more successful than their previous "Entre A Mi Mundo Tour". They performed in...
. Selena's brother, who was the producer of her music, A.B. Quintanilla III, had became the lead producer of the album. Quintanilla III, quickly assembled Pete Astudillo
Pete Astudillo
Pedro "Pete" Astudillo is a Mexican American songwriter.-Life:Astudillo was one of the leaders of the Tejano music scene, and from an early age followed mariachi and conjunto music. He began his musical career as a backup vocalist for the queen of Tejano, Selena, as a member of Selena y Los Dinos...
and Ricky Vela
Ricky Vela
Ricardo "Ricky" Vela is an award-winning song-writer and keyboards for the band Selena y Los Dinos. Ricky Vela joined the band as the bands keyboard player...
for ideas and inspiration in productive-writing. Chris Perez
Chris Perez
Christopher Gilbert "Chris" Pérez is a American guitarist and the widower of "The Queen of Tejano music" Selena. He is currently a guitarist for A.B. Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia All Starz since he joined in 2006. Prior to that, Pérez was the lead guitarist for his wife's band Selena y Los Dinos...
, the widower of Selena, was approached by Quintanilla III to collaborate with him on a rock song
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, written entirely in Spanish
Rock en Español
Rock en español is the Spanish-language rock music. While the term is used widely in English, it is used in Spanish mainly to distinguish such music from "Anglo rock." It is a style of rock music that developed in Latin American countries and Latino communities, along with other genres like...
. Perez stated, during an interview with a family friend, Brian "Red" Moore, that he was shocked and surprised that Quintanilla III allowed him to write a rock song for the album. With not enough lyrics to complete a full-length album, Quintanilla III began writing songs directly out of the Tejano music genre and into Contemporary Latin pop music. When asked if he was trying to changed Selena's style of music, Quintanilla III replied that he didn't want to write "the same songs continuously", he also commented on the question, stating that he wanted to keep the band's image fresh and "cool" so it can be accessible to a younger audience, which helped expanded the "Tejano Music Movement". The movement, which at the time was only a movement
Movement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
in the state of Texas, helped further awareness of Tejano music and it becoming a popular trend. Quintanilla III, kept the album further immersed in the Latin territory, sticking to mixing of the genres such as Latin jungle and Latin soul into the songs he had wrote for the album.
Beginning in January 1994 and ending in mid-February 1994, recording sessions were mostly done and remixed at Selena's father's, Abraham Quintanilla Jr
Abraham Quintanilla Jr
Abraham Isaac Quintanilla, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is the father of singer Selena, who was murdered in 1995.-Early life:...
's, recording studio; Q-Productions
Q-Productions
Q-Productions is a record company owned and operated by Abraham Quintanilla Jr. Founded in 1993, Q Productions or also known as Q, or Q-Zone specializes within the Latin music industry, and it is located in Texas. The company's most recognized contributing artists are Selena , Los Tres Reyes, and...
. Some recording sessions were done at Tejano singer Manny Guerra's recording studio, and in Hollywood, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Selena used three recording studios simultaneously. Producers and songwriters having collaborated with Selena on the album include Quintanilla III, Pete Asudillo, Ricky Vela, Chris Perez, Bebu Silvetti
Bebu Silvetti
Juan Fernando Silvetti Adorno , professionally known as Bebu Silvetti or simply Silvetti, was an Argentine pianist, composer, conductor, arranger and record producer...
, Joe Ojeda and Jorge Alberto Pino. For the Selena: 20 Years of Music collection Miguel Flores, Desmond Child
Desmond Child
Desmond Child is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Career:...
and K. C. Porter
K. C. Porter
KC Porter is an American record producer, songwriter, musician and singer. For nearly three decades in the entertainment industry, Porter has earned numerous Grammy nominations and 3 Grammys and Latin Grammys...
were associated with "Donde Quiera Que Estes
Donde Quiera Que Estés
"Donde Quiera Que Estés" is a duet by American Tejano pop singer Selena and Nuyorican band the Barrio Boyzz, released as the lead single from the Barrio Boyzz album Dondequiera Que Estés . It was written by K. C. Porter, Miguel Flores, Desmond Child, and produced by A.B. Quintanilla III, Domingo...
", which was a duet that Selena corroborated with the Barrio Boyzz
Barrio Boyzz
The Barrio Boyzz were a Latin pop group. The group were made up of Puerto Rican American and Colombian Americans who grew-up in New York City. They gained popularity during the 1990s, especially when they became label-mates with the Mexican-American singer-songwriter Selena, and landed their first...
. Additionally, she collaborated with some musicians that she had never worked with in the past, Stephanie Lynn had done backing vocals for "Amor prohibido
Amor Prohibido (song)
"Amor Prohibido" is a song recorded by American Tejano pop singer Selena for her fifth studio album of the same name . The song was written by Selena, A.B. Quintanilla III and Pete Astudillo and was produced by Abraham Quintanilla Jr., Jorge Alberto Pino, Bebu Silvetti and Gregg Vickers...
" as well as Rick Alvarez. Composer, José Luis Borrego had worked with Selena on the track "Cobrarde". Lead vocalist for The Pretenders
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
, Chrissy Hynde was given lyric rights for the song "Fotos y recuredos", which was a sample of their single "Back On The Chain Gang". Puerto Rican American producer, Domingo Padilla
Domingo (producer)
Domingo Padilla, better known as Domingo, is a producer from New York of Latin origin. He has produced for some of hip hop's most respected and well-known artists.-Albums:*Domingo Presents—Behind the Doors of the 13th Floor compilation...
had filled in for Brian "Red" Moore for the duet with the Barrio Boyzz. Gregg Vickers, Roger Emerson, Steven Torres and James Moore also worked with Selena for the first time on Amor prohibido.
Selena later revealed that some songs that were written, such as "Corazon de Hielo" and "Desprecios y Desaires", didn't make the final cut. Quintanilla III later responded, that the songs that didn't make it on the album were going to be enlisted in Selena's forthcoming Tejano-influenced album, which was projected to be released several months after the initial release of Selena's crossover attempt. After Selena was murdered
Murder of Selena
Selena, a Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of her family-oriented band Selena y Los Dinos and for her community involvement, was murdered by Yolanda Saldívar. Saldívar, Selena's former fan club president and clothing boutique manager,...
on March 31, 1995, the songs remained unreleased.
Song structure and lyrical content
"Amor prohibidoAmor Prohibido (song)
"Amor Prohibido" is a song recorded by American Tejano pop singer Selena for her fifth studio album of the same name . The song was written by Selena, A.B. Quintanilla III and Pete Astudillo and was produced by Abraham Quintanilla Jr., Jorge Alberto Pino, Bebu Silvetti and Gregg Vickers...
", the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
off of the album, was written and produced by Jorge Alberto Pino, Bebu Silvetti
Bebu Silvetti
Juan Fernando Silvetti Adorno , professionally known as Bebu Silvetti or simply Silvetti, was an Argentine pianist, composer, conductor, arranger and record producer...
, A.B. Quintanilla III, Pete Astudillo
Pete Astudillo
Pedro "Pete" Astudillo is a Mexican American songwriter.-Life:Astudillo was one of the leaders of the Tejano music scene, and from an early age followed mariachi and conjunto music. He began his musical career as a backup vocalist for the queen of Tejano, Selena, as a member of Selena y Los Dinos...
and Abraham Quintanilla Jr
Abraham Quintanilla Jr
Abraham Isaac Quintanilla, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is the father of singer Selena, who was murdered in 1995.-Early life:...
. Selena, who also co-wrote the song, had gathered inspiration from her grandparents. Selena's grandparents, who were Mexican immigrants, were not allowed to be together. Their parents, Selena's great-grandparents, had forbidden them to love each other because they were both from different social class
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
. "Amor prohibido" is a mid-tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
corrido
Corrido
The corrido is a popular narrative song and poetry form, a ballad, of Mexico. The songs are often about oppression, history, daily life for peasants, and other socially important information. It is still a popular form today, and was widely popular during the Mexican Revolution and Nicaraguan...
with dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
influences. Written in the key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
of E major
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps .Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
, the beat
Beat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
is set in common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
and moves at a moderate 90 beats per minute. Selena's vocal range
Vocal range
Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Although the study of vocal range has little practical application in terms of speech, it is a topic of study within linguistics, phonetics, and speech and language pathology, particularly in relation to the study...
in the song spans two octaves. "Amor prohibido" uses an uptempo keyboard synthesizer and a electronic keyboard
Electronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
. The song uses percussion and the hi-hat
Hi-hat
A hi-hat, or hihat, is a type of cymbal and stand used as a typical part of a drum kit by percussionists in R&B, hip-hop, disco, jazz, rock and roll, house, reggae and other forms of contemporary popular music.- Operation :...
cymbal
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
as its musical foundation. The Daily Democrat wrote that the song was "... mixing the modern cumbia sounds of guitars, accordions, bass guitar, flutes, drums and other percussion's ..." "Amor prohibido" was critically praised for Selena's choice in "stepping out" of the Tejano music world because the song was taken directly out of the genre of Tejano music and had Latin American sounds and rhythm. Furthermore the song became the "biggest hit" in Selena's career. Quintanilla III had written songs out of the boundaries of Tejano music, which led Selena to become "The Queen of Tejano music" due to her being the first and only Tejano artist to have achieved this feat. Ramiro Burr stated that "The hits were obvious—the eloquent "Amor Prohibido," on love conducted in secret", the song also was the first of his named "hits" for the album. With "Amor prohibido" and thirteen other of Selena's top-ten singles in the Top Latin Songs chart, she was named the "top Latin artist of the '90s" and "Best selling Latin artist of the decade" by Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
. "Amor prohibido" and "No me queda más", became the most successful singles of 1994 and 1995. The central theme and lyrical content of the song conveys a Romeo and Julet-based background about two lovers who are given negative comments from society because they come from two different aspects of the world, though they ignore everyone and continue on with their relationship, while overcoming parental disapproval and poverty differences. The song peaked at number-one on the US Hot Latin Tracks and number five on the Latin Regional Mexican Airplay chart.
"Bidi bidi bom bom
Bidi Bidi Bom Bom
"Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" is a song by Mexican-American Tejano pop singer Selena from her album Amor Prohibido . The album's second single, "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" was written by Selena and Pete Astudillo. It was produced by A.B. Quintanilla III – Selena's brother – and Bebu Silvetti. The song was...
" was the second single released from Amor prohibido. The song was written and produced by Selena, Quintanilla III, Astudillo, Silvetti and Chris Perez
Chris Perez
Christopher Gilbert "Chris" Pérez is a American guitarist and the widower of "The Queen of Tejano music" Selena. He is currently a guitarist for A.B. Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia All Starz since he joined in 2006. Prior to that, Pérez was the lead guitarist for his wife's band Selena y Los Dinos...
, the widower of Selena. The song had became one of Selena's most famous songs after it had won several unprecedented achievements. "Bidi bidi bom bom" which was an unplanned song and was originally themed around a fish living in the ocean, helped Amor prohibido to become a more exotic progressive album that Quintanilla III had wanted to attract younger and wider audiences to their band
Selena y Los Dinos
Selena y Los Dinos was the band in which Grammy-Award-winning Tejano music singer Selena performed, until her death on March 31, 1995. Selena fronted the band since 1980, started by her father Abraham Quintanilla, Jr....
. "Bidi bidi bom bom" is a mid-tempo roots reggae
Roots reggae
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of the artists concerned, including the spiritual side of Rastafari and with the honoring of God, called Jah by rastafarians. It also is identified with the life of the ghetto sufferer, and the rural poor...
song mixed with Colombia Cumbia
Music of Colombia
The music of Colombia is an expression of the Colombian culture, which contains diverse music genres, traditional and moderns according with the features of each geographic region; although it is frequent to find different musical styles in the same region...
music, which draws influences from Rock fusion, Latin rock and Caribbean reggae genres. Selena sings with a soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
voice, which spans two octaves. The song's chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
has a basic chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
C–F–G7. Billboards Ramiro Burr, noted that, with French lyrics, the song could have been popular in European night clubs. Kristine Helen Burns, in her book, Women and Music in America Since 1900 (2002) stated that "No me queda más" and "Bidi bidi bom bom" helped Selena peak in her fan base by 1995. Antonio Morales of Gringo Gazette
Gringo Gazette
The Gringo Gazette is an English-language newspaper founded by Carrie Duncan, published every other week for the American expatriate communities in Baja California and Baja California Sur, Mexico. It has been published since 2001. Most of its contributors are Americans living in Mexico or Americans...
, stated that "Bidi bidi bom bom" was one of his favorite songs, while he opined that "... Selena was having fun with this track. You could really hear her excitement, enthusiasm and lovely voice in this gem ..." He also ended his review stating that he had really enjoyed her laugh during the guitar solo of the song. Aaron Sebastian Cruz, also from Gringo Gazette, wrote that "... Selena's passion and conveying abilities, helped her with recording Bidi bidi bom bom ..." Cruz stated that the song was a "fun reggae song" that is best at any social gathering. The song describes a girl who is interested in a guy that just walked by her, making her heart palpitate. The song peaked at number-one on the US Hot Latin Tracks, number four on the Latin Regional Mexican Airplay and number 11 on the Latin Pop charts.
"No me queda más
No Me Queda Mas
"No Me Queda Más" is a song by Mexican-American Tejano pop singer Selena. "No Me Queda Mas" was the third lead single released from her album Amor Prohibido . The song was written and produced by Ricky Vela, A.B. Quintanilla III and Bebu Silvetti...
", released as the third single from Amor prohibido, was written and produced by lead keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
of the group Ricky Vela
Ricky Vela
Ricardo "Ricky" Vela is an award-winning song-writer and keyboards for the band Selena y Los Dinos. Ricky Vela joined the band as the bands keyboard player...
, Quintanilla III and Silvetti. The song was written out of emotions by Vela who had fallen in love with Selena's sister Suzette Quintanilla. However, when Vela had met Suzette's husband, Billy, Vela had wrote down his frustrations. After he was finished, he and Quintanilla III had transformed the writings into a song. Quintanilla III had then wanted Selena to record it for Amor prohibido. "No me queda más" is a corrido-ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
song drawing influences from flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
and power music genres. During the 16th anniversary of Selena's murder, Polish newspaper, Onet.pl
Onet.pl
Onet.pl is the largest Polish web portal. It is owned by the Kraków-based Grupa Onet.pl S.A. It was founded in 1996 by Optimus company. According to Alexa rankings, as of December 2007, it is the 45th most popular website worldwide and the 3rd most popular site in Poland.Onet is currently owned by...
described "No me queda más" as one of the biggest hits that Selena produced for Amor prohibido. Ramiro Burr praised "No me queda más" as a "lovely and stoic song facing the end, yet keeping a sense of dignity and self-worth". Raúl Manuel Rodríguez had stated that the song is one of Selena's "... best songs, a lovely ballad that will not die ..." Rodríguez also said that "... "No me queda más" is an example of where Selena [was] heading to, and that [was] crossover super-stardom ..." The song describes an emotional distraught woman who had recently fallen in love with a man, but later finds out he is getting married. The women then feels like there's nothing left to live for without being with him. The song peaked at number-one on the Hot Latin Tracks and on the Latin Regional Mexican Airplay charts and number 13 on the Latin Pop charts.
"Fotos y recuerdos", released as the fourth single from Amor prohibido, was written by lead vocalist for The Pretenders
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
' Chrissie Hynde
Chrissie Hynde
Christine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
, with Spanish translation by Vela and produced by Quintanilla III. The song was covering The Pretenders' "Back on the Chain Gang". The song was retitled "Fotos y recuerdos," (which translates as "Photos and Memories"), and even though there were no references to prisoners in the Spanish lyrics, Selena's version sampled the chain-gang chant hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
in the chorus. The song was highly praised by music crictics who believed the song was an "improvement" from the Pretenders' version. The song's lyrics describes a bewildered women whose boyfriend was no longer with her, crying continuously at his picture and thinking of the good times they shared together. The song peaked at number-one on the Hot Latin Tracks.
"Techno Cumbia
Techno Cumbia
"Techno Cumbia" is a song by American Tejano pop singer Selena, released as the seventh single from her album, Amor prohibido . It was written by Selena's brother and music producer, A.B. Quintanilla III, backup singer Pete Astudillo, lead keyboardist Ricky Vela, and produced by Quintanilla and...
", released as a promotional single from Amor prohibido, was written and produced by Quintanilla III, Astudillo and Vela. The song was written during Selena's Live! Tour
Selena Live! Tour
The Selena Live! Tour was the second concert tour by the late popular Latin-American singer, Selena.-About the tour:The Selena Live! Tour was the second concert tour from Selena and her band "The Dinos". The tour was the more successful than their previous "Entre A Mi Mundo Tour". They performed in...
. Quintanilla III had wanted the song to be a cumbia song mixed with techno. He also believed that Selena was the first artist to sing a "Techno-Cumbia" song to have influences of R&B, blues and funk. Suzette believed that if Selena was still alive, Los Dinos would have been performing that type of "cumbia". "Techno Cumbia" is a Technopop cumbia song performed in a moderate Reggae
Reggae en Español
Reggae en Español is reggae and dancehall music recorded in the Spanish language by artists of Latin American origin. It originated in the mid-1970s in Panama and 1980s in Puerto Rico, but today reggae en Español is well dominated by Puerto Rican reggae bands...
groove. It drew influences from dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
, ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
, two-step
2-step garage
2-step garage, or simply 2-step, is a typically English style of modern electronic dance music, and a relatively popular subgenre of UK garage.A transcription of this article is available as a PDF file.-Characteristics:...
, dance-club, nortec
Nortec
Nortec is an electronic musical genre from Tijuana that first gained popularity in 2001...
, drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
, dancehall-rap en español
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, and salsa funk
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
. Michael Joseph Corcoran stated that "Techno Cumbia" had Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
-like trills, in his book about heroes in Texas music
Texas Music
Texas Music is a quarterly entertainment magazine published in Austin, Texas. Since its launch in January 2000, Texas Music has covered hundreds of the state’s musicians and bands, regardless of the style of music, in addition to writing about the venues and events that contribute to the state’s...
. Sara M. Misemer and Walter Aaron Clark, wrote in their book Secular saints: performing Frida Kahlo, Carlos Gardel, Eva Perón, and Selena that "Techno Cumbia" reminded them of Guillermo Gómez-Peña
Guillermo Gómez-Peña
Guillermo Gómez-Peña was born in Mexico City and moved to the US in 1978, where he established himself as a performance artist, writer, activist, and educator. He has pioneered multiple media, including performance art, experimental radio, video, performance photography and installation art...
's suggestion that "... cultures are being superimposed ...", because of Selena's mixed genres that were influenced by music from Colombia and the Caribbean. The song's lyrics describes Selena attending a party that is not favored among young adolescences and teaching them the "Techno Cumbia" dance. The song peaked at number-one on the Hot Latin Tracks and on the Latin Regional Mexican Airplay charts and number 13 on the Latin Pop charts.
"Si una vez
Si Una Vez
"Si Una Vez" is a song by Mexican-American Tejano pop singer Selena, released as the fifth single from her album Amor Prohibido . It was written and produced by Pete Astudillo, A.B. Quintanilla III and Bebu Silvetti...
", released as the second promotional single of Amor prohibido, was written and produced by Astudillo, Quintanilla III and Silvetti. "Si una vez" became the second song, after "No me queda más", to be included in Amor prohibido to be written out of emotions by Los Dinos members. The song was written, in a man's point of view, by Astudillo after being dumped by his girlfriend. Quintanilla III said in an interview that he really liked the song because of its message and different styles of music, which helped the song "fit in" for the album. Quintanilla III, while being interviewed for Selena 20 Years of Music collection, stated that "Si una vez" was an experimental music and helped boost Amor prohibido as a progressive cumbia album, with its Mariachi Cumbia
Mexican cumbia
Mexican cumbia is a musical subgenre of cumbia which was re-invented from Mexico.- Origins of Mexican Cumbia :The history of Cumbia in Mexico is almost as old as Cumbia in Colombia. In the 1940s Colombian singer Luis Carlos Meyer Castandet emigrated to Mexico where he worked with the Mexican...
rhythms. Vela, who also was interviewed, revealed that the band wanted to performed with the Guitarrón guitar, instead of the traditional guitars
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
that they had used for the other songs in the album. Vela also confessed of using a Mariachi trumpet
Mariachi tradicional
The mariachi traditional is a folk ensemble of string instruments from Jalisco, México and nearby zones. Unlike the popularized mariachi, this ensemble does not include trumpets. It consists of violins, guitarra de golpe, vihuelas, harp and guitarrón or double bass, and in some zones a bass drum...
, with a moderate Cumbia-beat. The song starts off with the pitch of La Dièse, which is the eleventh semitone
Semitone
A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically....
of the solfege
Solfege
In music, solfège is a pedagogical solmization technique for the teaching of sight-singing in which each note of the score is sung to a special syllable, called a solfège syllable...
, and progress to a B-flat, the eleventh semitone of the Western chromatic scale
Chromatic scale
The chromatic scale is a musical scale with twelve pitches, each a semitone apart. On a modern piano or other equal-tempered instrument, all the half steps are the same size...
, before changing back to the pitch of La Dièse. Music notations, Dm
D minor
D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. In the harmonic minor, the C is raised to C. Its key signature has one flat ....
, which is a minor chord
Minor chord
In music theory, a minor chord is a chord having a root, a minor third, and a perfect fifth.When a chord has these three notes alone, it is called a minor triad....
on D, transfers to Gm
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
. Selena's Mariachi-yells has a basic sequence of C♯-F
F (musical note)
F is a musical note, the fourth above C. It is also known as fa in fixed-do solfège.When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of Middle F is approximately 349.228 Hz. See pitch for a discussion of historical variations in...
-B flat in its chord progression. "Si una vez" ends with the dominant seventh chord
Dominant seventh chord
In music theory, a dominant seventh chord, or major minor seventh chord,is a chord composed of a root, major third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh. It can be also viewed as a major triad with an additional minor seventh...
simultaneously with minor chord, Dm. Selena's vocal spans two octaves. Nathan Cone, from the Texas Public Radio
Texas Public Radio
Texas Public Radio, or TPR is the on-air name for a group of public radio stations serving the San Antonio, Texas area. All are affiliated with National Public Radio....
, said the song "resonates best" with South Texas
South Texas
South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of and including San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande River, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 3.7 million. The southern portion of this region is...
. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
editor David Browne
David Browne
David Browne is an American journalist and author. He was the resident music critic at Entertainment Weekly between 1990 and 2006. He was an editor at Music & Sound Output magazine and a music critic at the New York Daily News before EW...
stated, "... At least half of Amor prohibido showcases her conjunto
Conjunto
Conjunto literally translates as "group," and is regionally accepted in Texas as defining a genre of music that was born out of south Texas at the end of the 19th Century, after German settlers introduced the button accordion. The bajo sexto has come to accompany the button accordion and is...
side: "Si Una Vez", which, with its mariachi horns and Selena's own full-throated warbling, recalls Lydia Mendoza
Lydia Mendoza
Lydia Mendoza was an American guitarist and singer of Tejano music. She is known as La Alondra de la Frontera ....
, conjunto's leading lady ..." "Si una vez" was awarded "Song of the Year" at the 1994 BMI Pop Music Awards. The lyrics describes a women feeling regretful of loving a man who does not know what love is. She tells him that she regrets ever being with him and that she will never fall for him again. The song peaked at number four on the Latin Regional Mexican Airplay chart.
"El chico del apartamento 512
El Chico Del Apartamento 512
"El Chico del Apartamento 512" is a song by American Tejano pop singer Selena. "El chico del apartamento 512" was the sixth single released from Amor Prohibido . The song was written and produced by Selena's brother and music producer, A.B. Quintanilla III, lead keyboardist of the group, Ricky...
", released as the third and final promotional single, was written and produced by Quintanilla III, Vela, Silvetti, Joshua Munoz, Steven Torres and James Moore. During an interview with La Nación
La Nación
La Nación is an Argentine daily newspaper. The country's leading conservative paper, the centrist Clarín is its main competitor. It is the only newspaper in Argentina still published in broadsheet format.-Overview:...
, Selena stated that she wanted to record the song because she believed her fans would appreciate her choice in Latin pop dance
Latin pop
Latin pop generally refers to pop music that has what may be perceived a Latin American influence...
. She also wanted to gain other Hispanics who weren't acquainted with her music. "El chico del apartamento 512" is a fast up-tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
song, drawing influence from pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
music genres. The song is largely based from several musical instruments, including the french horn, violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. During the beginning of the song, hymn tune
Hymn tune
A hymn tune is the melody of a musical composition to which a hymn text is sung. Musically speaking, a hymn is generally understood to have four-part harmony, a fast harmonic rhythm , and no refrain or chorus....
s are accompanied by Selena's singing of being depressed. The song's lyrics describes a young women who sees a guy she is interested in at apartment number 512, however, several guys who are not her "type" begins to hit on her. The young women is finally confronted by the guy's girlfriend, which makes her feel depressed.
Release
Amor prohibido was released on March 13, 1994. It soon remained on Billboards "Top 50 Latin Albums", taking the number-one and two slots, respectively. It remained at number-one for five consecutive weeks. In December 1994, the album sold more than 500,000 copies, which was "unheard of" for a Tejano artist, Selena and La MafiaLa Mafia
La Mafia is a four-time Grammy Award-winning musical group. It has its roots in the Northside neighborhood of Houston, Texas and has charted a course as a Latin music band.- History :...
were the only Tejano singers to accomplished this feat. By the fall of 1994, Amor prohibido was a commercial success in Mexico and made four number-one hits, replacing Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...
's Mi Tierra
Mi Tierra
Mi Tierra is the third studio solo album and first Latin solo album released by American singer Gloria Estefan, but is her 15th overall, released in 1993 .- History :...
as the chart's number-one spot. It sold over 50,000 copies in the United States, reaching gold status (RIAA) in April 1994, platinum in May, quadruple platinum (Latin type) in April 1995, double platinum in October 2002, and 20× Disco De Platino, representing shipments of 2,000,000 copies in the United States.
Before Selena was murdered, Amor prohibido sold barely 2,000 units a week, after her murder the sales of the album soared to a 135% increase when it had sold 28,238 copies in one week in April 1995. The album was believed to help Selena become the "most successful artist of the decade". Amor prohibido was among the "best selling albums of the United States". The success of the album helped Selena "shape Tejano music" to be more accessible to a younger and wider audiences, which had never been done in the history of Tejano music. The album was believed to have "opened the doors" to other Latin artists, such as Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
, Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
, Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish pop music singer, a son of singer Julio Iglesias.Enrique started his musical career on Mexican label Fonovisa...
and Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
. Jose Behar, who signed Selena to Capitol EMI Latin, believed Gloria Estefan had opened the doors, but Selena had "blew it wide open" with Amor prohibido.
Amor Prohibido Tour
The Amor Prohibido Tour broke several attendance records, most notably the Houston AstrodomeReliant Astrodome
Reliant Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, USA. The stadium is part of the Reliant Park complex...
concert, where Selena had performed to a record of over 65,000 fans—more than country stars George Strait
George Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
, Vince Gill
Vince Gill
Vincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
, Clint Black
Clint Black
Clint Patrick Black is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist and occasional actor. Signed to RCA Records in 1989, Black made his debut with his Killin' Time album, which produced four straight Number One singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country...
and Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
. Because of the success of the album, Selena was in constant demand and had little time to record her crossover album. Michael Clark of Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
, wrote that "... Her appearance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Feb. 26, 1995, was supposed to be not only a celebration of Amor prohibidos success, but also a preview of things to come ...". Clark also stated that the concert was "historic" for being her final televised concert. Selena toured for the first time in Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
. Selena's duet with the Barrio Boyzz
Barrio Boyzz
The Barrio Boyzz were a Latin pop group. The group were made up of Puerto Rican American and Colombian Americans who grew-up in New York City. They gained popularity during the 1990s, especially when they became label-mates with the Mexican-American singer-songwriter Selena, and landed their first...
', "Donde Quiera Que Estés
Donde Quiera Que Estés
"Donde Quiera Que Estés" is a duet by American Tejano pop singer Selena and Nuyorican band the Barrio Boyzz, released as the lead single from the Barrio Boyzz album Dondequiera Que Estés . It was written by K. C. Porter, Miguel Flores, Desmond Child, and produced by A.B. Quintanilla III, Domingo...
", reached number-one in the Billboard Latin Charts. This prompted Selena to tour in New York City, Argentina, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Central America.
Commercial performance
Amor prohibido debuted on the US Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart at number 183 in June 1994 but promptly slipped off the chart. The album reentered the Billboard 200 chart at number 92 following Selena's murder. The following week it took the 36 slot respectively, before it peaked at number 29. On the Billboard Latin 50 chart, Amor prohibido peaked at number-one, it remained on the chart hovering the top five slots since the albums release. The album peaked at number-one on the Billboard Latin Regional Mexican Albums
Regional Mexican Albums
Regional Mexican Albums is a record chart published by Billboard magazine. Established in June 1985, the chart compiles information about the top-selling albums in genres like mariachi, norteño, banda and Duranguense, which are frequently considered regional Mexican. The chart features only...
and Top Latin Albums
Billboard Top Latin Albums
Latin Albums is a record chart published by Billboard magazine and is labeled as the most important music chart for Spanish language, full-length albums in the American music market. Like all Billboard album charts, the chart is based on sales...
chart. Amor prohibido peaked at number 18 on the Heatseekers Albums
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
chart in 1994.
Amor prohibido peaked at number-one on the Mexican Albums Chart in 2005, and remained at number-one for five consecutive weeks. In Mexico, the album was certified 5x platinum for selling 500,000 copies. The album had peaked at number 34 on the Italian Albums Chart, number 79 on the Spanish Albums Chart and number four on the Argentinian Albums Chart
Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers
The Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers is an Argentine organization member of the IFPI, which represents the music industry in the country. It is a nonprofit organization integrated by multinational and independent record labels....
. Amor prohibido was nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for "Best Mexican-American Performance
Grammy Award for Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album
The Grammy Award for Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album was an honor presented to recording artists for quality albums in the Mexican music genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
" at the 37th Grammy Awards. The album spawned four number-one hits, which made Selena the first Hispanic singer to accomplished this feat. Amor prohibido had won "Album of the Year – Orchestra" and "Record of the Year" at the 1994 Tejano Music Awards
1994 Tejano Music Awards
The 14th Tejano Music Awards were held in 1993. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. The Tejano Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony recognizing Tejano music musicians.- Vocalists of The Year :*Male Vocalist of The Year...
. At the 1995 Lo Nuestro Awards the album won "Regional/Mexican Album of the Year" and "Pop Balad of the Year". The album led Selena to win "Female Vocalist of The Year
Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist of The Year
The Tejano Music Awards for Female Vocalist of The Year was an honor presented to recording artists in Tejano music. The Tejano Music Awards ceremony that was established in 1981, showcased female entertainers who achieved accolades, recognition, high record sales or a big fan base...
", "Female Artist of the Year", "Female Entertainer of the Year" and "Song (artist/songwriter) of the Year" posthumously at the 1995 Tejano Music Awards
1995 Tejano Music Awards
The 15th Tejano Music Awards were held in 1995. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. The Tejano Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony recognizing Tejano music musicians.- Vocalists of The Year :*Male Vocalist of The Year...
and the 1995 Lo Nuestro Awards.
Critical reception
John Lannert of BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
believed that Amor prohibido "... firmly established [Selena] as the preeminent female star in the US Latin market ..." He also commented that the album showcased songs ranging from ranchera
Ranchera
Ranchera is a genre of the traditional music of Mexico originally sung by only one performer with a guitar. It dates to the years of the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century. It later became closely associated with the mariachi groups which evolved in Jalisco. Ranchera today is also played...
s to hip hop music
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
. According to Mario Tarradell of The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
"... Selena had conquered the Latin pop landscape and was poised to crossover to mainstream ..." after the release of Amor prohibido. Frank Hoffmann wrote in his book Encyclopedia of recorded sound, Volume 1 that Amor prohibido had "... demonstrated the band's wide range of styles ..." while also stating that "Bidi bidi bom bom
Bidi Bidi Bom Bom
"Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" is a song by Mexican-American Tejano pop singer Selena from her album Amor Prohibido . The album's second single, "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" was written by Selena and Pete Astudillo. It was produced by A.B. Quintanilla III – Selena's brother – and Bebu Silvetti. The song was...
" was a "reggae-inflected dance flare", "Fotos y recuerdos" was a "hard-edge rock" song, while ending his review with naming "No me queda más
No Me Queda Mas
"No Me Queda Más" is a song by Mexican-American Tejano pop singer Selena. "No Me Queda Mas" was the third lead single released from her album Amor Prohibido . The song was written and produced by Ricky Vela, A.B. Quintanilla III and Bebu Silvetti...
" as a "touchy ballad". Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
of Allmusic complained that Amor prohibido was "slightly uneven" however he then stated that "... [Selena] is a dynamic, charismatic singer and is able to pull off the weaker material ...". He ended his review stating that the album was Selena's strongest and is the reason why she was the biggest Tejano star of the '90s. During Erlewine's review of Dreaming of You (1995) he stated that Amor prohibido was a more "consistent release". Erlewine also stated that Amor prohibido was an "... introduction and showed why she was so beloved by Tejano fans ...".
Ed Morales wrote in his book The Latin Beat: The Rhythms and Roots of Latin Music from Bossa Nova to Salsa and Beyond that much of the album was recorded in the "minimalist Tejano style". He also noted that there were "... hints of a subtle evolution in her music ..." Ending his review, Morales stated that the only disappointment in the album was that it was leading to Selena's "best works", which Selena didn't get to do. Herón Márquez wrote in his book Latin Sensations that Amor prohibido was a "landmark". James McConnachie wrote in his book The Rough Guide to World Music that the album captures Selena's "sex appeal" and that the album had the most "authentically Tejano sound". Spin magazine
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
named Amor prohibido the "most interesting" album out of Dreaming of You and 12 Super Exitos
12 Super Exitos
12 Super Exitos is a compilation of Selena's greatest hits released in 1994 by EMI Latin. This album was a promotional album that was helping Selena with charity funds and other funds that help children and people alike. This album is also the last album that Selena released as a greatest hits...
(1994). Ramiro Burr wrote in his book The Billboard guide to Tejano and regional Mexican music that he believed Amor prohibido was Selena's and Los Dinos
Selena y Los Dinos
Selena y Los Dinos was the band in which Grammy-Award-winning Tejano music singer Selena performed, until her death on March 31, 1995. Selena fronted the band since 1980, started by her father Abraham Quintanilla, Jr....
"crowning achievement". Burr also commented that the album had hit the right keys for "pop potential" and believed that the album was the bands most creative work. Michael Clark of Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
wrote that "... she and Los Dinos took Tejano to an unprecedented level of mainstream success with the 1994 release of Amor prohibido. A.B. added even more world-music flourishes to songs like "Bidi bidi bom bom", "Fotos y recuerdos", "No me queda más" and the title track, which all became [number one] singles on Billboards Latin charts ..."
Legacy
"Amor prohibidoAmor Prohibido (song)
"Amor Prohibido" is a song recorded by American Tejano pop singer Selena for her fifth studio album of the same name . The song was written by Selena, A.B. Quintanilla III and Pete Astudillo and was produced by Abraham Quintanilla Jr., Jorge Alberto Pino, Bebu Silvetti and Gregg Vickers...
" continues to receive extensive airplay in South Texas
South Texas
South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of and including San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande River, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 3.7 million. The southern portion of this region is...
and at Tejano nightclubs. Songs from Amor prohibido such as the title track and "Bidi bidi bom bom
Bidi Bidi Bom Bom
"Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" is a song by Mexican-American Tejano pop singer Selena from her album Amor Prohibido . The album's second single, "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" was written by Selena and Pete Astudillo. It was produced by A.B. Quintanilla III – Selena's brother – and Bebu Silvetti. The song was...
" were favored among LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
Americans because of the lyrical content meaning. Songs off the album continued to share spins at LGBT clubs and at drag shows
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
across the United States. Amor prohibido was selling in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
when the album was released, this mark the first time Puerto Ricans bought an album by Selena. She was then considered "bigger then Tejano itself" and had broke Latin barriers in the Latin music world, which was then unprecedented. Amor prohibido became the Best-Selling Latin Albums of All Time, though her following album, which was released posthumously, broke the record. After Selena was murdered, a "Amor prohibido doll" was released by Q-Productions
Q-Productions
Q-Productions is a record company owned and operated by Abraham Quintanilla Jr. Founded in 1993, Q Productions or also known as Q, or Q-Zone specializes within the Latin music industry, and it is located in Texas. The company's most recognized contributing artists are Selena , Los Tres Reyes, and...
, along with the Amor prohibido perfume.
Track listing
Personnel
Credits are taken from the album's liner notes.Managerial
- A&R – Jose Behar
- ProducerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
- A.B. Quintanilla III, Bebu Silvetti - Executive producerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
– Jorge Alberto Pino
- MarketingMarketingMarketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
– Jose Behar, Suzette Quintanilla - ManagementManagementManagement in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
– Jose Behar
Performance credits
- VocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
– Selena
- Background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
– Selena, Rick Alvarez, Stephanie Lynn, Rock 'n' Roll James
Visuals and imagery
- Art directionArt directorThe art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
– Lisette Lorenzo - Clothing designFashion designFashion design is the art of the application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing and accessories. Fashion design is influenced by cultural and social latitudes, and has varied over time and place. Fashion designers work in a number of ways in designing clothing and accessories....
– Selena, Martin Gomez - Hair stylistBarberA barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
– Rosa Sullivan, Mark Duncan - Logo – Grafika (Miami, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
)
- Make-upCosmeticsCosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, towelettes, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and...
– Lisette Lorenzo - PhotographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
– Maurice Rinaldi - StylistWardrobe stylistA wardrobe stylist is the job title of someone who selects the clothing for published editorial features, print or television advertising campaigns, music videos, concert performances, and any public appearances made by celebrities, models or other public figures...
– Martin Gomez
Instruments
- DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
– Suzette Quintanilla - GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Chris Perez, A.B. Quintanilla III, Henry Gomez - Keyboards – Joe Ojeda, Ricky Vela
- AccordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
- Johnny Saenz - TrumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
– Rene Gasca - TromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
– Gilbert Garza - Bajo SextoBajo sextoA bajo sexto is a musical instrument with 12 strings in 6 double courses, used in Mexican music. It is used primarily in norteño music of northern Mexico and across the border in the music of south Texas known as "Tex-Mex", "conjunto, or "música mexicana-tejana".A similar instrument with five...
- A.B. Quintanilla III
Technical and production
- ArrangementArrangementThe American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
– Joe Ojeda, Chris Perez, Ricky Vela - SongwriterSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
s – A.B. Quintanilla III, Selena, Ricky Vela, Pete Astudillo, Chris Perez, Jorge Luis Borrego, Chrissy Hynde, Barrio Boyzz, K. C Porter, Miguel Flores, Suzette Quintanilla, Abraham Quintanilla Jr, - EngineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
– Brian "Red" Moore - Engineering assistants – Suzette Quintanilla, Abraham Quintanilla Jr
- Executive producerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
s – Jorge Alberto Pino - MixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
– Manny Guerra - Mixing assistants – A.B. Quintanilla III
- ProductionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
– A.B. Quintanilla III, José Behar, Jorge Alberto Pino, Guillermo Johnson Page, Gregg Vickers, Brain "Red" Moore - Liner notes: Suzette Quintanilla, Nir Seroussi
- Concept: Gregg Vickers
- Reissue Producer: Guillermo J. Page
Charts
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Regional Mexican Albums Regional Mexican Albums Regional Mexican Albums is a record chart published by Billboard magazine. Established in June 1985, the chart compiles information about the top-selling albums in genres like mariachi, norteño, banda and Duranguense, which are frequently considered regional Mexican. The chart features only... (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
1 |
| US Top Latin Albums Billboard Top Latin Albums Latin Albums is a record chart published by Billboard magazine and is labeled as the most important music chart for Spanish language, full-length albums in the American music market. Like all Billboard album charts, the chart is based on sales... (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
1 |
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Argentina (CAPIF Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers The Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers is an Argentine organization member of the IFPI, which represents the music industry in the country. It is a nonprofit organization integrated by multinational and independent record labels.... ) |
4 |
| Italy (FIMI Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... ) |
34 |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE) | 79 |
| US Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
29 |
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Mexico Top 100 Mexico Top 100 México is a record chart which accounts for sixty percent of the albums sold in Mexico. The chart has the support of major record distributors in Mexico and is issued by the Mexican Association of Producers of Phonograms and Videograms, A.C. since 2005 on a weekly basis... (AMPROFON) |
1 |
Certifications
Awards and nominations
| Awards ceremony | Year | Award | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tejano Music Awards Tejano Music Awards The Tejano Music Awards had been launched in 1980 by former art teacher and music veteran Rudy Trevino and the leader of the Latin Breed Band, Gilbert Escobedo. Only 1,500 fans turned out for the first Tejano Music Awards. Over the years, San Antonio evolved into the Nashville of Tejano music... |
1994 1994 Tejano Music Awards The 14th Tejano Music Awards were held in 1993. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. The Tejano Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony recognizing Tejano music musicians.- Vocalists of The Year :*Male Vocalist of The Year... |
Album of the Year – Orchestra | |
| Record of the Year | |||
| Lo Nuestro Awards Lo Nuestro Awards Lo Nuestro is an awards show honoring the best of Latin music, presented by television network Univision. The awards began in 1989. Notable recipients include Selena, Gloria Estefan, Juan Gabriel, Olga Tañón, Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin, Juanes, Laura Pausini, Luis Miguel, Maná, Juan Luis Guerra, ... |
1995 | Regional/Mexican Album of the Year | |
| Pop Balad of the Year |
See also
- Music of MexicoMusic of MexicoThe music of Mexico is very diverse and features a wide range of different musical styles. It has been influenced by a variety of cultures, most notably indigenous Mexican and European, since the Late Middle Ages...
- List of number-one Billboard Top Latin Albums from the 1990s
- List of best-selling Latin albums in the United States