Flashback: Jennifer Lopez Pays Tribute to Slain Singer Selena
Today marks the 21st anniversary of the tragic death of Tejano pop star Selena Quintanilla. As many remember, Jennifer Lopez played the singer in Selena, the 1997 biopic, a role that first made her famous. Last year, she revisited the music during a poignant tribute at the Billboard Latin Music Awards.
Within the seven-minute medley, Lopez sang bits of “Como La Flor,” “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” “Amor Prohibido,” “I Could Fall in Love” and “No Me Queda Mas.” Not shy about showing off her voluptuous frame, the current American Idol judge donned a variety of costumes reminiscent of Selena’s sparkly, flamboyant stage fashion, and she also mimicked some of the late star’s moves. She ended her set side-by-side with the Quintanilla family, including Selena’s sister Suzette and brother A.B., who were part of Los Dinos.
Although Lopez did not record any covers for the Selena movie — Quintanilla’s actual recordings were used while the actress lip-synced to the tracks — Lopez has covered Selena the bilingual Nineties songs numerous times, especially since finding success with her own music career in the wake of the film’s achievements.