Selena is one of the artists who were certainly gone too soon. When she passed away she was only getting started to share her music with a global audience. She was extremely popular in Mexico, and her fame and talent were about to send her all around the world to share her incredible music. Selena is an artist that can never be replaced, but she has left behind a musical legacy that is just as brilliant today as it was in her lifetime. Selena still has an incredible fan base and her music will always be alive and connect to audiences all over the world. She is most famous for singing Tejano music. When she was creating music for an international audience she kept the Tejano roots within the music and also added layers of pop and R&B to create some amazing songs that would become chart-topping hits in other countries.
At the 63rd annual Grammy Awards, Selena was one of a few artists selected to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Her family accepted the award on her behalf prior to the show. Her father and manager, Abraham Quintanilla, accepted the award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences on Feb. 22. Her father let the fans know about the award through Facebook where he posted, “I want to thank the National Academy of Recordings Arts and Sciences for Recognizing SELENA.” The Lifetime Achievement Award is a special award that only goes to musicians who create songs that become a significant part of arts and culture; Selena’s music catalog and unforgettable performances are inspiration to many different people, especially the Millennials who grew up listening to her music and Generation Z who is discovering her music for the first time.
Selena joined a list of other artists who earned the Lifetime Achievement award also including Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Lionel Hampton, Marilyn Horne, Salt-N-Pepa and Talking Heads. The Trustees Award went to Ed Cherney, Benny Golson and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds. The Technical Grammy Award went to Daniel Weiss.
In her short life, Selena has broken several music industry records. She won a Grammy for best Mexican-American album in 1994 with her album Live!, and she became the first female Tejano performer to win this award.
If it seems that the Grammys have arrived later in the year than usual then you would be right. The original broadcast date was Jan. 31, but it was rescheduled due to a rapid increase in number of people affected by COVID-19. Like some of the other award shows that have taken place over the last year during the pandemic, the Grammy’s used a virtual format which showcased performances and award acceptance speeches in a variety of locations. There was a partial live component of a small group of nominees that gathered on a patio outdoors in order to experience the show in a new way.