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BELOW SELENA 1995 INTERVIEW IN LATIN MAGAZINE CALLED -LATIN STYLE -INTERVIEWED SHORTLY BELFORE SELENA PASSED AWAY
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I was listening to your CD Amor Prohibido and besides one or two songs, it
doesn’t sound too much like Tejano.
“That’s true. We have experimented a little. I am sure you can tell there
are different combinations of music with Tex-Mex and Tejano music or the
roots of it, especially with a couple of songs, ‘Norteno’ and the Tejano
song “Corbarde.” I think that has been one of the keys to the success of
the band, There is a little bit of a crossover in the music even though
it’s still Mexicano.
Your musical career is a family affair. Tell is a little bit about it.
“My father is the manager of the group. My brother is the producer; he
writes and arranges most of the music. My sister is the drummer and my
husband is the guitar player. It is a family group, a nice piece of group,
the rest of the guys in the band are also considered family.”
How did your sister get into playing the drums” It’s very rare for a girl
to play drums.
“My sister started playing the drums because the band was actually a family
hobby, it was my father, my brother, and myself that actually started the
band. We had a cousin playing drums for us. When he went back to
Washington, my father, naturally, looked at my sister and said, “We are
going to do something with this girl, We’re going to put her to work,”
That’s how she got into playing the drums.”
Are there other family members that don’t play in the band?
“No, there’s just the three of us: my brother, my sister and myself.”
And your father?
“He is no longer in the band now. He got out so he could manage us.”
You started singing at a very early age.
“I started singing when I was six and a half and we’d perform for
relatives. My father would do this show-off-the-kids type of thing. I was
very shy and I hated it. I used to cry and throw my little tantrums. I
didn’t want to sing in front of anybody because I was too shy.”
“My father had this dream of opening up a restaurant. At the time he worked
for Dow Chemical and used his savings to open up a restaurant,
the “Papagayo” in Lake Jackson, Texas. He made a little stage, put a dance
floor in, and we entertained. I guess this is when I broke out of my
shyness. We’d stand there and say, ‘Thank you’ and that was it.”
When did you start singing professionally?
“I started singing professionally at the age of nine. We lost our
restaurant in 1980-81, when Regan was in office, and oil companies stopped
drilling. The economy went down and we couldn’t survive because the
restaurant was just too big. We lost everything, we lost our house; you
name it; we lost it. The only way to put food on the table was to go into
the music as a profession. We struggled a lot to get where we are today.”
So your band owes its success to a tragedy.
“Exactly. We went through a tragedy as a family for quite a few years. We
suffered. A lot of families gave us food and tried to help us out. We lived
with relatives. I remember a lot of these things. I think that’s why I am
so appreciative of everything going on. I am thankful to be here.”
I want to speak about this because a lot of our people, needless to say,
are struggling…
“Right.”
So, could you go into a little more detail of how it was for you at the time…
“I was really young, but I knew the family was suffering. I knew it was
hard times. Like I said, we had families giving us food. We were a middle
class family who lost everything and became poor. We were on food stamps. I
don’t know how many times. It was very bad. We suffered a lot.”
Were you ever homeless?
“No. We were very fortunate to have family and friends helping us out. But
that was our hard time. That’s one reason why I don’t like eggs now. We ate
so many eggs and potatoes and beans. (Laughter)”
Did this embarrass you, did it hurt, did you have any conflicts about it…
“No. But it saddened me to see my parents cry. My dad was truing to put
food on the table for his family and when you’re the man and you see your
family suffering, you’re going to feel down about it. I remember seeing my
mom and dad really down and crying. I think that’s why we’ve become really
close and become successful together. I think that’s what’s been beautiful
about everything.”
Professionally, where did you start singing?
“We played a lot of weddings and anniversary parties. We played at my
father’s restaurant. We played dinner clubs. We did a lot of talent shows
just to win money. We went through a lot. You go through different phases
in your musical career, just as in any other job. You grow in stages. This
is what we did at the very beginning.”
How many years?
“We have been playing fourteen years as a family. We’ve been seeing success
for the past five. This year has been the best.”
At what point did you start to reach a bigger audience?
“When we started performing at dance halls. Even then, we struggled because
when you’re a new group, no one’s going go pay money to see you, especially
if you’re not with a large recording company, if you don’t have
distribution, or publicity, or any promotion. You’re just there. It’s very
difficult. Another problem was that I was so young and a girl. And, with a
lot of promoters—and it still exists, although not as much as before–
there’s the issue of machismo. They would tell my father straight to his
face, “Not only is she too young, but there’s no way she could draw like a
male artist.” And, with that my father, the more the people shut doors on
him, the more determined he becomes to prove them wrong. When you’re trying
to promote your own self and you don’t have a company backing you up of the
means are not there, you have to work to pull your weight.”
What musical influences did you have?
“A lot. I grew up singing both Spanish and English. I grew up listening to
the Eagles, A Taste of Honey, Little Anthony and the Imperials—a lot of
Oldies but Goodies artists. I remember going up listening to songs
like “C.C. Ryder,” “I’m On the Outside Looking In” and “Hurt So Bad.”
“But I never thought, honestly, it would get this far. When you’re young,
you don’t think about this seriously. You just want to go outside and play
with your friends. I think at the age of fifteen is when I started actually
telling myself, “you know what? I could do this for the rest of my life. I
like it. I should take it seriously. What could I do better?”
What did you do?
“Every show became more important. I was trying to better myself. I wanted
to be satisfied when I walked away from the stage.”
Did you ever listen to any traditional Latin tunes?
“Oh yes. My father had albums and I grew up singing songs like El Reloj, a
lot of standard songs like Cien Anos, La Bamba. We also did country. I did
country for about a year, when I was eight until I was about nine, when we
changed over to Tejano music, because we weren’t making any money with it”
When did you start to have success with Tejano?
“I would say right off. There was a bigger market at the time. We played w
eddings and so on. I never thought we would be this successful, not in my
wildest dreams did I think Tejano music would grow like it has or be
accepted by people everywhere.”
Who influenced you as a teenage?
“That’s difficult because there were a lot of artists at the time and I
can’t remember them. However, if you listen to our past albums,
particularly Amor Prohibido, there is a pop feel to the songs. You can tell
we grew up listening to English and Spanish. The sound isn’t so hard-core
Tex-Mex or Mexican. As I said before, I think one of the keys to our
success is that were different. It doesn’t sound traditional."
So basically you were experimenting?
“Yes, I would say that. I have this thing about being like a parrot. I
liked to listen to different artists and try to imitate their voices. I
used to play around like that, especially when we would do new songs on
stage. We used to do a lot of cover tunes in the beginning…”
You just sung the hits…
“Right, I’d try to mimic other artists. It was fun. I think I developed my
own style doing that, because if you listen to the album, each song we did
has a different style. I kind of go into that personality and sing like
that particular artist.”
Which female singers did you like in both English and Spanish?
“There have been so many. When I was growing up I used to listen to Laura
Canales. I liked her music.”
Is she a Tejano artist?
"Yes. She is actually one of the first ladies in Tejano music. She was the
only one at the time. She won many awards and when I opened for her it was
like, ‘Oh Wow.’
There were artists from Mexico that I really liked, Maria Mendoza, Lola
Beltran, Lucha Villa, and I like the Spanish artist, Rocio Durcal who’s
been around a long time. I really admire her. (Durcal is a Spaniard who
sings the ranchera traditional and is very popular in Mexico.)"
Who do you like now?
“A lot of artists who sing in English and Spanish. I still love Rosio
Durcal. There’s Amanda Miguel, who, even though she’s kind of stepped out
of the scene for a bit, she still sings. She has more of a high range and I
admire her voice for that. I like artists like Mariah Carey, Whitney,
Janet, Madonna, of course, Gloria Estefan. I admire, not only females, but
also males."
Everybody is saying you are going to be the next Gloria or the next
Madonna. How do you feel about those comparisons?
“I find it very flattering. I think when people say that, that means it as
success goes. Everybody can identify my music from Madonna’s and Gloria’s.
My music is totally different. Gloria Estefan has her own style. I admire
her and respect her highly because she is an Hispanic woman who’s opened
doors for everybody else that has come along. I think everyone should
respect her for that.”
When did you get married?
“It’s going to be three years this April.”
So, you were twenty?
“Right. Twenty, going on twenty-one.”
Did you have boyfriends before that?
“No. My father was very strict, to say the least. But it was nice. We dated
for eight months. I had met him before. He was in another band before
joining our band. It was more of a friendship. It happened gradually. I
like his personality. He was a good listener. A friend brought it to my
attention, “hey, you know, I heard you have a crush on him and all. ‘And I
said, “What do you mean? I don’t have a crush on him.” But then I started
to see him in a different way. He is kind of cute and he is a good person.
He has a good heart.”
Do you plan to have a family?
“Hopefully in the future. I love children and I think its something natural
for everyone. Whenever you get married, it’s like the natural thing to come
afterwards. I don’t think right now I am ready for it though. I think
there’s too many things I want to accomplish. I figure that it would be
best to wait. That way when I get a lot of these things out of my system,
I’ll be able to dedicate all my time to my children.”
When did you sign with EMI Latin?
“It’s been five years now.”
Is that the only label you’ve been with? “
No. We were with a much smaller label before. It doesn’t even compare.
When a company that doesn’t have distribution or promotion, it’s very
difficult for a band. But, the day we signed with EMI was when we started
seeing success. They had faith in us, 100% faith that we were going to do
something. Also, they treated us like family. They’re good to us."
So you plan to stay with EMI?
“Of course, we’re happy. Very happy.”
What about the Latin Market? How do you like playing south of the border?
“It’s been great. I think it’s been one of the keys to our success here in
the States. When we became popular in Mexico it had repercussions here.
People have families there and they’d tell them about us. Word of mouth is
very powerful. Mexico’s been wonderful to us. I’d say it’s been the
springboard for us into the states. We’re doing well in Central America, El
Salvador, Guatemala, and Puerto Rico.”
One of my surprises was reading about your successful concert in New York
City. You have lots of fans there.
“Yes, we preformed at the Jacob Javits Center. It was an amazing show. We
had a blast. You know, the one thing that’s really hard for me to believe
is being famous. I mean like, we went to Burger King here in L.A., and I
was sitting in the back of the car and the girls there recognized me. That
blows my mind away. For so many years, you hope and wait for something. And
when it finally happens, you’re like “wow!” I’m just amazed at the power of
television.”
-What are your professional aspirations, as a singer?
“I just want to make sure people notice I am a sincere person. That I love
my job. I hope to make a lot of people happy with my music. I hope people
understand that when I sing my songs, I am not only singing them because I
like to sing them, but I am singing them because I want to touch somebody’s
heart. In our music, the words have a strong message and somewhere out
there somebody’s going through the something. And if I can touch somebody
in that way, that’s the ultimate.”
What about you’re other business career?
“I hope to see Selena clothing all over Mexico, and here in the States. We
hope this year. We’re test marketing in less than a week in Monterey,
Mexico. We have a perfume coming out, and later there will be other Selena
products coming out. I don’t want to give it away, but they’re coming.”
What do you see for yourself as a businesswoman?
“I hope to see success. That’s what I’m shooting for. I’ve learned a lot in
the music business. I’ve been very fortunate to apply that to another
business, although clothing and music are completely different. I have
learned a lot from my father. How to treat and talk to people, How to be a
professional. I’m 23 years old and I’m proud to have come this far.”
Aren’t you a spokeswoman for other products?
“Yes, Coca Cola and Agree Shampoo. We do TV commercials. Agree is going to
be coming out with a photo layouts, advertisements in Cosmo and Vogue. So,
that’s going to be really neat.”
Your band is called Selena y los Dinos. Who or what is los Dinos?
“Dinos is Italian slang for the guys. The name los Dinos comes from my
dad’s original band. He was one of the singers. After we were born, he
started teaching my brother the bass guitar. I got a little jealous because
of all the attention my brother was getting. So I picked up a songbook and
started pretending to be reading the words and making a melody. My father
looked at me and said, ‘Come here.’ He started teaching me. I was like a
parrot, repeated everything and singing what he was singing to me. I guess
he saw dollar signs. (Laughs). I don’t know.”
Are you going to stay in Tejas?
“Yes. I love Texas. I’m a Texas girl. I am Texan. I really like Corpus
because it’s really laid back. It’s like 385,000 in population. Its very
small compared to Los Angeles. I like it. Everybody treats me like I’m
nobody. It’s like ‘Selena’s at the mall. She’s shopping again. No biggie.’
When I go other places, I’m working, and I’m enjoying meeting people, but
when I go home, that’s my time to be myself, and relax.”
That’s where you have your boutique?
“I have one there and another in San Antonio and a new business in
Monterey, Mexico. They’re not big businesses but they’re functioning very
well.”
What does Selena want for herself, not as an entertainer, or a
businesswoman, but for her own self?
“I just want to be happy. I’m not saying that I’m not now. But I would like
to visit my relatives. When you’re on the road traveling so much, things
change a lot. You’re don’t share with your friends or your family as much.
You loose a lot of contact. I miss that. We grew up in a very tight-knit
family. Not just my father, my brother and sister, but my uncles and my
aunts and all that. We were always having barbecues and I miss that.”
What do you want to do for your fans?
“I want to give them better music. I also want to give back to the
community. We have been doing that. I visit schools with little kids and
talk with them. Its good to see a smile on a kids face and know they’re
fans, getting all excited. It’s really neat. There’s a lot of good about
the business. A lot of good things that come with it.”
So to you, fame is not as bad as many famous people make it out to be?
“No. I think a lot of times people seem to dwell on the negative sides of
things. I’m not saying this business doesn’t have a bad side to it. Every
business does. But if you don’t love your job, naturally you’re going to
harp on the negative. But I love my job. I wouldn’t change it for the
world. I enjoy everything that comes along with it."
Some people who have become very famous get aggravated by all the attention
they get.
“I’m a people person. I love to be around people. I’m very curious about a
lot of things. I’m constantly asking questions. Well, what about this? What
about that? I’m a very inquisitive person."
Do you like tropical music, salsa?
“I love it.”
Who do you listen to?
“En la salsa? Luis Enrique. Of course, Celia Cruz, Gloria Estefan, Willy
Chirino. He’s got a new album, talking about what’s going on in Cuba. There
are a lot of artists that I listen to. I love Olga Tanon, her new stuff,
Mujer de Fuego.”
-What other music do you listen to?
“Now I have started listening to a lot of Mexican groups, rock groups. I am
always curious to know what they’re doing and why they’d do this. I like
flamenco a lot.”
You have an English language album coming out. This is an important move in
your career, what is it called?
“We don’t have the name yet. But we have all the songs. We have produces
working on it. Keith Thomas, the producer for Vanessa Williams and Amy
Grant. A couple of songs are being worked on by Full Force, they used to
produce Lisa Lisa. We have Rhett Lawrence and Andy Goldmark. They’ve all
produced for top artists. I feel honored they have taken up the project. I
am looking forward to its coming out."
How long has this been in the works?
“Since last year. And it’s going to be out, hopefully this summer."
Is this your move, your managers, or your father’s?
“Its everybody’s move. We’ve been waiting for this a long time. This has
been one of the goals.
Tell us why.
“I think a lot of Mexican artists want to record an English album. They
want to conquer the English market or vice versa. There are American
artists who want to do a Spanish album. You get to a point where you want
to try something new. You want to achieve a goal. And when you achieve one
goal, you want to tackle the next project. This has been one of our
projects we’ve wanted to accomplish for a long time. Because, needless to
say, although my parents always used to speak Spanish to me, my first
language was English.”
That’s a surprising thing about young musicians in Texas who are brought up
with English like most of the us here in L.A. or in New York. They all
start out their musical careers in Spanish with traditional music.
“Exactly, because it comes from the parents. That’s one thing parents
should continue to push, our culture. That’s very important. I can honestly
say, that the older I’ve gotten, the more appreciative and proud I’ve
become of my roots. It’s very sad to see a lot of people out there
saying, ‘Oh, I don’t speak Spanish. Oh, I’m not Mexican.’ They deny the
fact of what they are and where they come from. And that, I think is very
sad. If you lie to others you’re lying to yourself, you are, people are
going to notice and they’re going to respect you.”
What advice can you give Latins about our culture?
“Our culture is very beautiful. It’s very romantic. Spanish is a very
romantic language. (She smiles and laughs softly) it’s the language of
love. I think it’s very sad if we forget where we come from. Because we are
who we are. I think the color or our skin is beautiful. I think people
should be proud of that.”
You are also working in the movies and TV.
“First of all. I don’t consider myself an actress. I did Dos Mujeres, un
camino (a Spanish-language soap opera starring Eric Estrada).”
How’d you get that gig?
“Originally, I was supposed to come out with the band singing. But it
didn’t turn out that way. When we got there, they said, ‘we’ll come for you
all later.” So I went with them. It struck me kind of odd. I mean, why did
they leave the band there. They didn’t tell me I was actually going to be
saying any lines. And they said, ‘well, you’re going to put this on.” So I
said, “what am I going to do?” and they said, “your going to be doing a
little acting. You’re going to say a couple of lines.” I was like, “Wait a
minute. Nobody ever sent the script to memorize anything.” I was having a
major cow, because I was there by myself. My father wasn’t there. Nobody
was there. And I said to them, “I don’t think this is wise. I don’t know
what I am doing. I’ve never acted before in my life.” And they
said, “you’ll do fine. Just put the ear monitor on and repeat what the guy
says.” And I was like, “Oh my God! I can’t believe this.” I was nervous. One because, I am around people who have been doing this for years and are
experienced. And here I was, a nobody, coming in and actually trying to
act.”
Selena, you are not a nobody.
“You know what I mean (laughs). I have no experience in acting. The guy
started talking to my ear, telling me my lines. And I was huh? I was so
nervous. And then, I find out that they want me to play Ramiro’s
girlfriend, then they wanted me to kiss him. Oh my God, I was having a
major, major cow. I was so nervous. It came out OK. I think I could have
done better. Anyway, maybe that little bit of experience helped. Because
people from this movie, Don Juan De Marco, starring Marlon Brando, Faye
Dunaway, and Johnny Depp, called and said, “we’re looking for a mariachi
singer in your company, do you have one?” and they said, “no but we have a
singer who’s done a little acting and won a Grammy, blah, blah, we’ll send
you a bio.” And boom. They called and said, “She’s got the part.” It’s
not a very big part. I come out singing in a restaurant which is Don
Juan’s hangout and in one of the scenes I serenade Marlon Brando and Faye
Dunaway. You see me in the background, and then there’s a close up of me
singing.”
What songs did you sing?
“I sing Siempre he sufrido, Tu solo Tu .I come out as a traditional
mariachi singer with full dress, my hair slicked back. That was fun. I
really enjoyed. I was in awe watching Marlon Brando, Johnny Depp and Faye
Dunaway. It’s really neat.”
Do you want to pursue a film or acting career?
“I would love to. You know, when something is new, you get nervous. But
when you get a little taste of it…
I would love to do a film. (She laughs whole heartedly and is unable to
finish her sentence.)”
What kind of roles would interest you?
“I really would not like to portray a bad person. I know I could do it. But
I’m not really on the cussing thing and all. I don’t really cuss in my
personal life. So I couldn’t see myself on the screen letting millions of
people look at me cuss. (She laughs) I have a lot of fans who are kids and
I wouldn’t want to disillusion them, especially their parents.”
So you want to make family movies? “
(She breaks out laughing) Disney movies. (She continues laughing
unabashedly) No. I don’t know. Romantic movies, a drama. I would love to do
a drama.”
Romantic comedies?
“Yeah.”
So that’s the extent of your acting career?
“(With a healthy laugh) That’s as far as it goes. But, I’d love to get into it some more."
Anything you want to tell people?
“I got five dogs and a python. (Again Selena laughs wholeheartedly) That’s
everything. I love animals.”
What kind of dogs?
“(She laughs more) Your really want to know? I have two mastiffs, very big
dogs, a husky, and two inside dogs, a Pomeranian and a miniature pincher
and the python."
You live on a farm or something?
“No. (She laughs) I have three outside dogs, and then the two small ones."
You must have a very big house.
“No it’s very small, actually. It’s a regular neighborhood. I still live in
the same barrio I have been living in."
You live at home?
“No. When I was nine we and the band was going, we moved to Corpus. The
house that we first got money to move into is the house that I live next
to. My parents bought the house next door."
So you live next door to your parents”
“Right.”
Well, you almost live at home.
“Yeah, and my brother lives on the other side.”
So it’s the Quintanilla family block. “
We live in a normal neighborhood. I live in a three bedroom house. They’re
small bedrooms. It’s not a big house."
Sounds like you’re pretty content. “
Oh, yeah. I’m content with it. No need to move.” W
hat do you want to say to your fans?
“I just want to say thank you. Because I know that without the fans and the
public we wouldn’t be where we are today. I am really conscious of that
fact that they made us what we are.”
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INTERVIEW #2 .SELENA ON CHRISTINA SHOW IN 1994
Cristina: Do you consider yourself as Sexy?
Selena= Selena laughs Aye Gracias, well no, I don't consider myself as Sexy.
Cristina= Could you stand up? -Selena stands and raises her arms- What do
you think?
Selena: Thank you.
Cristina: I know that a lot of women say this little girl is not
embarrassed to sing or to dress like this and then to sell these clothes in
a boutique.
Selena= Okay, but let me explain a little more about things like this. It's
like a performance, singing. It is like a show and I am not like that
normally. There are 2 different personalities. Normally I dress in a more
modest fashion.
Cristina= Okay, you feel that you are 2 people. That happens to almost
everyone that are in the entertainment field. You feel that you are
Selena, the person and Selena, the personality.
Selena= Exactly
Cristina= Like a doll for the public. Explain the basic difference between the two Selena's.
Selena= Well, when I am singing I am a completely different person. I could
be very free, depending on the situation I could do what I want. I could
have to deliver, as with many songs, a lot of emotion if a song is very sad
as with a very happy and excited song. It depends, it depends. Compared to
when I am in my, I am normal, like whomever, of the public.
Cristina= Are you a -Modern- girl or are you Old fashion?
Selena= Old fashion, because of my family. Cristina begins but Selena interrupts- Also naturally moral.
Cristina= Okay, and your form of projecting yourself on the stage, your
husband is your guitarist. He travels with you. He never had an attack of
jealousy when there is a man near with intentions of flirting?
Selena= No, because we communicate. Before we were married and when we were
friends! It is the most important thing to be friends before anything.
Cristina= What is it that attracted you to him?
Selena= He was timid.
Cristina= He was timid?
Selena= Umm humm---nodds
Cristina= And you were timid also?
Selena= No laughs- Not as much as he.
Cristina= But when you were a child, you were timid? S
elena= Yes, very timid.
Cristina= What did you do to over come it so you could give advice to those
who are timid also?
Selena= Well, I believe that is due to my dad. And his BELT! -Selena laughs
and begins to imitate her father- "You're gonna sing, little girl!" -
Shaking her hands in front of her and laughing- Boy, I was very timid. But
when a person grows up you change and those things too.
Cristina= What is it that you do to control the men that flirt and go
overboard and get the Selena "personality" confused with Selena "the
person" and they think you are real sexy? This must have happened before,
because it happens to everyone. How do you stop that?
Selena= "I'm married, you should have more respect
Cristina= When you're on the stage you're not married, when you're on the
stage you are neither married nor single, you are a personality.
Selena= A lot of people respect me because, I don't know if you've ever
been to our shows
Cristina= Yes.
Selena= When I am singing, I believe that if I respect the public, then
they will respect me and I know it. It's noticable.
Cristina= Do you believe you are very strong?
Selena= I believe so, dominate and aggressive.
Cristina= Dominate and aggressive?
Selena= You have to be
Cristina: Why?
Selena= There's a lot of men in this business, if you can't speak for
yourself they are going to run you down every which way.
Cristina= You think if you weren't a strong person in this business the
people would take advantage of you because you are a woman?
Selena= Exactly, it has happened! I also have the protection of my father.
Cristina= Tell me, what's the worse that has happened to you? S
elena= Not only me but the whole group. Just because I am a woman, the
promoters didn't want to let me give shows, or promote the group because I
was a woman and also very young. That's one of the problems with the group
when we first started, they didn't want to give us the opportunity to play.
Cristina= Okay, we will talk about your father who you've mentioned 4 times
in one segment, a person very important in your life and your
representative. And the person that said "You're gonna sing!" -Selena
laughs- and the nest segment, today it's incredible to believe when Selena
was a child she preferred to play football with the boys instead of playing
with dolls. We'll be back
Cristina= Here we are back with Selena. The first thing I want to ask you
in this segment is how come you have this -bow- done? -hairstyle- or how do
yo say -bow- in Mexico? Chongo? pony tail
Selena= Gajos(meaning orange slices shaped
Cristina= How come you put your hairdo so big today?
Selena= Because-laughs-I don't know
Cristina= Did you do it all by yourself?
Selena= Yes
Cristina= I've very amazed! How can someone can do that all by themselves?
Selena= I don't know, I don't know
Cristina= Do you do your own make-up too?
Selena= Yes, everything, everything.
Cristina= Wow
Selena= Thank you very much!
Cristina= Wow! My god I am very impressed. Great, well, we're going to talk
about the father whose face isn't very friendly and in this segment I want
to ask what did your father do for all of you to be -professional
musicians." Tell me what you used to do and what happened during your life?
Selena= Everyday we had to practice only 15 minutes. We didn't like it at
all but when you're really young you want to play with your friends and
neighbors. Just to pass the time and have fun! And to practice 15 minutes!
It was, "AHH! But papa, we wanna play! But those minutes paid off!
Cristina= What kinda work did your father do? He ran a restaurant?
Selena= Yes, a restaurant
Cristina= Where the kids used to play?
Selena= Yes, that was like a hobby to pass the time. I believe my father
never thought that this was going to be our career, being an artist.
Cristina= Your father was a musician too?
Selena= Yes, a musician way before. He had a group called "Abe y Los
Dinos." That's why we called ourselves "Selena y Los Dinos," because it is
2nd generation.
Cristina= You have a brother and a sister.
Selena= Yes C
ristina=Both are older than you?
Selena= Exactly
Cristina= You are the baby?
Selena= The baby
Cristina= Okay, aren't they jealous of "the baby"?
Selena= No
Cristina= That it's -Selena y los Dinos- and not "Los Dinos and also Selena"?
Selena= No, no, no-All of us have-we grew up with morals and also
respect for everyone. My father also treated us equal and we're not
different. We all have talent even if they are in different aspects.
Cristina= What do you think of one father, that is also a manager, like
michael jackson's father? They came out with a lot of books and his kids
who are now adults are now complaining about how he used to make them work,
how he was very abusive. He used to hit them and that they didn't really
have a childhood. What's your opinion of a situation like this one?
Selena= First I want to say that my father wasn't like that. My father, he
saw the talent and he tried to cultivate it and tried to do something about
it. But it wasn't in a bad way. It was to help us to do something in life.
I think it is something very sad because not all parents are like that. And
even if the father of Michael Jackson did that, you have to love your
parents even if they do bad things. Applause Thank you. You know, it's like
the roles, like they reverse. When a child does bad things, the parents are
always going to love their child even if they do something bad. They are
always going to love them. It's like that love you have within a family.
Cristina= You think that those kids should have more respect and love them
even though the parents made them go through something like that?
Selena= I think that Michael Jackson loves his father. They've gone through
a lot of bad things.
Cristina= Did you think you lost something because you were a child star?
Like what ordinary kids had?
Selena= I believe so but I won in other aspects. I met other goals.
Even though I was a girl and I lost some of my childhood it was for a good
cause. To help my family because we've been working since we were very
little to put food on the table.
Cristina= So you didn't used to dream about being a singer or a star? Like
other girls who get a spoon or a soda bottle and practice in front of a
mirror because they dream of becoming a big famous singer! And you, no?
Selena= No I never thought about it.
Cristina= What did you want to be?
Selena= I wanted to have my own business and I had a dream about being a
designer and I am doing that.
Cristina= You are designing and we're going to show them today here. How
come you used to climb trees with the boys and you didn't like dolls and
you are a designer?
Selena= Laugh I don't know! I love a lot of sports. The boys were more
challenging. I could do anything like the men It was equal
Cristina= How come that is so important to you?
Selena= The truth is I don't know. I just wanted to play with the boys at
that time, now I don't! Laughs
Cristina= What do you like to do to relax?
Selena= To relax? To tell the truth, I don't know how to rest! I am a
person that has to do something all the time. When I relax I am working on
business.
Cristina= Selena thinks that a singing job is the same as working in a
factory or secretary?
Selena= It's a job
Cristina= But it doesn't pay the same Selena?
Selena= Laughs That's true, but it's work! A person the life of an artist
is not all glamorous. It's a lot of work. A lot of people think that it's
very easy. They think you always stay in good hotels, you buy good things,
but it is not like that. You have to work very hard like everybody.
Cristina= How do you like being a star? How do you like when you get to a h
otel and the whole world seems to be after you? When you're having dinner,
when you're walking, when they ask for an autograph and when they ask for
your picture all the time, when you're feeling good and when you're not
feeling good?
Selena= Well, for me it's totally something! When I am like when I don't
feel good at the same time I think they don't know my private life. How can
you take that little magic that they have in you? The image they have of
you, if you treat them good -you understand, if you treat somebody bad,
they're not going to buy your record! Why, why would you want to treat
someone like that?
Cristina= Always when they ask for a photo or autograph, you will give it
to them?
Selena= Yes
Cristina= You never refuse?
Selena= No-or I say when I'm with my family and I want to relax little with
them, I'll say "Could you wait a little and after I'll sign?"
Cristina= What do you think about the artists who don't do that?
Selena: -Makes a face- For me, how can you do that when the public has you
up there? -gestures with hands- You understand? -applause- How can you do
that? They are the ones who make the artist! They buy the records, they buy everything. And you have to be grateful to the public in that way to give autographs if they want an autograph, you give them an autograph! It's not going to take very much of your time, I do it!
Cristina- It's not a big deal, in other words?
Selena: Exactly
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