EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Thirty years after the tragic death of Selena Quintanilla, the Queen of Tejano music, her legacy continues to resonate in El Paso, where her journey to stardom began with the support of local radio stations and DJs.
Before Selena became a household name, her music was broadcast across the border, reaching audiences from Juárez to Monterrey and beyond, thanks to powerful Spanish-language radio signals.
Sammy Martinez, a DJ at Radio Cañón, recalled the impact of these broadcasts. “We used to get letters from the entire Western Hemisphere because at night, that station could be heard everywhere. South America. Central America. Mexico. It was a big hit,” he said.
Martinez first met Selena when she was just 13, performing as Selena y Los Dinos. He gave her airtime not because she was famous, but because he saw potential in her. “And I think the fact that she was so down to earth, you know, and one of the cute things about her was that, you know, she wanted to learn Spanish,” Martinez said.
Selena’s music quickly became a favorite among listeners, with military service members overseas often requesting her songs.
Her performances in places like Monterrey drew massive crowds, a testament to her growing popularity. Jesse Rios, another radio legend, shared, “In fact, when she went to Monterrey, after they came back, she was in my office a couple of days after that. And she was like, Jessie, there were so many people. Like I couldn’t see the end.”
On March 31, 1995, the world was shocked by the news of Selena’s death. Rios was on air when he received the call. “And I tried calling Abraham right away and couldn’t get a hold of him,” he said. The station went into “Selena mode,” playing her music continuously as fans mourned.
Despite her untimely death, Selena’s voice and spirit remain alive in El Paso. “Selena was loved by the El Paso audience. We loved her man. She was loved,” said Marco Lara, who worked behind the scenes during one of her performances.
Selena’s story is a reminder of how the biggest names often start with a DJ, a microphone, and the courage to press “play.” As Lara put it, “Selena was one of us. One of us.”
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