Thirty years after Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla-P\u00e9rez was killed at 23, regional Mexicana music is now celebrated on the global stage \u2014 no doubt a result of her unending influence.<\/p>\n
This year, there have been a number of celebrations for the \u201cBidi Bidi Bom Bom\u201d singer, including the forthcoming Netflix documentary Selena y Los Dinos<\/a>. Now, there’s another reason to celebrate the singer known to fans as Selena: In 2026, the Grammy Museum<\/a> will launch a special pop-up exhibit celebrating the Latin music icon.<\/p>\n \u201cSelena: From Texas to the World\u201d runs from January 15 to March 16 at the museum in downtown Los Angeles.<\/p>\n Exhibit includes Grammy gown Suzette Quintanilla \u201creally handpicked the items that we\u2019re going to have the pleasure of displaying in the pop up,\u201d said Grammy Museum curator Kelsey Goelz in an interview with The Associated Press. \u201cSelena\u2019s legacy is not going anywhere. The conversation is still going. So, you know, why not start allowing fans to see some more stuff?\u201d<\/p>\n All of the items at the Grammy Museum pop-up have been sourced directly from the Selena Museum, save for guitars lent from the personal collection of Chris P\u00e9rez, the lead guitarist of Selena y Los Dinos who was married to the singer.<\/p>\n About 15 items are coming from the Selena Museum, says Goelz.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the most spectacular (item) would be her Grammy gown that she wore to the ’94 Grammys, when she won best Mexican\/Mexican American album. It’s a very beautiful white beaded gown,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd then also the leather outfit she wore on the cover (of her 1994 album) \u2018Amor Prohibido,\u2019 the ruffle collar, the hoop earrings. Just, like, these little things, like the hoop earrings, make Selena, Selena. We\u2019re also getting the microphone she used in her final performance that still has her lipstick on it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s just so intimate and it\u2019s so special to get to bring this to LA,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n It’s an appropriate home for a Selena exhibit: In 2017, she received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. At the time, according to a Hollywood Chamber of Commerce spokesperson, the crowd was the largest-ever for a Walk of Fame ceremony, breaking a 1998 record set by onlookers at the unveiling of the star for Mexican singer Vicente Fern\u00e1ndez.<\/p>\n Selena’s Grammy and Lifetime Achievement Award will be on display at the Grammy Museum, as well as hand-drawn fashion designs from the singer’s teen years.<\/p>\n All descriptions in the exhibit will be available in English and Spanish, a reflection of Selena’s biculturalism and bilingualism. Attendees can also expect \u201ca fan engagement moment,\u201d says Goelz. \u201cWe really want to create an experience that\u2019s interactive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s incredibly special to share these treasured items, for the very first time outside of our Selena Museum, at the iconic Grammy Museum in Los Angeles,\u201d Suzette Quintanilla said in a statement. \u201cSelena and our band were extremely proud to receive a Grammy for our live concert. This exhibit is a beautiful tribute to her spirit, her culture and the unwavering love she had for fans.\u201d<\/p>\n A unique blend of styles Known as The Queen of Tejano, Selena broke barriers for women in Latin music. She opened the floodgates for a new generation of contemporary artists of Latin descent who would go on to enjoy huge popularity with mainstream American audiences. She often sang in Spanish and spoke in English, reflecting a cross-cultural identity that resonated with listeners.<\/p>\n In 1997, a biographical film about her life, \u201cSelena,\u201d would quickly become a classic and boost the career of lead Jennifer Lopez.<\/p>\n
The exhibit was curated in close collaboration with Suzette Quintanilla, Selena\u2019s sister and president of Q Productions. It will display personal artifacts from the Selena Museum in Corpus Christi, Texas. The exhibit will mark the first time these items have been shown outside of Selena’s home state.<\/p>\n
Selena’s superstardom arrived in the early 1990s, with her unique blend of Tejano, pop, cumbia and other musical styles manifesting in huge hits like \u201cBidi Bidi Bom Bom,\u201d \u201cComo la Flor,\u201d \u201cAmor Prohibido,\u201d \u201cNo Me Queda Mas\u201d and \u201cTu Solo Tu.\u201d<\/p>\n