Selena Live!

In early 1993, Abraham Quintanilla Jr.—band manager and father of Selena, A.B. Quintanilla, and Suzette Quintanilla—sent in a request for EMI Latin to release a live album. After the company accepted, Abraham rented out the Memorial Coliseum for February 7, 1993. It was advertised in local newspapers, while an unspecified number of tickets were given to radio programmers and deejays in South Texas for their giveaway promotions. == Synopsis ==

The show featured Selena y Los Dinos; Selena as lead vocals along with backup vocalist Pete Astudillo, A.B. on bass, Suzette on drums, the singer's husband Chris Perez on electric guitar, Ricky Vela and Joe Ojeda on keyboards. There was no set list for the show, the band performed live in front of 3,000 and free-flowed with A.B. choosing the songs that the band would perform. The show began with the songs "Como la Flor" and "Baila Esta Cumbia", the singer asked Suzette's fiance Billy Arriaga on stage to perform with her. According to Perez, the band performed an unspecified number of songs that night that were ultimately left out of the album. He explained in a 2002 interview how one of those songs included the original version of "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom," which was later released on Amor Prohibido in 1994 . == Song structure and lyrical content ==

"No Debes Jugar", the lead single from Live!, was written and produced by A.B. Quintanilla, Selena's brother and the producer of her music, lead keyboardist for the band Ricky Vela, and Bebu Silvetti, an Argentine music producer. "No Debes Jugar" is a Mexican cumbia rock song that centers the organ as its musical instrument foundation. Ramiro Burr of the Houston Chronicle stated that Selena blended Mexican polka rhythms with melodic, synth-driven pop hooks in "No Debes Jugar" and "La Llamada". "No Debes Jugar" received a Song of the Year nomination at the 1994 Tejano Music Awards. "No Debes Jugar" is performed on F major with 89 beats per minute. Lyrically the song describes a woman whose life is centered on being unappreciated by her boyfriend. Tired and ready to do anything, she finally stands up for herself announcing that she is done playing around and threatens to leave. It peaked at number three on the US Hot Latin Tracks, Latin Regional Mexican Airplay and the Latin Pop Airplay charts simultaneously. "La Llamada", the second promotional single released from Live!, was written and produced by Quintanilla III and Astudillo. It was released as the second promotional single from Live! and was written and produced by Quintanilla III, Vela and Silvetti. He also noted that the two songs were "slow-paced love songs" and were potential singles from the posthumous album Siempre Selena (1996). "Tú Robaste Mi Corazón" is composed in the key F major with 130 beats per minute. The song describes a woman and a man finding harmony and love in each other while also feeling emotions never felt before in their lives. "Tú Robaste Mi Corazón" peaked at number five on the Hot Latin Tracks, number eight on the Latin Regional Mexican Airplay and number six on the Latin Pop Airplay charts. == Critical reception ==

Sarah M. Misemer wrote in her book Secular saints: performing Frida Kahlo, Carlos Gardel, Eva Perón, and Selena that Live! and Amor Prohibido (1994) were the two most successful albums of Selena's career. Joey Guerra of Amazon.com wrote that Live! is a "sizzling reminder of [Selena's] electric stage charisma and blossoming talent as a performer". Guerra also stated that the songs performed live had showcased Selena's "uncanny ability to infuse a love song with both girlish innocence and a heated sexuality". He noted that "Como La Flor", "Baila Esta Cumbia" and "La Carcacha" were examples of his claims. He also states that any listener can feel the "heat seeping through your speakers". Guerra ended his review stating that Live! "foreshadows" Amor Prohibido (1994). Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic wrote that Live! had offered proof of Selena being an "energetic [and] exciting performer". Erlewine noted that Selena performed live versions of her "most popular numbers" in front of an "enthusiastic audience". Erlewine ended his review stating that Live! had "capture[d] some of that energy and shows why she was so popular". Awards and nominations Live! was the first Tejano album to have won a Grammy Award. The album won the Best Mexican-American Album at the 1994 ceremony. EMI Latin's president believed Selena was ready to record and release a crossover album that would have catapulted her career into the English-language market. Selena was then signed with SBK Records in November 1993, however, recording for the album would not begin until a year later. In May 1994, Live! was named Album of the Year by the Billboard Latin Music Awards. The album also led Selena to win Regional Mexican Vocalist of the Year. At the 1994 Lo Nuestro Awards, it was nominated Regional Mexican Album of the Year. == Commercial performance ==

Live! was released on May 4, 1993. It was certified gold (Latin type) by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of 100,000 copies in the United States its first year. On April 22, 1995, the album debuted at number 146 on the US Billboard 200 chart following Selena's murder the month prior. The album peaked at number 79 on May 13, 1995, before it slipped off the chart on June 3, 1995. Live! debuted at number four on the Top Latin Albums chart, it then peaked at number three within three months of its release. The album remained on the chart, taking the top 20 spots. Live! temporarily slipped off the charts and re-entered at number 47 in January 1995, before it went off the chart again. The album took the third spot on the chart following Selena's murder. A week later, the album peaked at number two before it hovered the top ten spots and then slipped off the charts a year later. == Track listing ==

• Track listing were adapted from Allmusic. == Personnel ==

Credits are taken from the album's liner notes. ;Managerial • A&R – José Behar • Producer – A.B. Quintanilla III, Bebu Silvetti • Executive producer – Jorge Alberto Pino, Abraham Quintanilla Jr. • Marketing – José Behar, Suzette Quintanilla • Management – José Behar ;Performance credits • Vocals – Selena Quintanilla-Pérez ;Visuals and imagery • Art direction – Lisette Lorenzo • Clothing design – Selena, Martin Gomez • Hair stylist – Rosa Sullivan, Mark Duncan • Make-up – Lisette Lorenzo • Photography – Maurice Rinaldi • Stylist – Martin Gomez ;Instruments • Drums – Suzette Quintanilla • Guitar- Chris Pérez, A.B. Quintanilla III, Henry Gomez • Keyboards – Joe Ojeda, Ricky Vela • Accordion- Johnny Saenz • Trumpet – Rene Gasca • Trombone – Gilbert Garza • Bajo Sexto – A.B. Quintanilla III ;Technical and production • Arrangement – Joe Ojeda, Chris Perez, Ricky Vela • Songwriters – A.B. Quintanilla III, Selena, Ricky Vela, Pete Astudillo, Chris Perez, Jorge Luis Borrego, Chrissie Hynde, Barrio Boyzz, K. C Porter, Miguel Flores, Suzette Quintanilla, Abraham Quintanilla Jr, • Engineering – Brian "Red" Moore, Malcolm Harper, Ron Morales, Mark Sadler • Engineering assistants – Suzette Quintanilla, Abraham Quintanilla Jr • Executive producers – Jorge Alberto Pino • Mastering - Bob Ludwig • Mixing – Manny Guerra, Ron Morales, Mark Sadler • Mixing assistants – A.B. Quintanilla III • Production – A.B. Quintanilla III, José Behar, Jorge Alberto Pino, Guillermo Johnson Page, Gregg Vickers, Brain "Red" Moore • Liner notes: Suzette Quintanilla, Nir Seroussi • Concept: Gregg Vickers • Reissue Producer: Guillermo J. Page == Charts and certifications ==

Weekly charts Year-end charts Certifications and sales ==See also==