Quintanilla on late daughter's new album: 'The public still remembers Selena'

A new album from late Tejano superstar Selena will be released in April, the singer's father said. Abraham Quintanilla Jr. said during a virtual interview with Latin Groove News that the 13-track untitled album will contain what he calls "beautiful arrangements" of Selena's songs, according to San Antonio CBS affiliate KENS. 

More than 25 years have passed since Selena, who was known as the "Queen of Tejano Music," was fatally shot at a Corpus Christi Days Inn by her fan club president.

"Selena's been gone 26 years now. It's amazing how fast time flies," her father said, KENS reported. "What amazes me (and my family) is 26 years later, the public still remembers Selena, you know. They haven't let go of her. So they're waiting for a project like this to come out. I know that it will be well-received by the public."

Born in Lake Jackson in 1971, Selena emerged from humble beginnings to establish herself as the face of a music genre that was predominantly male.

Selena's journey from a little girl singing in VFW halls to a young adult drawing thousands to shows was essentially a family affair, with Quintanilla serving as producer and manager, older brother A.B. playing the bass and acting as chief songwriter and composer and older sister Suzette handling the drums.

The 83-year-old Quintanilla said A.B. produced the album and Suzette is in charge of the album cover, according to KENS.

Warner Music will release the project.

"Some of the songs are done in ballads and some are cumbias," Quintanilla told Latin Groove News's Jose Rosario on the program "On the Record," KENS reported. "What's unique about it is not only is the music completely new arrangements, but my son worked on Selena's voice with the computers."

One of the tracks is a song Selena cut at the age of 13 but sounds like it was recently made, Quintanilla said.

"If you listen to it, you know, she sounds on these recordings like she did right before she passed away. It's kind of amazing," the patriarch explained, according to KENS.

Quintanilla said he used to take criticisms of his management style and work to preserve Selena's legacy to heart but is now unfazed by them.

Selena's biggest hits include “Como la Flor,” “No Me Queda Mas," "Amor Prohibido,” “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” “La Carcacha” and “Dreaming of You."

The latter song is the title track of the album that was supposed to launch her crossover into mainstream pop.

Selena's connections to the Houston area are broad.

Aside from her birth and subsequent childhood in Lake Jackson, she performed numerous shows in the area, most notably the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at the Astrodome for three consecutive years in the early 1990s.

Her 1995 performance set the all-time HLSR attendance record with 66,994 people.