This Oct. 23 will mark 30 years since Selena's State Fair performance. It came eight months after her win for Best Mexican-American Album at the 36th annual Grammy Awards. The Tejano/pop crossover singer took the fair’s KNON 89.3 FM-sponsored mainstage and played a 16-song set of fan favorites to a huge audience of all ages. The legacy of that performance still resonates in the cultural landscape of Texas today.
"Selena [Quintanilla's] 1994 performance at the State Fair of Texas was more than just a concert, it was a landmark moment now written in the annals of our event history,” says Jason Hays, senior vice president of brand experience for the fair. “Her presence on that stage symbolized the rapidly growing influence and recognition of Hispanic artists in the broader music industry, paving the way for future generations. Selena's performance remains a cherished memory, reflecting our state’s rich, diverse heritage and the power of music."
Less than a year after that State Fair performance, on March 31, 1995, the internationally beloved singer was fatally gunned down at the age of 23 by her employee, Yolanda Saldívar, in a Days Inn motel room in Corpus Christi following a dispute over Saldívar’s embezzlement of over $30,000 from Selena’s fan club and fashion boutique revenue.
Saldívar received a maximum sentence of life in prison for the murder, which she’s been serving in a women’s facility called Patrick O'Daniel Unit in Gatesville, Texas. She will be eligible to request a parole hearing next year.
Leading up to this year’s festivities, revisit Selena’s iconic 1994 State Fair of Texas performance below.
Selena Live at the State Fair of Texas
1. 0:00 "Baila Esta Cumbia"2. 1:40 "Ven Conmigo"
3. 4:13 "Ya Ves"
4. 7:02 "La Carcacha"
5. 13:40 "Que Creías"
6. 23:14 "Cerca de Tí"
7. 27:58 "Como la Flor"
8. 32:27 "Si Una Vez"
9. 37:50 "Las Cadenas"
10. 39:35 "Si La Quieres"
11. 43:02 "Technocumbia"
12. 46:53 "Fotos y Recuerdos"
13. 49:23 "El Chico del Apartament 512"
14. 52:37 "La Llamada"
15. 55:24 "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom"
16. 57:51 "Amor Prohibido"
