Strictly a family affair, the story of Tejano band Selena y Los Dinos dates back to the late 70s, when Abraham Quintanilla, Jr. discovered his infant daughter Selena’s remarkable singing voice. With her two older siblings Abraham III (A.B.) on bass and Suzette on drums, the band played at family reunions, restaurants, and weddings before signing a recording contract with the Corpus Christi-based label Freddie Records in 1981. As promotion made their name known throughout the state of Texas, Selena y Los Dinos released their official studio debut in 1984 with Mis Primeras Grabaciones. The album didn’t perform as expected and the group abandoned Freddie Records for GP Productions, who offered them a yearly contract. Alpha, their sophomore effort, saw the light in 1986 and was followed by Muñequito de Trapo, which propelled the band to new heights as they racked up accolades and Selena won Best Female Vocalist of the Year at the Tejano Music Awards. By the time Preciosa (1988) and Dulce Amor (1988) came out, Selena’s mass appeal was undoubtable. After a performance at the 1989 Tejano Music Awards, the youngest of the Quintanilla siblings was signed to EMI Latin as a solo artist and embarked on a highly-successful career with Los Dinos as her live backing band. The group split right after Selena’s untimely passing in 1995, after which A.B. Quintanilla formed Kumbia Kingz and Kumbia All Starz. Subsequently, Los Dinos reunited in 2010 to record the song “Nací Para Sufrir,” included in Kumbia All Starz’s third studio album.
