Selena Quintanilla Fans Are Divided Over an Upcoming New Album in Which Her Voice Has Been ‘Worked on With Computers’
In a recent interview with Latin Groove News, Abraham Quintanilla, the father of the late Queen of Tejano music, Selena Quintanilla, revealed that there will be a new Selena album as early as April. The album will consist of 13 songs, and they will be unlike any of the music fans have ever heard from Selena.
The catch? Abraham Quintanilla says his daughter’s voice “was done using computers.”
According to Quintanilla, the songs on the new album will be repurposed from old songs Selena recorded — one from when she was as young as thirteen.
Through digital technology, A.B. Quintanilla, updated her voice to sound “like she did right before she passed away,” according to Abraham Q.
“My son AB worked on this album. He took 10 songs that are part of our catalog from our company and completely [redid] new music.” Abraham went on to explain that previous songs have been rearranged into different music genres (i.e., if it was a cumbia, it may be a ballad now).
But that’s not all.
“What’s unique about it is, not only is the music completely new arrangements, but my son worked on Selena’s voice with computers,” Abraham went on. “And if you listen to it, she sounds on these recordings like she did right before she passed away.”
The first song on the album was originally recorded when Selena was 13-years-old, but was digitally altered to sound like she it did when she was 23.
“Selena has been gone 26 years now,” Quintanilla said in the interview. “What amazes me, and [Selena’s sister] Suzette, my family, A.B., is 26 years later, the public still remembers Selena. They haven’t let go of her.”
Abraham went on to say that Selena’s fans have been “waiting for a project like this to come out, and I know it will be well received by the public.”
Despite Abraham’s statement about the desires of the public, the news of the new, digitally enhanced album has divided Selena fans. Some fans are delighted that there will be new music of their favorite artist who was taken from them too soon. Others believe that the time has come to let Selena rest in peace.
For years now, many Selena fans have criticized her father for what they claim as continuing to “milk” his daughter’s legacy almost three decades after her death.
Abraham has always denied mal-intent, saying that his primary purpose is to keep his daughter’s memory alive. “I know that in my heart and my mind and my family, we said from day one that when Selena passed away, we were going to keep her memory alive through her music and that’s what we have done for 26 years. Selena right now is known worldwide,” he said in an October appearance on The AC Cruz Podcast.
But since the announcement of the forthcoming album, fans have taken to Twitter to express their varied reactions.
“I know Selena Quintanilla’s family will never let Selena rest by them dropping dique [apparently] a new album this year. Bro let her soul rest ja!” wrote one angered fan.
Others wrote: “He’s running out of money” and “LET HER REST IN PEACE.”
Still, others were more than happy to hear new Selena music, regardless of how it was produced. “What a beautiful way to keep her music and memory alive. Can’t wait to hear it,” wrote one fan.
One particularly excited fan wrote: “I just found out Abraham Quintanilla confirmed they will be releasing a new Selena album in April… I have NEVER been this excited for an album in my entire life.”
