Latino Voices

Performers, Drag Artists Pay Tribute to the Late, Great Selena With Joyous Live Show


Performers, Drag Artists Pay Tribute to the Late, Great Selena With Joyous Live Show

Selena Quintanilla has been gone for nearly 30 years – but her star still burns bright in the sky of Latin music, despite her relatively short career.

This weekend, the Queen of Tejano Music is being celebrated with “Bidi Bidi Boom Boom: The Selena Tribute Dance Party” at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen, where a group of performers and drag artists are bringing some of Selena’s legendary music to life for Chicago audiences.

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“They can expect a lot of red lipstick, bangs, a lot of spins!” jokes performer Angelicia Maria. “They can expect great memories … I think it’s super important that we continue to keep her legacy alive.”

Selena’s legacy is a big part of Maria’s life. While she was living in Texas, she went to an event for Selena fans.

“That was the first time I ever dressed up completely with hair, makeup, everything,” she recalled. “The reaction that I got from … people that love Selena was just so positive. Believe it or not, she helped me find who I am as a woman.”

Now as a seasoned performer who frequently pays tribute to Selena, Maria helps other people find themselves.

“A lot of people come out to me. A lot of people tell me that they feel something seeing me perform and they feel comfortable enough to tell me certain things. I’ve had a few people come out to me as transgender after performing and it’s a beautiful moment,” Maria said.

The Selena tribute is held most years as part of the museum’s Sor Juana festival, which celebrates Mexican and Mexican American women.

“Her perseverance, and being able to accomplish so much coming from not that much, is very, very hard to do,” said the museum’s Lilibeth Arreola. “She was a great representation of a lot of Mexican American people.”

Arreola says this event is a chance for the museum to honor Selena as both a musician and an icon to the LGBTQ+ community.

“We try to make sure that people in our community feel supported and feel heard and feel right at home when they come through our doors,” Arreola said.

At a time when anti-drag and anti-trans legislation is spreading quickly in other states, performer Angelicia Maria says shows like the Selena tribute are a dance party – and a demonstration.

“It’s important for us to embrace it and be as loud, as beautiful, and as vibrant as we can, because there are people that are being suppressed right now,” she said. “So I think we celebrate a lot harder … (and) come together as a community.”

Tickets for this weekend’s “Bidi Bidi Boom Boom: The Selena Tribute Dance Party” are now sold out – but if you missed it this time, mark your calendar for Aug. 24, when Millennium Park will host the show for free.

Visit NMMA’s events page here.


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