Abraham Quintanilla, Selena's manager and father, dead at age 86

Abraham Quintanilla Jr., father, manager and main driver of Selena Quintanilla, died at 86, leaving behind a profound mark in the history of Latin music. The news was confirmed Saturday morning by her son, A.B. Quintanilla III, who shared a farewell message on social networks. So far, the cause of death has not been released.

Born on Feb. 22, 1939 in Corpus Christi, Texas, to a Mexican-American family, Quintanilla had a close relationship with music from a young age. In his adolescence he was a member of the vocal group The Dinos, an experience that allowed him to train as a singer and composer. However, in the late 1960s he decided to leave the stage to concentrate on his family, a choice that would end up changing the course of Tejano and Latin music.

Upon discovering the vocal talent of his youngest daughter, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, Abraham decided to form the family band Selena y Los Dinos, along with his other children, A.B. and Suzette. As manager, he faced a male-dominated musical environment, organizing presentations, polishing the group's image and directing every detail of their artistic growth. His perseverance paid off: by the end of the 1980s, the group was already a reference in the Tejano genre and the springboard for Selena's massive success.

The tragedy that would mark everything

Tragedy marked her life on March 31, 1995, when Selena was murdered at age 23. Since then, Abraham Quintanilla assumed the role of custodian of his daughter's artistic and cultural legacy, actively participating in projects that kept her memory alive. He was executive producer of the biographical film "Selena" (1997), starring Edward James Olmos, and collaborated on documentaries, posthumous albums and tributes. He was also portrayed by Ricardo Chavira in the Netflix series "Selena: The Series."

More recently, in November of this year, Netflix released the documentary "Selena and The Dinos: The Legacy of a Family," which offers an intimate look at the singer's rise through archives and previously unreleased videos.

After Selena's death, the Quintanilla family founded the Selena Foundation, focused on supporting children in vulnerable situations. Through his label Q-Productions, Abraham continued to promote new talents in music and film. In 2021 he published his memoir, "A Father's Dream: My Family's Journey in Music," where he recounted his experience as a father and artistic manager.

A controversial figure for some, but indisputably key to Selena's story, Abraham Quintanilla bids farewell as one of the fundamental pillars behind the emergence of one of the most influential Latin artists of all time.