Selena recorded music.
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez ( [ seˈlena kintaˈniʝa ˈpeɾes ] or [ seˈlena kintaˈniʎa ˈpeɾeθ ] April 16 , 1971 -- March 31 , 1995 ) was an American singer , songwriter , spokesperson , model , actress , and fashion designer . Billboard magazine named her the `` top Latin artist of the '90s '' and the `` best selling Latin artist of the decade '' . ( 1993 ) won Best Mexican/American Album at the 1994 Grammy Awards , becoming the first recording by a Tejano artist to do so . Her posthumous crossover album , Dreaming of You ( 1995 ) , debuted atop the Billboard 200 , making Selena the first Latin artist to accomplish this feat .