For fans of Selena Quintanilla not a day goes by without celebrating the Queen of Tejano Music, who left us now 25 years ago. But March 21 gives them a chance to do so by honoring Selena, the 1997 biopic that catapulted yet another Latina into superstardom. Perhaps knowing we would all need a little bit of joy amidst these trying times, Jennifer Lopez took to her YouTube page to share a heartwarming tribute to the late icon titled, quite appropriately #CelebratingSelena. Intercutting scenes from the film and from Selena’s life with interviews and concerts Lopez has done over the years, the edited clips give us two decades’ worth of soundbites of JLo looking back on the role that endeared her to an entire generation of Selena fans.
“God sent me that role for a reason,” she says in one clip in the video, “so that I could learn from her. So that she could always have her as an inspiration.” And indeed, when seeing Lopez performing “Si Una Vez” at a recent concert juxtaposed with Selena’s iconic Astrodome performance, you realize how intertwined the two stars really are. Lopez may have been able to outgrow the “girl who played Selena in the film” label — several hit records, box office hits, an unforgettable Versace dress, an awards-worthy role and a Super Bowl performance for the ages help — but the loving video reminds us all that she knows how much she owes to Gregory Nava’s musical biopic. As she confesses, “It was an important part of my life.”
Check out the full video below and be sure to look through the #CelebratingSelena hashtag to see how else her fans shared their love for their one and only queen.