SAN ANTONIO – Born the same year as the Tejano superstar, and being from south Texas, Ricardo Chavira knows the power of Selena’s legacy.
One week after the Netflix series, based on the Selena Quintanilla-Perez family story, premiered, it’s held the number one spot in over 150 countries.
“Growing up in San Antonio, I’d read in the paper, San Antonio Express News or The San Antonio Light even, that she had a concert in Rosedale Park and there she was accepting an award at the Tejano Music Awards at the convention center in San Antonio,” Chavira described his memories of Selena’s early fame.
It’s no doubt, Selena’s fans are passionate, but this series sheds light on the family struggle and the small details, such as diving in dumpsters searching for peach cans for lights and the opening scene sharing how Selena got her name.
Chavira tells us that he has yet to see the 1997 biopic starring Jennifer Lopez.
“I grew up around it, so I was like oh I don’t need to see that movie,” Chavira said. “I’ve lived it, it’s part of my life.”
Chavira decided it “would be a disservice” to himself to watch as he was preparing for the role Abraham Quintanilla in the Netflix series.
As many learned in the movie, and now in the Netflix series, Selena and her siblings grew up with English as their first language, something Chavira can relate to.
“You get it from both sides, the white side, you’re too ethnic, and the Mexican side, you’re not Mexican enough,” Chavira said.
Chavira has picked up on his spanish over the years. The filming of “Selena” the series took place in southern California, along the Mexico border.
The University of the Incarnate Word graduate is living in San Antonio and started taking guitar lessons here in San Antonio as he prepared for his new role as the patriarch of the Quintanilla family.
When Chavira is not in Texas, he tells us he misses Bill Millers, Whataburger and Las Palapas. He is also a fan of Southerleigh Fine Food and Brewery.
“I love what they’ve done with that whole are of The Pearl,” he said.
Season one ends as Selena’s love story with Chris Perez is exposed to the family, we can expect season two to dive deeper into that relationship and the rise to fame before her tragic death. So, when can we expect season two on Netflix?
“I wouldn’t think that would take too long, but I can’t give you any kind of definitive answer on that,” Chavira said followed by him jokingly saying “which means I do know, I’m just not telling you.”
There’s no doubt, all the devoted fans are looking forward to that release date.
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