[wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Abraham Quintanilla III[/wimpLink] remained at the forefront of Latin pop for years on end, primarily as a producer with a long track record, but also as the brother of [wimpLink artistId="9541"]Selena[/wimpLink], as a hit songwriter, and as a polarizing troublemaker. His recording career began alongside that of his iconic sister, with the release of Selena y los Dinos (1984), the first of many albums that he would produce and co-write. As [wimpLink artistId="9541"]Selena[/wimpLink]'s star rose, so did his. And when her star went dark, following her tragic slaying in 1995, [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] withdrew from the limelight for a while, co-writing occasional songs for [wimpLink artistId="9541"]Selena[/wimpLink] followers like [wimpLink artistId="3505335"]Thalía[/wimpLink] and [wimpLink artistId="12177"]Olga Tañón[/wimpLink]. In 1999, he returned to the big time with [wimpLink artistId="3506549"]A.B. Quintanilla y los Kumbia Kings[/wimpLink], a bilingual hitmaking collective that fused traditional Mexican music (cumbia, above all) with urban American styles (hip-hop, funk, R&B, reggae), topping it all off with a slick sheen of easily enjoyable pop accessibility. [wimpLink artistId="3506553"]Los Kumbia Kings[/wimpLink], always preceded in billing -- or, later, "presented" -- by [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink], scored too many hits to list, and following their debut album, they began hitting number one with regularity. The group unraveled, however, following the release of their fourth album, [wimpLink albumId="1352806"]4[/wimpLink] (2003), as all the leading members of the group, including frontmen [wimpLink artistId="6207268"]Frankie J[/wimpLink] and [wimpLink artistId="3505426"]DJ Kane[/wimpLink], left bitterly and mounted recording careers of their own. In the media, this bitterness was always coupled with references to "the business" and how they'd learned a lot in [wimpLink artistId="3506553"]Los Kumbia Kings[/wimpLink]. The subtext, it's safe to deduce, is that the guys weren't getting paid their fair share by [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink], who had a track record of co-writing songs that may have not been his to begin with -- and so it has been argued to no clear resolve. In any event, penny-pincher or not, [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] proved himself to be a savvy producer and co-writer, as no matter whom he worked with, he scored hits. For instance, [wimpLink artistId="3506553"]Los Kumbia Kings[/wimpLink] remained successful even after their mass regrouping, and following another intra-group feud over money, [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] enjoyed instant success with a new group of his, [wimpLink artistId="3627441"]the Kumbia All Starz[/wimpLink].
Born on December 13, 1963, in Toppenish, Washington, [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Abraham Quintanilla III[/wimpLink] (aka [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]A.B. Quintanilla[/wimpLink]) grew up in Lake Jackson, Texas, along with sisters [wimpLink artistId="9541"]Selena[/wimpLink] and [wimpLink artistId="5945013"]Suzette[/wimpLink]. His father, Abraham Quintanilla, Jr., is Mexican-American, and his mother, Marcella Ophelia Zamora, is Mexican-Native American. [wimpLink artistId="9541"]Selena[/wimpLink], of course, would go on to become an iconic -- and, in turn, tragic -- tejano goddess, but in the beginning, she fronted Selena y los Dinos. The group also included siblings [wimpLink artistId="5945013"]Suzette[/wimpLink] and [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Abraham[/wimpLink], as well as guitarist [wimpLink artistId="5945010"]Chris Pérez[/wimpLink], whom [wimpLink artistId="9541"]Selena[/wimpLink] would marry, and keyboardist [wimpLink artistId="5945012"]Ricky Vela[/wimpLink], who wrote many songs for her over the years. They performed at the [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] family's restaurant, Papagallos. When the restaurant went out of business, however, the family had to declare bankruptcy and give up their home. Undaunted, they loaded up their instruments in a rickety bus and moved to Corpus Christi, a city near the Texas-Mexico border, where they performed anywhere and everywhere they could.
In time, Selena y los Dinos were offered a recording contract with a local independent label owned by [wimpLink artistId="8739677"]Freddie Martinez[/wimpLink], Freddie Records, and made their recording debut with a self-titled album in 1984. A decade later, Freddie would release Mis Primeras Grabaciones (1995), essentially a repackaging of these recordings, some of which are in English, for [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]the Quintanillas[/wimpLink] are native speakers, with Spanish as their second language. [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] produced Selena y los Dinos, along with his father, and wrote a couple of the songs. He also produced and co-wrote the group's follow-up albums, Alpha and Muñequito de Trapo, both released by GP Records in 1986. One of his songs, "Dame un Beso," became a modest hit and helped [wimpLink artistId="9541"]Selena[/wimpLink] earn her first accolades: a Hispanic Music Award (Female Vocalist of the Year) and two Tejano Music Awards (Female Vocalist of the Year, Performer of the Year). And the Winner Is... (1987), another GP release by Selena y los Dinos, capitalized upon the acclaim showered on the young singer, only 15 at the time. The group's final independent albums, Preciosa and Dulce Amor, both released by RP Records in 1988, brought with them more accolades, including a Tejano Music Awards nomination for [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] (Songwriter of the Year).
By this point [wimpLink artistId="9541"]Selena[/wimpLink] was a rising star amid the tejano scene, and [wimpLink artistId="4410252"]EMI[/wimpLink] took note, signing her to its Latin division. Selena (1989) was her [wimpLink artistId="4410252"]EMI Latin[/wimpLink] debut, and no longer billed, Los Dinos were history. The album was produced and co-written by [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink], along with [wimpLink artistId="3558955"]Pete Astudillo[/wimpLink], who, in addition to [wimpLink artistId="5945012"]Vela[/wimpLink], would co-write almost all of [wimpLink artistId="9541"]Selena[/wimpLink]'s songs over the years. In time, [wimpLink artistId="3558955"]Astudillo[/wimpLink] would go on to a solo career of his own. [wimpLink albumId="43893432"]Mis Primeros Éxitos[/wimpLink] (1990) followed and was comprised of past hits re-recorded for [wimpLink artistId="4410252"]EMI[/wimpLink], while later that year the label released [wimpLink albumId="236813544"]Ven Conmigo[/wimpLink] (1990), [wimpLink artistId="9541"]Selena[/wimpLink]'s first album to reach sales of gold status, thanks in part to the popular -- and enduring -- song "Baila Esta Cumbia," written by [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] and [wimpLink artistId="3558955"]Astudillo[/wimpLink]. [wimpLink albumId="43893305"]Entre a Mi Mundo[/wimpLink] (1992) was even more successful, boasting the single "Como la Flor," yet another [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink]/[wimpLink artistId="3558955"]Astudillo[/wimpLink] hit, one that would become [wimpLink artistId="9541"]Selena[/wimpLink]'s signature song. [wimpLink albumId="43893949"]Live[/wimpLink] (1993), recorded at a concert in Corpus Christi and produced by [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink], won a Grammy for Best Mexican-American Album, while [wimpLink albumId="1469593"]Mis Mejores Canciones: 17 Super Exitos[/wimpLink] (1993) compiled the highlights of her [wimpLink artistId="4410252"]EMI[/wimpLink] releases to date. [wimpLink albumId="352029038"]Amor Prohibido[/wimpLink] (1994) then broke her into the mainstream. The album was a sensation, spawning several number one hits and ousting [wimpLink artistId="650"]Gloria Estefan[/wimpLink]'s [wimpLink albumId="33950565"]Mi Tierra[/wimpLink] from number one on the Top Latin Albums chart, a position [wimpLink albumId="352029038"]Amor Prohibido[/wimpLink] would maintain for a record-breaking 78 weeks. Tragically, [wimpLink artistId="9541"]Selena[/wimpLink] was murdered by Yolanda Saldívar, the president of her fan club, on March 31, 1995. She was only 23 years old.
[wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink], who had been with his sister every step of the way as her producer and songwriter, was devastated. At the time of her death, he had been working with her on an English-language crossover album, later assembled, along with previously released material, and released as Dreaming of You (1995). [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] withdrew from music-making for a while, only surfacing from time to time as a co-writer -- [wimpLink artistId="3505335"]Thalía[/wimpLink]'s "Amandote" (1995), [wimpLink artistId="6996"]Cristian[/wimpLink]'s "Esperándote" (1996), [wimpLink artistId="12177"]Olga Tañón[/wimpLink]'s "Siempre en Mi Corazón" (1997) -- and producer, helming much of [wimpLink artistId="4981796"]Veronica Castro[/wimpLink]'s Tocada (1997) alongside [wimpLink artistId="17670255"]Juan Manuel[/wimpLink]. At the end of the decade, he staged his return to the limelight with a group of his own, [wimpLink artistId="3506549"]A.B. Quintanilla y los Kumbia Kings[/wimpLink]. A large group that often went uncredited (and allegedly underpaid), the original [wimpLink artistId="3506553"]Kumbia Kings[/wimpLink] lineup included [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] (bass, background vocals), [wimpLink artistId="3505426"]DJ Kane[/wimpLink] (born [wimpLink artistId="12765204"]Jason Cano[/wimpLink]; vocals), [wimpLink artistId="6207268"]Frankie J[/wimpLink] (born [wimpLink artistId="6207268"]Francisco Javier Bautista[/wimpLink]; vocals), Baby Drew (born [wimpLink artistId="11226114"]Andrew Maes[/wimpLink]; vocals), [wimpLink artistId="11788402"]Cruz Martinez[/wimpLink] (keyboards), Alex Ramirez (keyboards), [wimpLink artistId="9030308"]Roy Ramirez[/wimpLink] (percussion, background vocals), Frankie Aranda (percussion), Jorge Peña (percussion), Jesse Martinez (drums), and Robert del Moral (drums). [wimpLink artistId="11788402"]Cruz Martinez[/wimpLink] and the two Ramirez brothers, Alex and [wimpLink artistId="9030308"]Roy[/wimpLink], had been part of the successful tejano group [wimpLink artistId="5447100"]La Sombra[/wimpLink], led by [wimpLink artistId="4200117"]Tony Guerrero[/wimpLink].
[wimpLink artistId="3506549"]A.B. Quintanilla y los Kumbia Kings[/wimpLink] debuted with [wimpLink albumId="1381821"]Amor, Familia y Respeto...[/wimpLink] (1999), released by [wimpLink artistId="4410252"]EMI Latin[/wimpLink]. [wimpLink artistId="5945012"]Vela[/wimpLink] co-wrote several of the songs, as did [wimpLink artistId="13336134"]Luigi Giraldo[/wimpLink], a studio hand who would collaborate with [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] for many years to come. A few special guests were featured, including [wimpLink artistId="13756"]Sheila E.[/wimpLink], [wimpLink artistId="9509"]Vico C[/wimpLink], [wimpLink artistId="15095"]Roger Troutman[/wimpLink], [wimpLink artistId="14044"]Nu Flavor[/wimpLink], [wimpLink artistId="3509235"]Fito Olivares[/wimpLink], and [wimpLink artistId="6177820"]Ricardo Muñoz[/wimpLink], the latter of the popular tejano band [wimpLink artistId="56242"]Intocable[/wimpLink]. Singles included "Azúcar," "Fuiste Mala," "Se Fue Mi Amor," "Reggae Kumbia," "Te Quiero a Ti," and "U Don't Love Me," and this bounty of hits helped [wimpLink albumId="1381821"]Amor, Familia y Respeto...[/wimpLink] break into the Top Ten of the Top Latin Albums chart. Moreover, the album was nominated for a Grammy (Best Tejano Performance), a Latin Grammy (Best Tejano Performance), and a Billboard Latin Music Award (Album of the Year by a Group); it won a Billboard Latin Music Award for Album of the Year by a New Artist. The follow-up album, [wimpLink albumId="1383999"]Shhh![/wimpLink] (2001), also billed to [wimpLink artistId="3506549"]A.B. Quintanilla & los Kumbia Kings[/wimpLink], entered the album chart at number two, subsequently hitting number one. [wimpLink artistId="11788402"]Cruz Martinez[/wimpLink] was now co-writing most of the songs, along with [wimpLink artistId="13336134"]Giraldo[/wimpLink] and [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink]. Hit singles mounted, among them "Think'n About U," "Shhh!," "Boom Boom," "Mi Gente," "Insomnio," and "Desde Que No Estás Aquí," and a remix album, [wimpLink albumId="3334534"]All Mixed Up[/wimpLink] (2002), was issued in the midst of all of the ensuing commercial success.
While [wimpLink albumId="3334534"]All Mixed Up[/wimpLink] (2002) tided over hungry consumers for a while with a single of its own, "La Cucaracha," [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] brought together his most star-studded cast of collaborators yet for [wimpLink albumId="1352806"]4[/wimpLink] (2003), another hit-rich chart-topper. Some of the brand-name artists heard on this album include [wimpLink artistId="4347"]Juan Gabriel[/wimpLink], [wimpLink artistId="56976"]El Gran Silencio[/wimpLink], [wimpLink artistId="62166"]Aleks Syntek[/wimpLink], and [wimpLink artistId="9732"]Ozomatli[/wimpLink]. Two especially big hits resulted, "No Tengo Dinero" and "Don't Wanna Try," and another round of gap-filling product followed soon afterward: A.B. Quintanilla III Presents Kumbia Kings (2003) repackaged English-language highlights from the group's back catalog, whereas [wimpLink albumId="1370179"]La Historia[/wimpLink] (2003) repackaged Spanish-language ones. As this stream of best-ofs was buying time, [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] had a small crisis on his hands: most of his [wimpLink artistId="3506553"]Kumbia Kings[/wimpLink] were jumping ship, allegedly because they weren't happy with their pay -- that is, assuming they were being paid at all. ([wimpLink artistId="3505426"]DJ Kane[/wimpLink] successfully sued for his fair share and was awarded $100,000.) In subsequent media appearances, practically all of the departees referred to their stint in [wimpLink artistId="3506553"]Los Kumbia Kings[/wimpLink] as a cold lesson in "the business." Lead vocalists [wimpLink artistId="6207268"]Frankie J[/wimpLink] and [wimpLink artistId="3505426"]DJ Kane[/wimpLink] both went on to mount instantly successful solo careers. On the other hand, [wimpLink artistId="11226114"]Andrew "Baby Drew" Maes[/wimpLink], Alex Ramirez, [wimpLink artistId="9030308"]Roy Ramirez[/wimpLink], and Frankie Aranda banded together as [wimpLink artistId="34399721"]K1[/wimpLink] (aka [wimpLink artistId="34399721"]Kingz 1[/wimpLink] -- a clear allusion to their past) and debuted with Nuestro Turno (2004), on which they tellingly go to great lengths to list detailed songwriting credits, giving every person his due.
Left without any lead vocalists or much of a band, [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] regrouped, literally, recruiting a new lead vocalist, Pee Wee González (born Irvin Salinas), in addition to numerous other replacement members. Among them were brother-in-law [wimpLink artistId="5945010"]Chris Pérez[/wimpLink], formerly the guitarist of Los Dinos, and also [wimpLink artistId="8734323"]Abel Talamantez[/wimpLink], formerly a singer in latter-day [wimpLink artistId="3535331"]Menudo[/wimpLink]. On Los Remixes 2.0 (2004), another compilation released to buy more time, [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] debuted a few songs recorded with the new [wimpLink artistId="3506553"]Kumbia Kings[/wimpLink] lineup. "Sabes a Chocolate," originally a hit for [wimpLink artistId="3535331"]Menudo[/wimpLink], was released as a single; it was Pee Wee's debut and charted modestly. [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] unveiled his new [wimpLink artistId="3506553"]Kumbia Kings[/wimpLink] at length a few months later on [wimpLink albumId="1375989"]Fuego[/wimpLink] (2004), and in addition to the new group members, it boasted a couple guest features: [wimpLink artistId="56270"]Belinda[/wimpLink] ("Quien") and [wimpLink artistId="3633795"]Noel Schajris[/wimpLink] of [wimpLink artistId="35406"]Sin Bandera[/wimpLink] ("Parte de Mi Corazón"). Pee Wee ended up stealing the show, however, with "Na Na Na (Dolce Niña)," a star-making hit that enjoyed a long shelf life and won the hearts of a legion of young girls. The 16-year-old heartthrob thereafter became the new face of [wimpLink artistId="3506553"]Los Kumbia Kings[/wimpLink], besides [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink], of course, as he persisted to "present" the group.
Unsurprisingly, some gap-fillers successively hit the retail shelves. [wimpLink albumId="1404193"]Duetos[/wimpLink] (2005) mined the back catalog, gathering up any guest-feature collaborations that hadn't already been compiled on the previous two best-ofs: "No Tengo Dinero," featuring [wimpLink artistId="4347"]Juan Gabriel[/wimpLink] and [wimpLink artistId="56976"]El Gran Silencio[/wimpLink]; "Reggae Kumbia," [wimpLink artistId="9509"]Vico C[/wimpLink]; "Mi Gente," [wimpLink artistId="9732"]Ozomatli[/wimpLink]; "Fuiste Mala," [wimpLink artistId="6177820"]Ricardo Muñoz[/wimpLink] of [wimpLink artistId="56242"]Intocable[/wimpLink]; "Llévame al Cielo," [wimpLink artistId="62166"]Aleks Syntek[/wimpLink]; "Together," [wimpLink artistId="15095"]Roger Troutman[/wimpLink]; and "Azúcar," [wimpLink artistId="3509235"]Fito Olivares[/wimpLink]. Also unsurprisingly, a few new songs were added as enticement for anyone otherwise not interested in previously released material: two stellar [wimpLink artistId="9541"]Selena[/wimpLink] remakes -- "Baila Esta Cumbia" and "I Could Fall in Love" -- along with a sad tribute co-written by [wimpLink artistId="12179"]Ricardo Montaner[/wimpLink], "Don't Cry Mama." A CD/DVD repackaging of [wimpLink albumId="1375989"]Fuego[/wimpLink] then showed up just in time for the holiday shopping season. It added the stray hits "Sabes a Chococate" and "Baila Esta Cumbia" to the original track listing, along with a live version of "Na Na Na (Dolce Niña)" for Pee Wee fans. The DVD features videos for the singles. And if that weren't enough, the CD/DVD [wimpLink albumId="1557803"]Kumbia Kings Live[/wimpLink] followed (2006), showcasing the new group performing old favorites.
Just when everything seemed to be running so smoothly on the surface, with [wimpLink albumId="1557803"]Kumbia Kings Live[/wimpLink] winning a Latin Grammy (Best Tropical Regional Mexican Album) and Pee Wee all set as the group's new superstar draw, controversy erupted. The facts of the matter are debatable, and no doubt twisted, but the short of the story is this: a feud broke out between [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] and [wimpLink artistId="11788402"]Cruz Martinez[/wimpLink], the only remaining members of the original [wimpLink artistId="3506553"]Kumbia Kings[/wimpLink] lineup, and evidently it boiled down to a fight over money, as both argued their respective cases on Univision's Cristina, slinging ugly accusations back and forth in the process (even [wimpLink artistId="11788402"]Martinez[/wimpLink]'s wife, grupero star [wimpLink artistId="3675101"]Alicia Villarreal[/wimpLink], took part in the brawl). Consequently, [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] left [wimpLink artistId="3506553"]Los Kumbia Kings[/wimpLink] -- yes, the group he had "presented" on album after album -- and proceeded to form his own group, confusingly billed as [wimpLink artistId="3627441"]Kumbia All Starz[/wimpLink]; notably, Pee Wee and [wimpLink artistId="5945010"]Pérez[/wimpLink] joined him, along with songwriter [wimpLink artistId="13336134"]Luigi Giraldo[/wimpLink], leaving the leftover [wimpLink artistId="3506553"]Kumbia Kings[/wimpLink] for [wimpLink artistId="11788402"]Martinez[/wimpLink]. [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] debuted his new group shortly thereafter, with [wimpLink albumId="1345721"]Ayer Fue Kumbia Kings, Hoy Es Kumbia All Starz[/wimpLink] (2006), a skimpy album boasting a new, radio-ready Pee Wee single, "Chiquilla," presented in no less than four versions.
Around this same time, [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] had incited other news headlines, this time with an offensive video posted on YouTube. The video was short, filmed in an airport in Mexico City, apparently on a cell phone, and it finds [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] complaining about the security there, ending his short rant with the fateful address, "f*cking Mexicans!" (too, he drops the "N" bomb, in reference to himself, though no one seemed offended by that). It didn't take long for the Mexican television media to pick up the video, add subtitles, and flog it, sowing a lot of ill will toward [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] on behalf of the nation of his ancestors. Mexico's ANDA organization (Asociación Nacional de Actores de México) demanded an apology, while a number of Mexican-American performers spoke out against the incident, including the well-regarded, highly influential norteño group [wimpLink artistId="3679429"]Los Tigres del Norte[/wimpLink]. The ill will was sown so deep, in fact, that during a concert in Monterrey, Mexico, [wimpLink artistId="3627441"]the Kumbia All Starz[/wimpLink] were booed off the stage. [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] did issue an apology for his statement, but the public was unsympathetic, especially in light of the innumerable past accusations against him of bad character.
In any event, the controversy didn't seem to affect sales stateside, as [wimpLink albumId="1345721"]Ayer Fue Kumbia Kings, Hoy Es Kumbia All Starz[/wimpLink] hit number two, "Chiquilla" rode the singles chart for months, and young girls continued to pledge their love to Pee Wee. After four studio albums and one live album, [wimpLink artistId="3627441"]the Kumbia All Starz[/wimpLink] split in 2014. [wimpLink artistId="5229233"]Quintanilla[/wimpLink] continued to produce and write for other artists while planning a new band. In June 2016, he announced that he had signed to [wimpLink artistId="9548427"]Del Records[/wimpLink] and formed [wimpLink artistId="8450612"]A.B. Quintanilla y Elektro Kumbia[/wimpLink], an octet with three lead vocalists that wove strands of Latin pop, electro, cumbia, reggaeton, and merengue together in a thoroughly dance club-friendly hybrid. In early 2017, they issued the tropical pop pre-release single "Pina Colada Shot," followed by the urban cumbia "La Aventura" featuring reggaeton rappers Saga y Sonyc. A self-titled full-length followed at the end of June, and was greeted by rave reviews. ~ Jason Birchmeier