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This page is for the real person. For the dramatization/character in the 2020 Netflix series, see Suzette Arriaga/Netflix series.

Suzette Michelle Arriaga (born: Suzette Michelle Quintanilla; June 29, 1967) is a Mexican-American drummer. She is the sister of Selena and A.B. Quintanilla III, and the drummer for the band Selena y Los Dinos.

Biography[]

Career[]

Suzette Quintanilla inherited a passion for music from their father Abraham Quintanilla Jr., who played with the band 'Los Dinos'. In 1980, a teenaged Suzette Quintanilla began performing with her siblings after her father opened his first Tex-Mex restaurant, Papa Gayo's, in Lake Jackson, Texas.

She played drums, while her brother, Abraham III, played bass guitar and her sister, Selena, provided vocals. However, the restaurant was forced to close the following year after a recession caused by the 1980s oil glut and the family declared bankruptcy. They were evicted from their home and settled in Corpus Christi, Texas, where they began performing on street corners, weddings, quinceañeras, and fairs to support the family financially.

Her father formed the band 'Selena y Los Dinos' and later refurbished an old bus, 'Big Bertha', to use it as their tour bus. While they initially struggled to earn enough money to run the car, the popularity of the band grew, and they were signed for a record deal with Freddie Records. They gained mainstream popularity following the release of their full-length album 'Selena y Los Dinos - Mis Primeras Grabaciones' in 1984.

Their third album, 'Munequito De Trapo' (Rag Doll), was promoted and showcased in the 'Tejano Music Awards', where Selena won the first of her eight consecutive 'Female Vocalist of The Year' awards. The band went on to release three more albums, 'And The Winner Is...' (1987), 'Preciosa' (Precious, 1988), and 'Dulce Amor' (Sweet Love, 1988), before Selena was signed as a solo artist by EMI Latin. Suzette continued to perform with her siblings in the family band until Selena's death.

She is currently involved with her father's Latin entertainment company Q-Productions, Inc., and manages the Selena Museum in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Portrayals in Media[]

1997 film[]

In the 1997 film Selena, Suzette Quintanilla is portrayed by Jackie Guerra as an adult, and by Victoria Elena Flores as a young girl.

2020 Netflix series[]

Main article: Suzette Arriaga/Netflix series

In the 2020 Netflix series Selena: The Series, Suzette Quintanilla is portrayed by Noemi Gonzalez as an adult, and by Daniela Estrada as a young girl.

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