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 The
eagerly-awaited release of Selena's 1991 San Antonio concert
in high-quality video by Q-Productions (her father's company) makes
available a key link in the documentation of Selena's ascent from the
bewitchingly musical little girl in Papagayo's Restaurant to the
electrifying world-class superstar who held the Astrodome and the world
enraptured in 1995. Denied the copious recorded legacy of a magisterial
performer at full stride (e.g., the late and beloved Michael Jackson)
which would have surely still been in progress now, we are left with only
one such sacrament to revere in which we can watch Selena blazing
with perfected skill and reciprocated love in the stratosphere over Texas;
but for that very reason, every surviving snippet, each step, each concert
or recorded public or private appearance, is to be treasured. And that
certifies this performance by Selena, then a skilful and compelling
20ish Tejano singer fully delivering the expectations of her audience, but
not yet an icon, as the producers have subtitled this release, “A
Night to Remember”.
In the 48 minutes of the feature, Selena “and the Dinos”
present 13 songs, all but three in Spanish, Selena's on-stage banter
with the audience generally switching languages with them. Her renowned “cow
suit” pattern earmarks the evening's dress; while all bear bovine trousers,
only Selena sports matching sleeves. Glimpses of moving cars and
storefronts reveal an outdoor venue – there is no documentation on or with
the DVD, even about the time, place, or personnel of the concert; one yearns
for loving documentation comparable to that accompanying the “Anthology”
collection, as this major concert by this historically important artist
deserves.
In comparison to her role in later work, Selena here is much more a
“Dino”, frequently singing duets (and even doing some charming
couple-dancing) with dancer/songwriter Pete Astudillo, as on the
Grammy-winning “Live” CD, and frequently retiring from the spotlight.
The performance showcases some very beautiful guitar solo work by a very
young-looking Chris Perez. While familiar with Selena's
historical “greatest hits” will recognize “Baila Esta Cumbia” and
“Ya Ves”, most of the latter hadn't been written yet, and the repertoire
splits about evenly between original songs (by A.B. and Pete) and covers.
Some of the latter seem to lack personality and purpose – Selena's
ability to find and help create the repertoire that showed her at her best
was still a work in progress at that time.
Selena sounds great and looks beautiful, and dances adorably; ¿how
can she help but do otherwise?, but those familiar with “The Last
Concert” will be disappointed if they expect a comparable experience,
for that is not what the release of “A Night to Remember” seeks to
provide. Neither the dramatic skyward glances of the wrenching, prayer-like
ballad “No Me Queda Mas” nor the piercing gazes of reproach of the
meticulously-choreographed screenplay of “Si Una Vez” are ready yet;
Selena hadn't gotten there, but she did get there by way of here, and
taken as that, “A Night to Remember” fascinates as it illuminates.
Not yet completely comfortable with her audience or their adoration,
Selena seems a bit self-conscious; one can feel for her in some of her
attempts at working up the crowd, experimenting with what works and doesn't,
with what binds a performer to his or her audience and invites him or her
into their hearts. While the audience adores her, they are not the frenzied,
roaring, placard-hoisting legions that filled the Astrodome – she was on the
way to earning that. Not yet awash in joy nor floating in the love of the
audience, Selena seems here merely working her hardest to perform her
program, and succeeding, a skilled, hard-working, talented, beautiful
journeywoman, on the way to a virtuosic mastery not even she could imagine.
Already having had won several “Best Female Vocalist” Tejano Music
Awards, by the time of this concert Selena was already a star in
this genre, and here sings with passion, style, and utterly professional
“chops” in her rich, warm alto, engaging the audience, dancing all different
cumbia-based moves with grace and verve, her shoulder-length hair and unique
bovid garb revealing no hint of the classic-screen-goddess flowing mane and
lithe, uniquely flattering purple jumpsuit that would confirm the perfection
of her mastery of her own image four years later. Here, she is merely the
best and best-loved female Tejano singer of the time.
Although the main feature begins with apologies in both languages for
occasional video and audio "imperfections", which there are (suboptimal
camera angles, miking problems), the sound and video quality in general are
expectably
high, and will delight those used to the unpredictable qualities of Internet
clips. The DVD package includes as “extra” the charming and informative
15-minute History of Mexican-American music featurette narrated by
Selena, which many will recognize from the Internet.
Anyone who loves Selena and treasures her legacy should not hesitate
to obtain this important new offering. While not the “proof-text” for
“why we love Selena” (“The Last Concert”, her offstage legacy,
and, oddly, Gregory Nava's 1997 biopic with Jennifer López
best meet that description), “A Night to Remember” opens a
fascinating window onto the artistic path by which Selena arrived at
world-class artistry. The essentials here, the heartbreakingly gorgeous
young singer, the sultry, powerful alto voice, the graceful dancing and
sweetness, the immersion in Tejano culture and style and the uncompromising
commitment to professionalism, are all in place. The vision, the charisma,
the magic, and the swooning adulation of millions will follow suit. To see
Selena's act before it was all together, her perfection before it was
perfected, her mastery before she mastered it, while she still charms and delights, reminds us that even at the time of her passing she was still a
work in progress, but on a path whose destination we will never know. And
that alone should heighten our interest and motivate us to savor and study
this newly-released record of what was truly “A Night to Remember.”
- November 1st 2009
Click
here for a "A fond look back at Selena Live: A Night to Remember" |
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