Dhruv Trivedi
Selena y Los Dinos was a popular Tejano band from Corpus Christi, Texas, that spawned the Latin music icon Selena. Widely known as the “Queen of Tejano music,” she was accompanied for most of her career by the band Los Dinos, which included her brother A.B. on the bass and sister Suzette on drums. Pete Astudillo joined the band as Selena’s backup singer right as they were on the cusp of fame and went on to help write and compose many of the Mexican-American star’s most iconic songs.
A musical prodigy, as is evident by his work as well as his portrayal on the Netflix biographical show ‘Selena: The Series,’ Pete has played an integral part in the formation of the Latin music icon. Are you curious to know where Pete might be now and what kind of music he’s making nowadays? We’ve got your back!
Who is Pete Astudillo?
Pete Astudillo was born in Laredo, Texas, on December 1, 1963. Before becoming a part of Selena y Los Dinos, he and fellow musician Joe Ojeda opened as a duo for the Tejano band before eventually joining it in 1988. Impressed by their talents and in need of more musicians to meet the demands of their rising popularity, Los Dinos soon added Pete and Ojeda to their core band. Along with Selena’s brother A.B, who played the bass as well as composed the band’s songs, Pete co-wrote and composed many of Selena’s most famous songs, including “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” “Amor Prohibido,” and “La Carcacha.”
Pete also had a flourishing solo career, and he released his first solo album in 1992 with EMI Latin. In 1993, he was nominated for the Best Male Vocalist and Best Single at the Tejano Music Awards. He eventually left Selena y Los Dinos the same year to continue focusing on his solo career. However, even after leaving the band, he continued to write some of Selena’s songs, along with A.B.
Where is Pete Astudillo Now?
Though Pete left the band way before Selena’s shocking murder, he was nevertheless shattered by her loss. The same year, in 1995, he dedicated the award-winning song from his third album, “Cómo te Extraño,” to Selena and to his mother, who had passed away the previous year. Pete also went on to play himself in the popular 1997 biopic ‘Selena,’ which features Jennifer Lopez as the Queen of Tejano music. In 2005, he reunited with Los Dinos and played a massive tribute concert for Selena in Houston, Texas.
In 2017, Pete performed at the Tumbleweeds in Houston, Texas, with his new band Tekno-Mex as part of a Selena tribute. The event was organized by her family’s entertainment company, Q Productions, and the Selena Museum. Despite being the writer and composer of many of the songs he performed, he mentioned how critical Selena fans were of those singing their beloved icon’s songs.
His band, Tekno-Mex, also consists of Pete’s long-time bandmate, Ojeda. Pete continues to perform with his band, Tekno-Mex, as well as team up with his long-time collaborator and Selena’s brother, A.B., for various projects. Most recently, “Pelon,” one of the songs he co-wrote with A.B., opened at number 38 on the Billboard charts.
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