Dhruv Trivedi
‘Selena: The Series’ is a biographical drama series based on the multi-hyphenated Mexican-American singer-songwriter, actor, fashion model, and spokesperson Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. Popularly referred to as the “Queen of Tejano music,” she is recognized as one of the top-selling Latin artists of the 1990s and is widely considered responsible for popularizing the genre amongst mainstream audiences. The show, which incidentally has the blessing of Selena’s family and sees her sister Suzette and father Abraham joining as executive producers, is created and co-written by Moisés Zamora.
Opening with the musical icon’s humble beginnings in Texas, it follows her journey to stardom as she tours the US and Mexico, gaining popularity on both sides of the border. The show paints an authentic vintage picture, portraying Selena’s family life as well as her public persona with detailed backdrops from the 80s and 90s. If you’re wondering where this show is filmed to give it its signature aesthetic, we’ve got a treat for you!
Selena: The Series Filming Locations
‘Selena: The Series’ follows Selena’s life— from her childhood in Corpus Christi in Texas to the various locations she performs in across the United States and Mexico. To depict Selena’s constantly changing backdrop, multiple locations around Texas and Mexico were used for filming. The production team utilized buildings and neighborhoods that still have a distinctly 80s aesthetic to give the show its feeling of biographical authenticity.
Filming for part 1 took place in late 2019, between November and December, whereas part 2 was filmed between October and November of 2020. Locations on both sides of the border as well as in a studio in Mexico were used for filming, with full-fledged Covid 19 safety protocols in place during the shoot for part 2. Let’s take a closer look at the specific filming locations used in the show.
Baja California, Mexico
‘Selena: The Series’ is filmed largely in Mexico, with multiple locations around the northern state of Baja California being utilized. The El Texano Bar, located at Magnolia 33-333, Centro Carretera in the city of Rosarito, is featured as one of the venues where Selena performs in her early days and subsequently gets a white flower from a young girl inspired by her.
Later in the story, during the band’s 1989 tour, the Castillos del Mar Hotel’s private beach was used for filming. The hotel is located 5 minutes from downtown Rosarito, on the Tijuana highway. Baja Studios, located on a 3000-foot seaside stretch in Rosarito, was also used for filming. The unique and expansive seaside studios, which feature multiple tanks for filming underwater scenes and even a prop ship, also served as the filming site for the 1997 epic ‘Titanic.’
The city of Tijuana in Baja, Mexico, is also featured extensively on the show. The Libertad Cinema on Calle 5 No. 384, Tijuana, in the Libertad neighborhood, is used to depict the club in Laredo, Texas, where Selena performs. Scenes depicting the Tejano Music Awards ceremony, which was a turning point in the singer’s career, were filmed at the Old Jai Alai Palace Forum Entertainment Center. The massive music venue, built in 1947, is located at Revolución Avenue in central Tijuana and still hosts musical and cultural events.
Another one of Selena’s concerts, from much later in her career, was recreated in the ICBC (Instituto de Cultura de Baja California) Amphitheater at 101 Centenario Avenue, Zona Urbana Río in Tijuana. The IMAC or Casa de la Cultura, located on París Avenue and Calle Lisboa 5 in Tijuana is also briefly featured as the Welfare office in Texas where Selena’s parents go to procure food stamps during the 1980s recession.
The famous Miguel Hidalgo Park in the city of Tecate is also used for filming and doubles up as Matamoros, Mexico, for Selena’s first gig in Mexico. The park is located at Calle Ortiz Rubio y Callejon Libertad. During their American tours, the motel the family stays at multiple times is actually the Motel Colon on 175 Guadalupe Avenue, Obrera, in the coastal city of Ensenada. The Ryerson 51 pub, located in downtown Ensenada at 51 Ryerson Avenue, is also briefly featured on the show.
Corpus Christi, Texas
The city of Corpus Christi, where Selena spent much of her younger days after her family moved there, is also featured on the show. Establishing shots featuring popular landmarks, like the Corpus Christi Cathedral on 505 North Upper Broadway, are used at the beginning of the show and regularly in between whenever the family is seen returning to their hometown after their long tours.
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