The music of Selena will be used to entertain and educate during a free concert that is in part designed to raise awareness about the plight of undocumented immigrants facing deportation.
Latin Grammy-winners Mon Laferte and Gaby Moreno are among those performing at "Selena for Sanctuary," a free concert that's part of the summer festival Lincoln Center Out of Doors in New York City. The concert seeks to raise awareness about the dire situation of undocumented immigrant that has caused a national outcry.
"I am very excited to be part of this event," said Laferte, who is from Chile. "I admire Selena and I grew up singing her songs. It is an honor for me to be able to sing her songs and to support this initiative with a subject like migration, which concerns us all."
Created by Doris Munoz, daughter of undocumented immigrants, "Selena for Sanctuary" pays tribute to the most successful artist in Latin music while fighting for a cause. It arrives at the outdoor stage of the prestigious Lincoln Center after having smaller editions in Southern California.
"This event started as a simple idea and call to action after the current administration threatened our community's sanctuary cities which affected my working-class undocumented parents," Munoz said, referring to the policies of President Donald Trump.
RELATED: Lawmakers: DHS Chief Asserts Family Reunifications On Track
She added: "It only feels necessary to leverage the platform we have been blessed with to help our community in need. This event is as personal as it gets, there are millions of families like my own and if this inspires at least one person to get involved we've done our job."
The show will also feature singers Cuco and Nina Diaz, as well as special guest appearances by guitarist Chris Perez, Selena's widower; Omar Apollo, and August Eve.
More than two decades after her passing, Selena Quintanilla still inspires fans and musicians alike.
"We know Selena is a Tejano music icon and a legend, but beyond that, she represents the Latin American people as someone who fought for her dreams, overcoming many difficulties, always defending tooth and nail the Latino roots she carried inside," Moreno said in an email.
Known simply by Selena, the Texan singer-songwriter broke barriers for women in Latin music and opened the floodgates for a new generation of contemporary artists of Latin descent who would go on to enjoy huge popularity with mainstream American audiences.
She was fatally shot by her fan club's president at 23. She has sold more than 65 million units worldwide, making her the best-selling female artist in Latin music history.
To Cuco, the late Tejano star launched a new era of representation for people of color in the industry.
"This event is important to me because it paves a way for people that went through the same struggle that my parents went through," said the Mexican-American singer.
