Amor Prohibido - Production and Development

Production and Development

Amor Prohibido's production was delayed because of the launch of Selena's fashion clothing line and her Selena Etc. boutiques, and her extensive tour in support of Live!. Selena's brother, A.B. Quintanilla III, was the main producer and songwriter. Two of Selena's band members, backup singer Pete Astudillo and lead keyboardist Ricky Vela, contributed songwriting ideas. Selena's husband, Chris Pérez, to his surprise was approached by Quintanilla III to collaborate on a Spansish-language rock song, "Ya No".

Quintanilla III had too few tracks to complete a full-length album, and began to write songs that departed from the Tejano music genre, and branched into Contemporary Latin pop music. When asked if it was an attempt to change Selena's style of music, he replied that he did not want to write "the same songs continuously", but would keep Selena's image fresh and "cool", and accessible to a younger audience. Amor Prohibido helped to spread the Tejano music movement beyond its Texas origins, into popularity in new markets. Quintanilla III broadened the album through his mixture of genres such as Latin pop, dance-pop, ballads, and a variety of Mexican music.

Sessions were recorded and remixed between November 1993 and mid-February 1994 at Q-Productions, the recording studio owned by Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla, Jr.. Some recording sessions took place at Tejano singer Manny Guerra's recording studio, and in Hollywood, California. Producers involved with the album include Quintanilla III, Bebu Silvetti, and Jorge Alberto Pino. Gregg Vickers, Roger Emerson, Steven Torres and James Moore worked with Selena for the first time on Amor Prohibido.

Some songs, such as "Corazon de Hielo" and "Desprecios y Desaires", were written for the album but were not included in its final version, and were planned for inclusion on a future Tejano-influenced album to be issued several months after the initial release of Selena's crossover attempt. This album was never made, due to Selena's March 31, 1995 murder by former friend and boutique manager Yolanda Saldívar, and the tracks remain unreleased.