Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Solis.
Hi Amanda, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I entered a karaoke contest singing Selena songs and won.
At the contest, people were recording my performance. Mind you, I was dressed as myself the first night of the contest for the second finale contest I actually dressed as my late mother which coincidently dressed like Selena I say that because in that era when my mother was alive that was the style of clothing, the high waist pants, bustiers, and cropped bolero jackets. After my performance, people were asking me if I was impersonating Selena. I was like no I was just simply dressed as my mother singing and dancing to Selena’s music.. lol! After that weekend not knowing that people had posted my videos on all social media platforms, I started to get phone calls….people wanting to book me. I didn’t even know where to begin or what to call this I was like I’m not an impersonator that was a one-time thing just a fun night of Karaoke.. lol! But people were requesting and I had one Latina woman named Maria that kept calling me on my Facebook messenger …lol! demanding me to do a performance for her daughter Neldas 40th birthday who was a HUGE Selena fan. Well, if you know much about Latin women, you can not tell a Latin woman no! Lol! She began to tell me about her daughter having Down syndrome and that she had a lot of health issues so it was such a blessing for Nelda to have lived this long and that’s why they wanted to do a quince Selena theme party. At that moment she tugged at my heartstrings and literally guilted me into doing a performance…lol! I told Maria, ok, I would do a small performance. She asked if I had the purple jumpsuit Selena wore at the Astrodome in 1995. I said no, but I could wear my mom’s outfit I wore before she said no, I want to make you the outfit I began to say no and of course, You know she wouldn’t accept no for an answer, so she had a good friend recreate the outfit for me and the family donated the purple jumpsuit and gave it to me. Mind you I never met this woman but she already felt like my Tia lol! The story is almost unbelievable. After that long conversation, I made a plan grabbed a microphone and my stereo and put together a 6 song performance that I would perform at Neldas 40th “quince” celebration. And in a nutshell, that’s the beginning of me creating my Selena tribute performance that catapulted me into perfecting my tribute and now traveling all over the country performing my tribute to Selena that blossomed me into being the “number one Selena Tribute Artist” quoting Joey Guerra who is the music editor for the Houston Chronicle. It’s crazy how my tribute to Selena led me to be signed to a record label, street science entertainment out of Houston, TX and now am currently making my own music. It’s like pinch me wake me up…lol! This journey has been amazing!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Where do I begin with this question ….. lol! Absolutely not a smooth ride at all. well, if you know the Hispanic community and what Selena means to our culture, then you would know why I had so much backlash when I first began doing this thing called a tribute to Selena…. Our people couldn’t understand what I was trying to accomplish by dressing like her dancing and singing her songs. There’s never been a Latin impersonation like a Marilyn Monroe, or an Elvis Presley those are very common so me doing my tribute and them seeing it grow the way it did was as if I was trying to steal her identity or take credit for her accomplishments. It was a big no-no. Selena, she is the princess who broke barriers for Latinos like myself to live the American dream, and if you know there has not yet been another Selena who has done this for our community so for me to come in and have so much success it’s unacceptable to some.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
In 2020 during the most crucial moments of covid, I had taken the leap of faith to leave my nursing career because of the demand that I had for my Tribute to Selena, so I decided to go full-time into recording my own music and start touring as a Selena tribute Artist.
I have been booked to travel all around the country and perform my Selena tribute whether it is for a wedding, quinceañera, living room performance, funeral, birthday, festivals, major sports events, or halftime shows. You name it and I’ve probably done it.. lol!
I recreate her stage outfits to the T. I make sure my hair is exactly the same, jewelry nails, shoes, makeup, etc.
I perform all of Selena’s music using my own vocals and “I was told I have a strong resemblance, the same laugh, and the same Mannerisms to the Queen“I’m quoting Joey Guerra of course he is the main music editor for the Houston Chronicle.
I believe that’s what sets me apart from all the other tributes, most of the tributes are drag queens or lip-syncing.
I’m proud of being able to celebrate an icon like Selena to be selfless in going out and touching people’s lives via my tribute to Selena.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Me and my family getting together going to Galveston, whether it be a beach day or Jungle surf day us all eating bologna sandwiches with Doritos and French onion dip with a big red to drink. Miss all my family, may they Rest In Peace. 🙌🏽
Contact Info:
- Website: amandasolismusic.com
- Instagram: amandasolisofficial
- Facebook: amandasolismusic
- Twitter: Amandasolismusic
- Youtube: amandasolismusic
Image Credits
Luna Photography
Street Science
