Maliya Kabs Tribute to Selena is Recognized by the Quintanilla Family

        In a video, four-year old Maliya Kabs asked her father if he could just put on a few of her songs in the car…she began singing the lyrics of “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” and “Como La Flor” by the one and only Selena Quintinalla. While singing the song, “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” Maliya told her father, “Canta!” raising her imaginary microphone and her father replied “What?” she responded, “It means sing!” Maliya sang each song with passion and emotion, she made hand gestures while singing – recognizing the beat and rhythm of the songs. There was a moment where she closed her eyes while singing the “Como Me Duele” anthem. Maliya’s father was shocked to see his daughter sing some of the most well-known songs from the famous Tejano artist.

      According to Remezcla, The Kabs Family is based in the U.K. and began to create content in 2018. One of the first videos Maliya went viral on is when she sang a Bruno Mars song featuring Cardi B called “Finesse.” The Kabs family uploaded the Selena video, “Maliya Kabs shocks dad with Spanish and Portuguese,” on March 19th to their YouTube channel and IGTV. The video garnered more than one million views on IGTV, and Selena’s sister and drummer Suzette Quintanilla commented on the video saying:

“Thank you for loving my sister by singing her songs! This was simply amazing and I LOVED IT.”

      The Kabs family replied to Suzette with purple hearts, known as Selena’s favorite color, commenting: “Omg, thank you so much! We’re so glad you loved it!” Selena’s older brother, A.B. Quintanilla, reposted their video on his social media with the caption of purple hearts.

             This week, the Kabs Family shared their gratitude toward the reactions they have received from Selena’s siblings Suzette and A.B. Quintanilla. “It’s such an amazing feeling to know that Selena’s family loved our video! We’re such huge fans, so excited is an understatement,” with the hashtag Reina Selena. Selena’s 26th anniversary since she passed will be coming up on March 31st. A mural painted of Selena located in a neighborhood of Corpus Christi, and includes a quote that says:

“The goal isn’t to live forever, but to create something that will.”

Selena’s songs continue to be listened to and sung after two decades since she has passed – her music is timeliness and is being shared with younger generations from different cultures. This week, the 1997 film “Selena” also marked it’s 24th anniversary. Last year, the first season of Selena: The Series was released, and Netflix announced that the Selena series Season 2 will be released in May 2021. Selena’s family and fans continue to keep her memory alive.