Deep in the heart of Texas, an aspiring young singer is already getting comparisons to the greatest there ever was in this part of the country. Mia Garcia, an 11-year-old sixth grader in Austin, has already been dubbed, "The next Selena."
That's as high as the bar gets in Tejano music, and Garcia understands it's a tough role to assume. Then again, she doesn't just want to be the next Selena Quintanilla. She wants to blaze her own path.
Earlier this year, Garcia became the youngest person to ever be nominated for the Tejano Music Awards. And on Saturday night at the San Antonio Event Center, she won the award for "Best New Female Artist," presented by none other than Abraham Quintaniila Jr., a singer-songwriter and record producer. He's also the father of Selena, the quintessential Tejano sensation who was murdered in 1995 by the president of the Selena Fan Club.
Mia Garcia didn't waste any time Saturday night thanking her friends, family, fans and, of course, Abraham and fellow Latina singer Isabel Marie through social media.
"Last night was magical!," Garcia wrote on Facebook. "A dream come true. At 11 years young, I earned the award for this years @tejanomusicawards for Best NEW Female Artist 2018. I want to say thank you to Mr. Abraham Quintanilla and Isabel Marie for presenting it to me.
"I have looked up to Isabel, your family and continue to follow your journey. All the glory and honor to God for blessing me with my talents to share with all my family, friends, and fans. God is Good!"
A choked-up Garcia fought back tears and emotions during her acceptance speech. That might be the only time she's stumbled since making her first video when she was 8.
Garcia in 2015 launched her first video "El Perdon," a cover song by Nicky Jam and Enrique Iglesias. Garcia already has nearly 350,000 views.
Garcia kept plugging away at her music. She released her first album, La Reina Del Mundo, in December 2017. She's made other videos for "Mama" and "Pepe Le Pew." She's played on local and Texas radio stations, as well on international stations. She's made local TV appearances in Austin and has toured in both Texas and Mexico.
Yet, she remains humble as she takes all of this stardom in stride.
"There's a lot of years put in, and we have several years ahead of us, but it's a big accomplishments," her father, Christopher Garcia, told the Houston Chronicle. "Apart from making history, Mia wants to be an inspiration to other kids...and not put an age limit, whether too young or too old, on pursuing your dreams."
Still, while maintaining "A" honor roll status and enjoying gymnastics, karate, guitar and horseback riding, she manages to squeeze other things into her hectic schedule. Things like accepting the honor of having a day named after her. On Oct. 5 this year, Austin Mayor Steve Adler proclaimed Oct. 5 to be Mia Garcia Day to honor her music.
Mia Garcia also hears the noise that her music and persona could catapult into Selena-like stardom. Even at 11, she keeps a level head and steady vision.
"A lot of people compare me to Selena and I want to live up to that," Garcia told Spectrum News. "But I wanna be my own person, I want to be Mia."
Uncommon Knowledge
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Scott McDonald is a Newsweek deputy night editor based in Cape Coral, Florida. His focus is assigning and writing stories ... Read more
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