Photo by Frank Micelotta//Getty Images

Happy Cinco De Mayo! Today we celebrate the Mexican army’s unlikely victory against French occupation with lots of partying, but it’s also a good time to honor some of the talented Mexican (or partly Mexican) artists and musicians that were given the freedom to create their profound works many years after they were given freedom from the French.

Accordingly, we’ve made a list of some of the Top Ten Musicians of Mexican Descent that includes artists like[lastfm link_type="artist_info"] Sheila E[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Selena[/lastfm], and [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Carlos Santana[/lastfm].

10. [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Selena[/lastfm]

Photo by Andy Newman//Carnival Cruise Lines//HO

Mexican-American singer-songwriter, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, or simply Selena was called the Mexican version of [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Madonna[/lastfm].

Selena was just beginning to see the full fruition of her successful pop career when she was tragically murdered at the age of 23 by the president of her fan club. After her death, Selena was fully immortalized by Jennifer Lopez’s beautiful portrayal of her in the 1997 biographical drama film about her life, Selena.

“Dreaming of You”