Joe Ojeda kicked off his music career in the ‘80s as part of Texas-based duo The Bad Boyz alongside Pete Astudillo. After being discovered by Abraham Quintanilla Jr., both Ojeda and Astudillo officially formed part of Selena y Los Dinos in 1988. Ojeda was Selena’s keyboard player until her untimely death in 1995.
Now, 26 years later, the self-taught musician kicks off his solo music career with his debut single “Dueña de tu Cama” in collaboration with Victoria La Mala, Yorch, and former Los Dinos guitarist and Grammy-winning artist, Chris Perez.
“It’s been a while but I’m happy to be doing my solo project,” he tells Billboard of his edgy hip-hop-infused cumbia track.
“I always carry music in my heart and what inspires me is my family, my two daughters, my wife, and my good friends,” he notes. “I’ve always been a fan of cumbia. It’s a contagious rhythm that you can fuse with different elements so that a new sound is born.”
In “Dueña de tu Cama,” Ojeda married traditional cumbia melodies with a touch of urban-pop and rock. The track comes on the heels of all four artists teaming up for the powerful corrido, “Nuestra Tierra,” part of Victoria La Mala’s EP Soy Mala.
“The chemistry is amazing,” he admits. “Everybody brings something different to the table and that works out in a good way. When you get different ideas, you know something good is bound to happen. ‘Dueña de tu Cama’ came out better than I envisioned.”
But Ojeda was far from hiding under a rock after Selena’s passing.
In fact, he co-wrote and co-produced songs for many artists including Veronica Castro, Chris Perez, and Jennifer y Los Jetz, to name a few. Most notably, he co-penned Astudillo’s heartfelt “Como Te Extraño,” which peaked at No. 2 on both Hot Latin Songs and Latin Airplay charts dated Jan. 13, 1996. On the Regional Mexican Airplay chart, it was No. 1 for 10 weeks starting Nov. 18, 1995.
“It was such an honor to be onstage with Selena. I’m very grateful and fortunate,” he says. “It’s a huge inspiration that I take with me. Being one of Los Dinos taught me a lot and how to go about my own music career. I know she would be so proud of me and my No. 1 fan. I can imagine her big charismatic smile, asking me to join ‘Dueña de tu Cama.’ I feel that she’s always supporting me.”
Ojeda, who still keeps in touch with all of Los Dinos members, says his new career venture will be inspired by artists such as Los Angeles Azules, Ricky Martin, Maná, Los Intocables, and even Post Malone and Bad Bunny.
“I was born on the border, so I connect with mariachi, rock, and romantic ballads,” he explains. “I can get a piece of each genre and create a fresh sound. It’s time to bring cumbia back!”
Up next, Ojeda will drop the official music video for “Dueña de tu Cama” and plans on releasing more collaborations. “Thanks to all of Selena’s fans who support my career and motivate me to continue making music,” he concludes.
