Lani Eclatt brings Selena’s legacy to life on Des Moines stage
9/2/2026
As a multitalented musician, Lani Eclatt sings and plays the guitar, piano and accordion. She was named Latin Artist of the Year at the Iowa Music Awards and performs a mix of cover and original songs, sung in both Spanish and English. The band covers songs that range from Selena, Shakira, Michael Jackson and Madonna to obscure Latin rock group songs.
Eclatt, along with the Lani Full Band, will perform a Selena Tribute concert at the Iowa Latino Heritage Festival, held Sept. 26-27 at Western Gateway Park.
Eclatt performed solo acts for six years and formed the band in 2022. One popular performance is Selena Tribute act. Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was a rising Mexican-American Tejano singer who was killed at age 23 in 1995. Eclatt’s band performed recently for a tribute concert commemorating the 30-year anniversary since Selena’s passing.
She says Selena’s impact and legacy of combining American and Latino heritage was important to molding her view of life as a musician.
“Growing up, we listened to her songs. She was a reminder of what women can do in the Tejano scene and across the Latino sphere of music. I’m Columbian America,” she said. “We’re not necessarily the exact same ethnicity, but she represents a lot of that first-generation Latino American personality.”
Selena was an inspiration to Eclatt as she explored music.
“I loved that she was the first-gen representation of the fusion of American and Mexican culture. It was nice to know that somebody else had done that, especially a woman. She was not just Mexican, but she was Mexican American, and her interest in the American pop scene from the 1980s and 1990s influenced her performances, her music and her fashion. That’s why she was such a revolutionary at the time and created a pathway for women to move forward in the Latino music scene.”
At age 13, Eclatt began writing songs, first seated at a piano, along with a chord book, a pencil and a notebook. She wrote her feelings in poetry form, added melodies and played on the piano, in a mix of English and Spanish.
“I like to make it easy for people to understand, but sometimes you just got to write what’s on your heart, and Spanish will convey those emotions the right way.”
She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in vocal music. In 2024 she was named Latin Artist of the Year for the Iowa Music Awards. She says it was an honor to be recognized in Iowa.
“It’s amazing to feel like I’m representing the first-generation Latino-Americans who were born here and raised with their cultural heritage like I was,” she said. “It’s truly a privilege, and I’m excited to continue pushing forward and put Iowa on the national map for music, arts and culture.”
Her favorite aspect of performing is connecting with the energy of audience and “bringing the party.”
“It’s fun for me, knowing we’re working at creating something bigger than ourselves when we’re on stage as a band,” she said. “The full band offers more energy. so it feels more like a party and we’re bringing something different to the crowd.”
She says supporting local live music in Des Moines is vital to her career.
“Supporting and showing up when your friends invite you to their gig, paying the ticket or being there as a support is so crucial,” she said. “I’m part of a younger generation of musicians who want to put Des Moines on the map.”
At 26, Eclatt’s goal is to eventually make music her full-time career.
“We artists like to dream big,” she said.
Catch Lani Eclatt for a Selena Tribute concert on Sept. 27. For more information on other performers at the Iowa Latino Heritage Festival, visit www.latinoheritagefestival.org. ♦
Jackie Wilson has written hundreds of articles for CITYVIEW and the Iowa Living magazines. She covers ordinary people living extraordinary lives.
