Savani Quintanilla is the name many readers use when looking for Svani Quintanilla, a Texas DJ and music producer who performs as Principe Q. He is the son of musician and producer A.B. Quintanilla III and the nephew of late Tejano star Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, but his own career has developed in a different corner of Latin music. Through projects such as Royal Highness, Houston’s Bombón collective, solo releases and collaborations, Principe Q has helped connect cumbia with trap, electronic production and Houston’s chopped-and-screwed tradition—a hybrid he calls Screwmbia.
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Name used professionally | Svani Quintanilla |
| Frequently searched as | Savani Quintanilla |
| Stage name | Principe Q |
| Profession | DJ and music producer |
| Father | A.B. Quintanilla III |
| Famous aunt | Selena Quintanilla-Pérez |
| Musical style | Cumbia, electronic music, trap and Screwmbia |
| Associated projects | Royal Highness, Bombón |
| Current artist base | San Antonio, Texas |
| Notable recent collaboration | Tráfico with Mexstep |
Principe Q’s current Bandcamp profile identifies him as music producer/DJ Svani Quintanilla and says he is based in San Antonio. Earlier coverage connected him strongly with Corpus Christi and Houston’s cumbia scene.
Is It Savani Quintanilla or Svani Quintanilla?
The spelling Svani Quintanilla is the one used on Principe Q’s own current music pages and in established Texas media coverage. Houston Chronicle photographs and articles identify him as Svani “Principe Q” Quintanilla, while his Bandcamp profile also uses Svani.
That distinction matters because searching only for “Savani Quintanilla” can lead to biography pages containing conflicting personal details. For information about his music, the names Svani Quintanilla and Principe Q lead more directly to his releases, interviews and documented collaborations.
Who Is Svani Quintanilla?
Svani Quintanilla comes from one of the best-known families in Tejano and Latin music. His father, A.B. Quintanilla III, played bass with Selena y Los Dinos and became an important songwriter and producer in Selena’s career before continuing his work with later cumbia projects. Selena and A.B. were siblings, making Selena Svani’s aunt.
Yet describing Svani only through the Quintanilla family tree misses the most distinctive part of his story. As Principe Q, he has spent more than a decade working within Texas’ independent cumbia and electronic scenes.
His recorded work draws from cumbia while adding bass-heavy electronic production, trap percussion and influences from Houston hip-hop. That approach gave him a recognizable identity separate from the Tejano-pop sound most closely associated with Selena.
Principe Q and the Birth of Screwmbia
One of the most important projects in Svani Quintanilla’s career began with Royal Highness, his duo with DJ Luis Espada, also known as King Louie.
In October 2012, Royal Highness released the album Screwmbia. The project’s own notes described its concept as an attempt to integrate trap, cumbia and other sounds into something with a distinctly Texas character. The credits list Svani Quintanilla and Luis Espada as its artists.
Houston Press profiled the duo in 2013, describing Royal Highness as a project combining cumbia with electronic dance genres. The publication identified Svani as A.B. Quintanilla’s son and Selena’s nephew.
What Does “Screwmbia” Mean?
Screwmbia combines cumbia with the slowed-down aesthetics associated with Houston’s chopped-and-screwed hip-hop culture. Principe Q’s artist biography describes the style as cumbia rhythms blended with trap drums and slower beats, developed with King Louie through Royal Highness.
The concept has continued beyond one album. A 2022 KUT/KUTX program devoted an episode to Screwmbia and featured Principe Q alongside Bombón co-founder Gracie Chavez to discuss how the sound developed.
That Texas-specific mixture is central to understanding Principe Q. His music does not simply modernize traditional cumbia with electronic effects; it brings together Latin dance music and a hip-hop production tradition closely connected with Houston.
Bombón and “Dame Un Beso”
Svani also became part of Bombón, a Houston collective known for Latin, tropical and bass-driven dance music.
His role is particularly well documented through the 2016 single “Dame Un Beso,” a collaboration between Bombón, rapper Fat Tony and La Comadre. Label Discos Peligrosa credited Principe Q as part of the Bombón team and described the track’s production as combining heavy 808s and trap elements with its tropical sound.
The record reached a wider audience. Houston Chronicle reported in August 2016 that “Dame Un Beso” had climbed to No. 4 on Spotify’s U.S. Viral 50, with approximately 150,000 plays at that stage. The newspaper also credited Fat Tony, Gracie Chavez and Principe Q as writers.
Bombón remained a notable part of Houston nightlife. In 2018, Houston Press covered the collective’s eighth-anniversary celebration and noted that the city had proclaimed November 3 as Bombón Day. Principe Q was among the DJs featured at the event.
Svani Quintanilla’s Work as a Producer
Principe Q’s career has not been confined to DJ sets.
Houston Press documented his production work with Gio Chamba in 2017. Gio Chamba explained that after introducing Svani to Latin boogaloo artists, Principe Q quickly created the beat that became the foundation for the song “High Rider.”
His own catalog also expanded. Principe Q released BOOTLEG Q VOL. 1 in 2020 as a collection of edits, bootlegs and remixes made for his DJ sets. A second volume followed in 2021, incorporating cumbia, hip-hop, reggaeton, moombahton and trap influences.
In January 2023 he issued the five-track MICHELIN STAR, further establishing a catalog under the Principe Q name.
Recent Music: Tráfico and 2026 Collaborations
Principe Q remains active as a recording producer.
In September 2025, he teamed with rapper and professor Mexstep, also known as Marco Cervantes, for the six-song EP Tráfico. Bandcamp credits Principe Q with producing the project, while Apple Music lists tracks including “Tráfico,” “All We Got,” “The Eagle” and “Cumbia de la Lucha.”
Houston Press revisited the collaboration in August 2026. Cervantes described Principe Q’s production as more electronic and trap-oriented than some of his previous work, specifically pointing to Screwmbia’s combination of cumbia and Houston screw music.
His 2026 credits also include the album ** AYER ESTABAS SONRIENDO ** with Geo Ramos and Tarasco Tropical, released in March, as well as a February collaboration with Gio Chamba on “Me Gustas Tu.”
Bombón also released “Still Tippin On” in March 2026 featuring Principe Q, BUCKAMORE and OG Bobby Trill, continuing the connection between his cumbia work and Houston hip-hop.
Key Moments in Principe Q’s Career
| Year | Career milestone |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Royal Highness releases Screwmbia with Svani Quintanilla and King Louie credited as artists. |
| 2013 | Houston Press profiles Royal Highness and its cumbia-electronic sound. |
| 2016 | Bombón and Fat Tony’s “Dame Un Beso” reaches No. 4 on Spotify’s U.S. Viral 50. |
| 2020 | Principe Q releases BOOTLEG Q VOL. 1. |
| 2023 | Releases the five-track MICHELIN STAR. |
| 2025 | Produces the collaborative Mexstep EP Tráfico. |
| 2026 | Appears on AYER ESTABAS SONRIENDO and new releases with Gio Chamba and Bombón. |
More Than Selena’s Nephew
The Quintanilla connection will inevitably appear in any biography of Svani. His father helped shape some of the most enduring music in Tejano history, while Selena became an international cultural figure whose recordings continue to reach new listeners.
Principe Q’s work, however, occupies a different musical space. Royal Highness, Screwmbia and Bombón place him within a Texas scene where cumbia interacts with hip-hop, trap and club music.
That distinction is important. His career is best understood not simply as another chapter in the Selena story, but as part of the ongoing evolution of Texas cumbia.
FAQs About Savani Quintanilla
Who is Savani Quintanilla?
Savani Quintanilla is more consistently identified professionally as Svani Quintanilla, a Texas DJ and producer who performs as Principe Q. He is A.B. Quintanilla III’s son and Selena Quintanilla-Pérez’s nephew.
What is Savani Quintanilla’s real name?
His artist pages and established media coverage use the name Svani Quintanilla. “Savani Quintanilla” is a spelling frequently encountered in searches, while Principe Q is his professional stage name.
How is Svani Quintanilla related to Selena?
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was Svani’s aunt. His father, producer and musician A.B. Quintanilla III, was Selena’s older brother and bandmate.
What is Screwmbia?
Screwmbia is a hybrid sound associated with Principe Q and Royal Highness that mixes cumbia with slowed-down production, trap rhythms and influences from Houston’s chopped-and-screwed music tradition.
Was Principe Q part of Bombón?
Yes. Houston media and Discos Peligrosa identify Principe Q as a member of the Houston Bombón collective, including during the release of “Dame Un Beso.”
Is Principe Q still making music?
Yes. His documented 2025–2026 work includes the Tráfico EP with Mexstep, the 2026 album AYER ESTABAS SONRIENDO with Geo Ramos and Tarasco Tropical, and collaborations with Gio Chamba and Bombón.
Conclusion
Savani Quintanilla—more accurately listed in his professional work as Svani Quintanilla—has built a career under the name Principe Q at the intersection of cumbia, electronic music and Texas hip-hop. His family connection to A.B. Quintanilla and Selena places him inside an important Latin-music lineage, but projects such as Royal Highness, Bombón, Screwmbia and Tráfico provide the clearer measure of his own work. More than a famous surname, his catalog documents a producer experimenting with what contemporary Texas cumbia can sound like.
