Selena - Dreaming Of You

Released three months after her murder in 1995, Dreaming of You introduced the Tejano queen to the mainstream pop audience. Four new tunes recorded with producers Keith Thomas and Guy Roche envisioned Selena as a dance-pop diva similar to Janet Jackson or Mariah Carey, but with a Latin twist. Far more arresting are the two classic mariachi numbers and a bilingual duet with David Byrne recorded for the movie Don Juan DeMarco, in which Selena had a bit part. The contrast between her passionate invitation to "come dance with me" and Byrne's nerdy white-guy delivery indicated her wide-open creative potential. The rest of the album consists of remixes of Selena's Latin-pop hits, including a masterful version of "Techno Cumbia" that bring out the hip-hop and reggae flavors in the groove. The tragedy was that such a promising introduction also served as a sad farewell. --Rick Mitchell