Dreaming of You

Dreaming of You

Released three months after her murder in 1995, <i>Dreaming of You</i> introduced the <I>Tejano</I> 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 <i>Don Juan DeMarco,</i> 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. <i>--Rick Mitchell</i>