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On March 31, 1995, the music world lost one of its brightest rising stars--Tejano pop singer Selena Quintanilla Perez. 

It was on that day that Selena's fan club president shot and killed the vibrant 23-year old in a motel room in Selena's hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas. 

We may no longer have Selena here with us, bringing joy the her legions of fans, but at least her immense music catalogue remains. 

This year, EMI Latin released Selena Greatest Hits, a collection of her best known English songs. As an added bonus, a separate DVD is included featuring 13 music videos, most of which feature her Spanish hits recorded with her band, Los Dinos. 

Greatest Hits may be a bit of a deceptive title since not very many of these songs were actual "hits." Still, it showcases Selena's growth as a bilingual pop diva whose crossover appeal was clearly getting stronger every year. 

Hits like the Madonna-esque ballad "Dreaming of You" and the Tex-Mex pop of "I Could Fall In Love" are here in all their slickly produced glory. 

One of the highlights is her duet with ex-Talking Head David Byrne on the percussive, flamenco-styled track "God's Child (Baila Conmigo)." Selena and Byrne compliment each other very well on this world beat flavored song. 

"Wherever You Are (Donde Quiera Que Estes)," a song Selena recorded with the Barrio Boyzz, has a funky, jazzy pop sound accompanied by a solid dance beat. 

Selena's husband, accomplished guitarist Chris Perez, shines on a number of songs like "Only Love" and "Where Did the Feeling Go?" 

And then there is Selena's amazing version of the "West Side Story" song, "A Boy Like That." 

The CD concludes with a live disco medley featuring "I Will Survive," "Funkytown," "Last Dance," "The Hustle," and "On the Radio." This was recorded at her last concert, held in Houston the month before her death. 

Selena Greatest Hits would have been better if it didn't come across as a quick cash-in on Selena's image. Peppering the disc with her Spanish-language hits like "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom," "Amor Prohibido," and "La Carcacha" would have been a smarter move. (The aforementioned songs are in video form on the accompanying DVD.) 

It is abundantly clear, after listening to Greatest Hits, that Selena had a terrific voice, immense talent, great looks, and more soul than any of today's so-called "pop divas" (i.e. Britney, Christina, etc.) and would've trounced any of the "divas" that are currently polluting the airwaves and music video outlets. 

Andrew West Griffin  11/09/03