by Stephen Thomas Erlewine After making a brief foray into the contemporary country field with Life Is Good, Emilio returned to Tejano with A Mi Gente. The record proves that Emilio continues to improve with each album. Working with his band Rio, he sounds relaxed, assured, and effortlessly charismatic. Although the songwriting is a bit uneven, Emilio and Rio are tight, effective, and emotional players that make even the poorer songs listenable. (To truly hear Rio in action, listen to the cracking instrumental, "Pete's Pleasure.") Throughout the record, Emilio demonstrates he has mastered Tejano, conjunto, rancheras and cumbias, delivering each of those styles, plus a selection of love ballads, with flair. It's simply another strong entry in the catalog of one of the most popular Tejano artists of the late '90s.