INSISTENT LATIN BEAT KEEPS PULSING THROUGH THE YEAR'S TRIUMPHS,\TRAGEDIES.

Byline: Mario Tarradell Dallas Morning News

If you're looking for a summation of Tejano music in 1995, go to your local newsstand: People magazine has named Selena one of the 25 most intriguing personalities of the year. The recognition caps a year filled with unprecedented media attention showered on a Latin artist who was only a regional success before her tragic death.

In predictable pop-culture fashion, Selena Quintanilla Perez became a superstar after she was shot by former fan club president Yolanda Saldivar on March 31. Since her death, Selena's sassy smile has graced the pages of Entertainment Weekly, Spin and US. People dedicated an entire issue to her brief life. She made the evening news almost as often as O.J.

After her death, four of her Tejano albums landed on Billboard's pop album chart, making her the first contemporary Tejano act to accomplish the feat. Her record label, EMI Latin, couldn't get the CDs to stores fast enough. In July, EMI Records released "Dreaming of You," a collection of her biggest Tejano hits, a few new Spanish tunes and four English pop tracks she had recorded for her planned crossover album. The CD entered the charts at No. 1 and landed Selena on Top 40 radio, another first for a modern-day Tejano artist.

But the repercussions of her posthumous success have both helped and hindered Tejano music. Her demise focused a glaring spotlight on a genre relatively foreign to those outside Texas. Yet her success also has inadvertently cast an overwhelming shadow over all other Tejano artists vying for an audience - particularly the women. Tejano is notoriously male-dominated; Selena was the only bona fide female star. The attention generated by her death should have opened doors for singers.

However, take a glance at the Latin album charts and you'll see Selena's "Dreaming of You," which has spent 19 weeks at the top. That's it for women. On the singles chart, she occupies four slots. Again, she's the only female Tejano artist on the list.

New albums by Elsa Garcia, Stefani and Stephanie Lynn - Tejano singers on the fringe of mainstream acceptance before the Selena tragedy - have gone unnoticed this year. Shelly Lares, the only other female Tejano artist with the chops to match Selena, had to sit out 1995 without a record while she negotiated a new recording contract.

On the male front, Emilio recorded his first mainstream country album, "Life Is Good," and newcomer Joel Nava mixed Tejano and country on his self-titled debut. Both projects were well-received - Emilio even became Miller Lite's billboard model - but they were unable to divert media focus from Selena.

The climate should change in '96 as the impact of Selena's death fades. Lares will release fresh material in the spring. In May, Austin's Arista Texas will release music from its first female vocalist, Nydia Rojas. In addition to Emilio, whose next album will be a Tejano record, and Nava, male stars Pete Astudillo and Jay Perez could gain larger audiences.

But that doesn't mean Selena will be forgotten. Her impact on fans is too personal, too heartfelt to disappear in a year's time. There's talk about unreleased Tejano recordings that may surface in future Selena compilations; she's featured on a Leonard Bernstein tribute album, "The Songs of West Side Story," that will hit stores Jan. 30. A video retrospective also may emerge in 1996.

Still, the future of Tejano doesn't depend on Selena. The industry should seize the exposure she created to seek and sign talented artists, develop the worthy acts already on label rosters and promote the music in the mainstream market. Tejano music deserves the opportunity to be recognized as a genre, not as a trend. Selena would have wanted it that way.

TOP LATIN PICKS

1. Mana, "Cuando Los Angeles Lloran" (WEA Latina) - Rock en espanol movement gets a propulsive kick from this energized set by the popular Mexican group.

2. Joel Nava, "Joel Nava" (Arista Texas) - Tejano and country embark on a musical courtship that proves the styles are more like husband and wife than distant cousins.

3. Gloria Estefan, "Abriendo Puertas" (Epic) - A paean to Latin American music from a woman with the spirit to embrace the rhythms, the idioms and the cultures.

4. Albita, "No Se Parece a Nada" (Crescent Moon/Epic) - Debut by unknown Cuban singer-songwriter arrives fully formed and bursting with character.

5. Vicente Fernandez, "Aunque Me Duela El Alma" (Sony Discos) - Robust ranchera king continues to turn out stylish odes to life and love and the turmoil that lies in between.

6. Alejandro Fernandez, "Que Seas Muy Feliz" (Sony Discos) - You could call him the ranchera prince, but judging by this exemplary set, the young Fernandez also has a firm grasp on smooth, romantic balladry.

7. Pete Astudillo, "Como Te Extrano" (EMI Latin) - Tejano's premier songwriter, who penned Selena's biggest hits, is also a talented singer who didn't give all his good tunes away.

8. Julio Iglesias, "La Carretera" (Sony Latin) - Veteran vocalist delivers his best effort in years, an album that melds sinewy tropical grooves with atmospheric pop ballads.

9. La Ley, "Invisible" (WEA Latina) - Take Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet, mix in a little Roxy Music, sprinkle a dash of Wild Cherry and you have the musical makeup of this Chilean art-rock band.

10. Julian, "Siete Mananas" (WEA Latina) - San Francisco-based singer shows maturity and promise on his third project, a melange of pop, rock, dance and funk tracks.

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Photo (1) The ever-popular Julio Iglesias returned with sinewy tropical grooves and pop ballads on "La Carretera." (2) Gloria Estefan recorded a paean to Latin American music on "Abriendo Puertas." Box TOP LATIN PICKS (See Text)