TuMusicaLatino.com

In the '90s singer Juan Gabriel emerged as Mexico's finest living songwriter of the folkloric genre, specifically, the ranchera. The ultimate master is still the late José Alfredo Jimenez. Here Gabriel delivers another two-CD set of his live performances, very similar to his 1990 En el Palacio de Bellas Artes. The differences: six fewer songs and fewer of his earlier hits like "Hasta Que Te Conoci." Still Gabriel manages to connect with his irrepressible charm and a great cast that includes top string and horn players. Repeat-button faves include his classic "Costumbres" and, of course, his "Amor Eterno," perhaps the most eloquent ode to a lost love. "Amor Eterno" has been covered handsomely by the likes of Rocio Durcal and Vicente Fernandez, and in Gabriel's hands here, it is transformed into a solemn prayer. --Ramiro Burr