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It's a good year, so far, for Abraham Quintanilla III, known to many as "A.B." Quintanilla. This 45-year-old entertainer was heavily embroiled in a nasty court battle that dragged on for years until finally winning back the Kumbia Kings this year. This victory came after the loss of a long-time friendship with Cruz Martinez, much negative media buzz, and a hefty legal price tag. At last, he can put it all behind him and concentrate on his current band, Kumbia All‑Starz.

Many know Quintanilla first as the brother of legendary Queen of Tex-Mex, Selena Quintanilla, who was murdered in 1995. After her untimely death, Quintanilla took a four-year hiatus from his career.

When he emerged in 1999, with newly formed band Kumbia Kings, it was clear that he was going to push the bar to a new level. Kumbia Kings erupted into the scene with a trademark style of fusing cumbia with rap. It was a hit. Was it any surprise? It was Quintanilla who was writing, co-writing and producing the music of Selena, an artist whose life story gave J.Lo her big break in the world of acting. (Jennifer Lopez portrayed her in the biographic movie Selena.) It was Quintanilla who had dedicated his life's work to creating hit songs.

When Quintanilla left Kumbia Kings in 2007 due to rumors of money mishandling and disagreements with bandmate Cruz Martinez, his fans were in shock. Martinez, who had been Quintanilla's righthand man since the group's inception, retained rights to the group name. This scandal caused great tension for Quintanilla and was the start of the legal battles to recover the Kumbia Kings. Those who followed Quintanilla's career were certain this was the beginning of something new. Others feared Quintanilla would walk away from it all. He didn't.

That same year, Quintanilla re-emerged as leader of his newly formed group, Kumbia All-Starz. Chris Perez, husband of the late Selena, joined the band. His fan base quickly followed suit. All these years, Quintanilla has consistently given his fans what they wanted to hear – a hit song. And although Quintanilla has recently won back the Kumbia Kings name, he's already proven that he doesn't need it.

What made the hit songs then is the same ingredient that makes the hit songs now: A.B. Quintanilla.

Kumbia All-Starz continues the theme of fusing cumbia and rap and then some. Quintanilla knows there is no limit to pushing that bar and shows us this when he performs alongside his group. With well-known hits like "Chiquilla" and their latest hit "Por Ti Baby" (featuring Flex), its no wonder that Quintanilla will be riding proudly into Sacramento.

Kumbia All-Starz will be performing this Sunday, July 26, in concert at the Empire Events Center, 1417 R St., Sacramento. It is the band's first appearance in Sacramento. Show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $40. Normal dress code requirements are not enforced on concert nights, so come dressed comfortably and prepare to dance, dance, dance. The energy and sound that radiates when this group of ten are in a room will lift you to your feet before you can say "cu-cu[uuu]."

Photos courtesy of Quintanilla's MySpace page.