Say what you want about the young rock bands and singers with their high wattage shows but the aging Mexican astro Juan Gabriel could teach them a few lessons.
Sunday night at the Tucson Convention Center Arena, the singer-songwriter legend gave his estimated 6,000 fans what they wanted: three hours of charming, unadulterated pop entertainment. The maestro, backed by 20 musicians and singers, and a 12-piece mariachi, kept many of his cheering fans on their feet, singing along, waving their arms and savoring the night.
While his 65-year-old voice cracked a bit early in his show and his singing prowess is not what it once was, that didn't seem to bother the audience. They came to see their idol in his multi-city Bienvenidos al Noa-Noa tour, which included stops in the usual places of Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Houston and New York City but also Uncasville, Connecticut, and Duluth, Georgia.
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For the uninitiated, Gabriel just might be the most loved and popular singer from Latin America. Certainly from Mexico, where he began his musical career in 1971 at the age of 21. In the 44 years since, Gabriel has recorded about two dozen albums, sold millions of copies and, most significant, has composed hundreds of songs, in various genres, which have been interpreted by dozens of vocalists and musical groups.
His hand print on Latin American music is undisputable.
Gabriel's show was a nostalgic look back at his prolific career, replete videos and images from his past. His repertoire including notable chartbusters, "Inocente Pobre Amigo," "Amor Eterno" (which, as expected, dedicated to his mother), "Tus Ojos Mexicanos Lindos," his first hit from 1971 "No Tengo Dinero" (as well as a hip-hop version), "Siempre En Mi Mente," "Abrazame Muy Fuerte," "Querida," "Se Me Olvidó Otra Vez" (with mariachi), and his 1980 signature tune, "El Noa Noa," a song about a popular nightclub in Ciudad Juárez where Gabriel grew up
His show was also filled with nationalistic icons and references, appealing to his Latino audience, many of whom were from neighboring Sonoran towns of Nogales, Agua Prieta and Magdalena.
His show opened with festive and colorful screen images of Mexico with his chorus and orchestra warming up the audience. Gabriel, dressed in a black tux and hot pink shirt, entered the stage to his customary loud welcome with the artist returning the love in the form of air kisses.
Yes this was a love fest. And why not. This could be the last time that his fans in Southern Arizona and Northern Sonora might have the opportunity to see him and sing along with him. While Gabriel appeared in good health, he has had bouts with illness in the past.
Gabriel's show, by most measures, is campy and homespun. His dancers lack the precision and choreographic flair of more contemporary singers, say Ricky Martin, and Gabriel himself can hide his weakened voice behind a stage full of musicians. But his loyal came for something else.
They came to see a musical icon, a figure whose humble upbringing and difficult childhood makes him human, someone whom they can relate to and with whom they can share dreams, and whose songs of love and longing speak to their hearts.
