Mexican pop star Luis Miguel sashayed onto the Universal Amphitheatre
stage, sharply dressed in a charcoal suit, white shirt and black tie.
And the teeth were as sparkling white as ever.
The crooner, who is affectionately called "El Idolo de Mexico"
(Mexico's Idol), was there Wednesday to launch the first of five
back-to-back concerts. He performed selections from many of his CDs,
including the current "33," which commemorates his age.
"Tonight I am going to sing songs that I have not performed in 10,
15 years," the singer told his screaming fans. "This is a celebration
of those songs."
From there the concert began with pop ballads like "Amor, Amor, Amor"
and "Ahora Que Te Vas," ("Now That You Are Leaving") as the singer
walked the stage, flirted with adoring fans and even kissed a couple
of babies as their parents brought them to the stage.
There is no denying that the Mexican singer still has what it takes to
fill seats. By the time he is done in Los Angeles about 30,000 will have
seen him.
Women nearly faint in his presence, even when he merely lifts a finger,
or thrusts his pelvis. And he is a man's man, too, with a deep, powerful
voice that has undoubtedly set the mood for many couples over the years.
Wednesday was truly a retrospective for the singer, who has been performing
since he was a child, making albums and appearing on television shows and
lending his voice to everything from bubble-gum musical efforts in his
teens to the romantic Mexican ballads.
Appearing for 90 minutes, Luis Miguel again proved that he is as vocally
strong as ever, even if Wednesday night he was having technical difficulties
made obvious by his gestures to his band.
The singer, known for his flawlessly smooth stage demeanor, was clearly
distracted by his ear pieces, his sound guys and repeatedly seemed annoyed
by some of the technical snafus. But fans, who paid up to $100 for each
ticket, couldn't have cared less.
"He only keeps getting better with each concert," said Nelly Galicia, a
concert-goer who thought the concert was nearly flawless. "But I would
have liked to have heard some mariachi music."
Luis Miguel performed a good mix of songs that took fans back to the '80s.
Songs like "Isabel," a crowd favorite. It was clear that he felt most at
ease with this retrospective as he danced, jumped and playfully sat
cross-legged on stage.
It was that moment that saved the show from being same-old because it
looked as if Luis Miguel was having fun, too.
Luis Miguel has been an iconic performer since he was a child, when he
had shoulder-length hair and appeared on Mexican television shows like
the now defunct "Siempre en Domingo," where we first got to see him work
the stage and the audience.
But to truly know Luis Miguel is to know that beneath that smooth smile
that women fawn over there is a hardworking guy who is a perfectionist.
But then again, so were some of the best performers in their heyday.
Think Frank Sinatra. Or Elvis Presley. Luis Miguel gives us some of
that edge, perfect or not.