POP AND JAZZ REVIEWS : ‘EL PUMA’ POPULAR, NOT PROVOCATIVE

Irrepressible female fans and the warmth conveyed by Latin American sex symbol Jose Luis Rodriguez were the saving factors in an otherwise predictable concert Friday night at the Universal Amphitheatre. It’s not that the Venezuelan recording and TV soap opera star sang poorly. He’s a considerably stronger and more versatile singer than media-darling Julio Iglesias.

But, like Iglesias, Rodriguez seems imprisoned by his mass-appeal packaging: a blend of superficial idealism and wholesome sexiness. Despite the animal lust suggested by his nickname, “El Puma” took few risks. His newly recorded crop of ballads violated no taboos, implied no romantic transgressions. Instead, his lyrics and music evinced simplistic, sentimental sameness.

Still, Rodriguez--backed nicely by a small band and three female singers--was simpatico , at times expressing a sort of brotherly charm and tenderness with several upbeat, refreshingly sophisticated rock-oriented arrangements. The frequently frenzied crowd was especially responsive during a salsa version of “La Bamba,” which he prefaced by saluting the growing presence of this city’s pan-Latino community.