Madrid’s Mecano Finds An American Audience

If you’re a fan of Euro-pop and the dance rhythms and baby voice of Paula Abdul, the Spanish trio Mecano may be just the group for you. The Madrid-based band is described as the biggest-selling Spanish group in the world and a favorite in Latin America. Though Mecano is on its first U.S. tour, it appears to already have a large following in this country: It played three nights at the Palace this weekend, and the super-appreciative audience on Saturday sang along with many of the band’s disco-like tunes and ballads.

Mecano is strongest when playing up-tempo dance music like “Los Amantes” (The Lovers), “Un Ano Mas” (One More Year) and “La Fuerza del Destino” (The Force of Destiny), which put the spotlight on the riveting lead singer Ana Torroja, whose dance movements ranged from Isadora Duncan-like free-form ballet to funky aerobics. The group is much better in concert than on record--Torroja’s gentle, high-pitched voice sounds weak and insipid in the studio. Despite the mediocrity of many of the numbers (the music is all written by keyboardist Nacho Cano and his brother, guitarist Jose Cano), the band put on a theatrical, fun show that the audience seemed to love.