POP MUSIC REVIEW : ‘Rock en Espanol’ Show Translates Fun Ethic Into Universal Language

Argentine rock singer Miguel Mateos proved Sunday night at the Celebrity Theatre in Anaheim that “Rock en Espanol” is rousing rock ‘n’ roll in any language.

He also showed that the partying ethic associated with U.S. rockers is alive and well on both American continents. At one point, Mateos exclaimed to the crowd in Spanish: “Party! You’re all invited to the party!”

As part of his first U.S. tour, the charismatic Mateos strutted around the stage a la Mick Jagger, flipping his long golden mane like David Lee Roth. Mateos, spearheading a movement of Spanish-speaking rockers from Latin America and Spain, was headlining an 18-city tour, dubbed “Rock en Espanol.”

Mateos’ backup band--which played with an intensity that verged on heavy metal at times--was a polished collection dominated by U.S. musicians, highlighted by saxophonist Jim Pollock, whose solos were sometimes reminiscent of former E Street Band saxman Clarence Clemons. Indeed, “Es Tan Facil Romper Un Corazon (“It’s So Easy to Break a Heart”) sounded something like Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart.”

Although he sings only in Spanish (the lone drawback in what appears to be an otherwise strong crossover potential), his songs tackle universal, hard-driving themes common to rock, from rebellion and romance to the occasional social commentary. He dedicated the night’s only slow tune, “Solos en America” (“Alone in America”) to “all those displaced from their homelands.”

The mostly Spanish-speaking crowd of 1,600 cheered loudly and danced through most of the lively two-hour set. The reaction was strongest when Mateos, 35, rocked the hardest--on such songs as “Mal Herido” (“Badly Wounded”), “Vas a Perder Tu Amor” (“You’re Gonna Lose Your Love”) and his teen-Angst anthem, “Cuando Seas Grande” (“When You Grow Up”.)

“Most of Latin music is romantic music, but this is Spanish rock and it’s great,” said Mexican-born Oscar Contreras, 17, of Orange. Indeed, although Mateos is not known by the mainstream, English-speaking rock audience, most of those at the concert seemed to know the lyrics to his songs. Some audience members interviewed said they had heard his records while living in Latin America.

Duncan Dhu, one of Spain’s most popular rock groups, opened the concert with catchy, new wave-like, guitar-dominated songs reminiscent of Peter Case’s old band, the Plimsouls. Their best song was “En Algun Lugar” (“In Some Place”). An English version has gotten some KROQ-FM airplay. With a Spanish album out on Sire Records and the English single, Dhu may be the first of the “Rock en Espanol” bands to break into the U.S. mainstream.