POP MUSIC REVIEWS : Iglesias Smorgasbord Sates Fans at the Greek

Julio Iglesias is up to his usual tricks this week at the Greek Theatre--love, sex and easy listening. His opening performance Thursday night was a classic example of the laid-back smorgasbord of international music that has made him one of the most popular singers in the world.

Touching everything from pop ballads to bossa nova to French cabaret, singing in Spanish, English, Italian, French and Portuguese, the deeply tanned Spanish artist worked his overflow crowd with the relaxed charm of a performer dedicated to giving his audience exactly what it wants to hear.

Iglesias’ style--filled with dramatic hand movements, closed eyes and sudden, impassioned body movements--seemed exaggerated, perhaps because of his awareness of a swarm of cameras filming a cable television special. His singing, however, has become more personalized in the last few years, sometimes verging toward off-rhythm phrasing that can most generously be described as eccentric.

But Iglesias’ music is less about technique than it is about reaching out to an audience with passion and sensuality. “I want to sing until I die,” he remarked at one point. And the squeals of response from his listeners clearly suggested that they intend to stay with him for the full run. Iglesias continues at the Greek through Sunday.