A Few Flashes of Originality From De Vita

Venezuelan pop singer-songwriter Franco De Vita has gained popularity in Latin music with love ballads that incorporate elements of jazz and rock. But his long-awaited Los Angeles debut on Saturday at the Greek Theatre, while well received by the half-capacity audience, could have used a lot more variety.

De Vita, who established himself in the mid-’80s, displayed some flashes of originality, performing “Extranjero” (“Foreigner”) with a trimmed-down instrumentation and a flamenco accent, and adding a gospel choir on “No Basta” (“It’s Not Enough”).

But for the most part, monotony prevailed as De Vita, playing electric piano while accompanied by his eight-member group, strung together such similar-sounding hits as “Un Buen Perdedor” (“A Good Loser”), “No Lo Habia Pensado” (“I Hadn’t Thought About It”) and “Sera” (“It Will Be”). In the manner of Billy Joel, De Vita lost credibility and control when he left his comfortable pop territory and tried to rock.

The opening act, Mexican singer Rocio Banquells, accompanied by the versatile Mariachi Sol de Mexico, offered few challenges, retreating to such automatic crowd-pleasers as “El Rey” (“The King”), “Volver, Volver” (“To Return”) and “Cielito Lindo.” Additionally, her excessive concentration on vocal pirouettes made her sound too icy.