Pop : Mijares Shows Off His Versatility

Manuel Mijares has attained popularity by singing upbeat pop songs and love ballads, but in his Los Angeles debut on Saturday at the Greek Theatre, the Mexican star set out to demonstrate his interpretive skills in other styles.

In a two-hour performance, Mijares, accompanied by a talented five-piece band, sang boleros, danced to salsa and tropical Caribbean rhythms and even sang Elton John’s “Your Song” in English.

The most spontaneous moments came at the end of the show when Mijares focused his attention on his big hits, including “Soldado del Amor” (“Soldier of Love”), “Bella” (“Beautiful”) and “Uno Entre Mil” (“One in a Thousand”).

Not every moment exhibited the same naturalism. His rendition of Juan Luis Guerra’s “A Pedir Su Mano”(“To Ask for Her Hand”) opened with Mijares’ back-up singers appearing with masks and dancing to a sample of Paul Simon’s “Homeless”--a bit of theatricality that ultimately seemed meaningless and out of place.

His rendition of classical Agustin Lara compositions such as “Maria Bonita” (“Pretty Maria”) and “Noche de Ronda” (“Cruising Night”) were presented with conventional pop arrangements, resulting in a lack of Mexican sensibility.