POP MUSIC REVIEW : 43,400 Celebrate Mexican Independence at Coliseum

Mexico’s independence was celebrated on Sunday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with a free afternoon show organized by Spanish-language radio stations KLVE and KTNQ. The event drew a crowd of 43,400, about half what was expected, but still an impressive turnout.

The emcees seemed to say the word Mexico in every sentence, triggering the waving of thousands of Mexican flags in the stands. An inspiring sight, but not an especially creative way to excite the crowd. And in the future, the organizers should remember that all of Central America, not just Mexico, celebrates its independence on the same day.

The recent remodeling of the Coliseum hasn’t made it a much better setting for concerts, at least as it was set up on Sunday. With the stage in the center of the field, far from the stands, the artists had a hard time establishing intimacy. A giant video screen helped a little, as did the good sound, the presence of live bands (as opposed to tracks) and a few solid performances.

Pedro Fernandez, an extremely popular, charismatic ranchera singer, was backed by the Mariachi Nacional de Mexico, and he knew that the only way you can have an actual party is by getting close to your audience. Accordingly, he left the stage and moved near the stands, singing with a cordless microphone.

Grammy-winning female pop vocal trio Pandora showed their good looks and professionalism with an intense set, and Baja California’s up-and-coming Grupo Ele, another pop-oriented group, showed enough potential to merit the interest of major record labels.

Among the 14-act roster, the most enthusiastically greeted were Argentina’s pop teen-age idol Pablo Ruiz, Puerto Rican salsero Victor Manuelle, 11-year-old Connie and Mexicans Paulina Rubio, Garibaldi, Mijares and Lupita D’Alessio.