Fernandez Mixes Old With the New

Alejandro Fernandez was received with the enthusiasm Friday night at the Universal Amphitheatre--the first of two sold-out shows--that you’d expect from someone who has the No. 1 album on the Latin charts.

The son of legendary ranchera singer Vicente Fernandez, Alejandro is a handsome performer whose powerful voice at times conveys the thundering tension of his father’s. Where the elder Fernandez concentrates on the more traditional aspects of Mexican pop songs, the offspring mixes ranchera and bolero elements with syrupy synths and digital effects.

Backed by a mariachi orchestra and a band, Fernandez seemed to suffer from the same malady that affects most modern Mexican pop stars. Songs such as “Si Tu Supieras” (If You Knew) and “No Se Olvidar” (I Don’t Know How to Forget)--both from the new album, “Me Estoy Enamorando” (I’m Falling in Love)--are unnervingly soulless.

There were, however, moments when Fernandez’s engaging persona compensated for the slickness of the music. When the embrace of adoring fans almost caused him to lose his balance on the edge of the stage, he stood up as best he could and said good-naturedly, “Imagine what it would be like to spend a night with one of these women.”

Fernandez has what it takes to become an icon of Mexican pop music, but he needs more daring material to become one.