Going Beyond ‘La Vida Loca’

Let’s start this report on Ricky Martin’s concert Thursday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center with a disclaimer:

I know lots of people just love “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” but I’m with Chris Rock. I actually stood up and cheered during the MTV Video Music Awards when Rock said he was sick of the dumb song and that it was time for the Puerto Rican heartthrob to show us something new.

So it seemed like a parody from the glory days of “Saturday Night Live” when Martin opened his concert before 12,000 fans here with “Vida Loca.” As Martin shook his celebrated bon-bon during the by now tedious tale of fast-lane excess, you almost expected Rock to walk out screaming, “Enough, man!”

But then it became evident that Martin, rather than leaning on the song, was actually taking Rock up on his challenge. By getting the song out of the way early, he was putting himself in the position of having to prove himself with the rest of his music.

Martin has been a star in the world of Latin pop for more than half of his 27 years, but he knows this tour--which continues tonight at Staples Center--is a moment of truth in his campaign to win over mainstream U.S. pop fans. He knows he has to demonstrate that he is more than simply the pop calendar boy of 1999.

It was a dramatic roll of the dice--and it worked.

Martin didn’t prove he was Mr. Artistry by any means with his 90-minute-plus performance.

He’s a capable but far from great singer, and he often settles for mediocre material. Most of the ballads on his self-titled English-language album are the kind of generic tales of romantic longing that we used to get from middlebrow pop-rock acts such as Journey and Bon Jovi.

The role Martin does fill on stage is Mr. Excitement--and that’s a rare, welcome trait these days.

During a decade crowded with musicians who think standing proudly in the spotlight is a sign of artistic compromise and that the old-fashioned notion of actually entertaining an audience is corny, Martin thrives in connecting with his fans.

You’d wince if almost any other artist shook his pelvis as shamelessly as Martin, or smiled so broadly. But Martin did both things so good-naturedly and so naturally that they came across as expressions of his passion rather than mere poses.

Martin is one of those performers who was seemingly born for the spotlight, and he certainly has good instincts about staging. There may be highs and lows in the action, but it never stops. It’s one of the fastest-paced shows in ages.

His arrival on stage was preceded by a video featuring Martin at the wheel of a Mustang convertible, speeding through city streets being chased by hordes of fans and paparazzi.

Rather than simply an arbitrary diversion, the video actually sets the scene for the opening number, capturing the frantic lifestyle outlined in “Vida Loca.” And sure enough, Martin performs the number while standing on the hood of an on-stage Mustang, while a cadre of dancers underscores the pace of his world.

It may be a silly song, but Martin performs it well, and his 10-piece, percussion-driven band plays it with conviction and flair. But the real drama of the concert begins when the song ends.

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With his image on three overhead video screens, Martin keeps himself the center of attention. He seems to be in constant motion, either dancing around or being lifted or lowered on platforms. As a dancer, he’s flashy without being spectacular--more akin to an energetic Tom Jones than James Brown.

Musically, things work best in English when he leans toward the upbeat numbers, which have a bit more individuality than the ballads. “Shake Your Bon-Bon,” as silly a song as “Vida Loca” on record, gains charm performed live, where Martin better conveys the sexual innuendo of the playful lyrics, including a line that rhymes “Himalayas” with “C’mon I wanna lay ya.”

One of the show’s highlights is set up by a second piece of video footage, this one showing Martin, again being pursued by fans, slipping into a Latin music club. He brings the scene to life on the stage, singing “Marcia Baila,” a tune from his 1998 Spanish-language album, “Vuelve.” In the same spirit, Martin hints again at Latin traditions by playing congas during “La Bomba,” another song from “Vuelve.”

But Martin’s use of hard-core Latin strains is minimal. Whether in English or Spanish, his music is very much mainstream pop.

At a time when the success of the Buena Vista Social Club suggests a new openness to at least some Latin music among non-Latinos in this country, you’d think Martin could be more daring in adding Latin elements to his music. Indeed, early in the show he told the audience that one of his missions is to help “unite” the Americas through music.

But it may be unrealistic to expect Martin to play such a creative role, because his focus and love has always been pure pop music.

For him, entertaining is his art, and he practices it so joyously in the show’s best moments that he’s quite winning. Martin reminds you that sometimes it’s nice just to have fun at a concert.

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* Ricky Martin plays tonight at 8 at Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (877) 305-1111. Also Sunday at the San Diego Sports Arena, 3500 Sports Arena Blvd., San Diego, 8 p.m. (619) 224-4176; Nov. 20 at the Arrowhead Pond, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim, 8 p.m. (714) 704-2500. All shows are sold out.