Zaa Re-Creates Romance of Old Boleros

In the cutthroat world of Latin pop, Charlie Zaa is generally perceived as an intriguing newcomer, a middleweight champion who in the last few years has achieved a respectable degree of fame without reaching the heights of the genre’s superstars.

Judging by the opulent orchestra that accompanied him Saturday at the Universal Amphitheatre, you would have thought the Colombian crooner is at the top of his game. There were 27 musicians on stage, including a full string ensemble, four female vocalists and a brass section, all helping the boyishly charming Zaa re-create the landscape of the old-fashioned bolero.

Zaa is an idealist, musically speaking. “The bolero has always been and will always be,” he told the audience before launching into elegantly orchestrated medleys with nods to Javier Solis, Los Panchos and other legendary boleristas.

It’s a noble crusade, and the singer’s sometimes successful attempt to create new classics with the songs from his latest album, “Ciego de amor,” more than made up for his superficial stage patter.

Proving that romantic balladry is only one of his interests, Zaa ended with a furiously paced medley of Colombian salsa that included Grupo Niche’s “La negra no quiere” and the explosive “El preso” by Fruko y Sus Tesos, a further sign that Zaa’s musical proposition is intelligent and articulate--and definitely worth checking out.