Poetic Songs of Romance, With a Nod to the Caribbean

Compared with giants such as Carlos Vives, Ruben Blades or Pablo Milanes, Ricardo Arjona is not exactly the most visionary of songwriters. But this Guatemalan troubadour’s message is so intelligently articulated, his style so instantly compelling, that Latin pop would be a poorer genre without his presence.

At the sold-out Universal Amphitheatre on Sunday, Arjona performed in front of a barroom backdrop, complete with a pool table, dim lights and female bartender. Creating a casual atmosphere of bohemian contemplation, it was the ideal setting for a show that was in no hurry whatsoever to dazzle its audience with the usual gargantuan gimmicks of Latin pop. It relied instead on Arjona’s remarkable ability to articulate the vicissitudes of romantic love.

Perhaps the most notable element of Arjona’s songs is the way he employs the details of everyday life. In “Receta,” for instance, he lists a variety of brand-name medicines in a futile attempt to devise the cure for a broken heart.

The song is from “Galeria Caribe,” Arjona’s latest collection and his first to seriously flirt with Afro-Cuban sounds.

The singer has been careful to emphasize--both on stage Sunday and in the album’s liner notes--that it is not his intention to delve into the tropical genre and compete with its masters, but rather to pay tribute to the seductive influence of the Caribbean and its constant presence in his life.

At Universal, jazzy brass riffs, sinuous piano tumbaos and the salsa attack of a percussion trio were a refreshing addition to Arjona’s airy pop, which is usually defined by easy-to-hum choruses and his mild-mannered, guy-next-door vocals.

Arjona’s extended storytelling sessions between songs, overflowing with self-deprecating humor and poignant observations, were sometimes better than the tunes. Arjona can at times carry the “I’m a Sensitive Poet” banner a bit too prominently, but for the most part, he is the perfect blend of thinking artist and glamorous pop star.