Rocio Durcal returns in exquisite vocal form

It’s always sad and uncomfortable to see great vocalists try to perform past their prime. So a certain trepidation foreshadowed the return of Spanish singer Rocio Durcal to the stage of the Universal Amphitheatre on Saturday.

Durcal, one of the glorious voices in Latin pop music, had not appeared here in a couple of years. She hasn’t had a hit record for much longer. She just turned 58 on Oct. 4, and she is reportedly recovering from cancer.

Who would expect Durcal to emerge in top form and deliver a passionate, exquisitely skilled performance that surpassed shows during her 1980s heyday at this same venue? But that’s what she did during a 90-minute set that thrilled loyal fans.

From the start, with her signature torch song “La Gata Bajo la Lluvia,” it was exhilarating to see the former actress in complete command of her pure vocal prowess.

Durcal still has it all -- the emotional force, the finesse, the masterful control.

And of course the rich repertoire. During her recording career, Durcal alternated between contemporary pop ballads and mariachi numbers, especially by ever-popular composer Juan Gabriel, whose songs made her beloved in Mexico. Nobody does Gabriel better than Durcal, who adorns his bravado with her flamenco grace.

She carefully balanced that familiar material Saturday and added tunes from more recent albums, especially last year’s overlooked “Entre Tangos y Mariachi.” The singer switched costumes as readily as she switched genres and reinforced her six-piece backup band with the rousing 13-man Mariachi Premier from Mexico City.

She closed with Gabriel’s heart-wrenching “Amor Eterno,” a song about loss and yearning that she delivered with deep feeling and an enthralling flourish. The crowd showered her with deserved shouts of “Bravo!”