In the Center Ring

Last year, the Puerto Rican band Circo flew to Los Angeles for a monthlong series of shows at various clubs. Though the pop-rock quintet stirred some word of mouth in rock en espanol circles, Circo remained an obscure band, overshadowed by such major acts as Fabulosos Cadillacs, Orishas and El Gran Silencio.

But when this year’s Latin Grammy nominations were announced in July, Circo received two nods--for best rock album by a duo or group with vocal and, more prestigious, best new artist. The winners will be named in tonight’s nationally televised ceremony from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

Suddenly, Circo is not obscure.

On Monday, hundreds of fans, industry insiders and media representatives crowded the Knitting Factory Hollywood, where Circo was performing as part of a showcase organized by performing arts organization BMI that also included Latin rock acts Bayu and Kinky.

The club was packed. Photographers and television crews were everywhere. In the middle of the club’s bar, Circo’s publicist Veronica Gonzalez surveyed the scene with disbelief.

“When the guys were doing their monthlong residency, it was really hard getting people to see them,” she recalled of last year’s visit to Los Angeles. “At one point I even said to myself, ‘Am I doing something wrong here?’ People just weren’t giving them a chance.

“Unfortunately, sometimes you need the acceptance of a major organization like [the Latin recording academy] for people to pay attention and admit that this is a good band.”

Circo’s lead singer is also surprised by the abrupt change in his band’s hipness quotient. But he is determined to take this case of Grammy hysteria with a grain of salt.

“We see this as a great opportunity,” said Jose Luis “Fofe” Abreu. “It is rare for a group like ours to get so much media attention. I guess the message is that there’s a Latin alternative scene out there that is worth getting to know. It deserves industry attention and is able to sell records.”

Sure enough, Circo’s performance showed the vision and musical chops to merit a couple of Grammys.

Like most rock en espanol songwriters of his generation, Abreu, 31, is obsessed with the sounds of ‘80s British new wave and goth rock. Ask him to name a few favorites and he’ll mention the Cure, the Smiths, Peter Murphy and Dead Can Dance.

These influences were evident throughout Monday’s performance. There was a shimmering beauty to “Sufro,” a pretty pop tune with a melancholy keyboard line and restless drumbeat that sounded like an unreleased Spandau Ballet single.

The chorus of “Libelula,” on the other hand, echoed Argentina’s Soda Stereo, the first band to successfully transpose the ‘80s aesthetic to Latin territory.

The evening’s only faux pas was a disastrous version of the classic bolero “Historia de un Amor,” butchered through the use of electronic beats, distorted vocals and postmodern irreverence.

Circo’s strongest asset is Abreu’s voice--equal parts London fog and Puerto Rican spice. Abreu could fit in with salsa outfit El Gran Combo (he boasts the vocal strength and flamboyance of a sonero), but he tailors his singing to the more subtle genre of infectious pop-rock.

His stage persona--part asexual clown, part hyper circus ringmaster--added humor and drama. (The band’s name is Spanish for “circus.”) Clutching the colorful megaphone depicted on the cover of the group’s debut album, “No Todo Lo Que Es Pop Es Bueno” (Not Everything That’s Pop Is Good), he cheered for Puerto Rico, celebrated Mexican independence and guaranteed the crowd that no one leaves a Circo gig alone.

To those who don’t follow Latin music closely, this might seem surprising coming from an island famous for tight, flavorful tropical music. But Puerto Rico has also had a burgeoning rock scene for more than a decade, and the charts there have recently been dominated by hip-hop and native rappers such as Vico C.

Before Monday’s show, Abreu talked about the excitement awaiting the band--attending the Latin Grammy ceremony and perhaps walking away with an award or two.

“We are fully prepared to enjoy the whole Latin music industry circus--with a lot of ingenuity and a dash of sarcasm,” he said.

“It is really unbelievable to us, knowing that we’ll be walking down the same red carpet as Los Bukis or Vicente Fernandez. The gossip magazines might ask us about our clothes. Mine are vintage. Maybe we’ll even make it to the list of the evening’s best-dressed celebrities.”

Abreu points at his mismatched outfit, which includes a green tie and spiked belt, and adds: “Or the worst ones.”

The Latin Grammy Awards air tonight from 9 to 11 p.m. on CBS.