“Así Fue,” one of the biggest hits of Latin pop icon Juan Gabriel, also offers an inadvertent theme for his latest U.S. tour, his first in seven years.
The song (which in English translates as “So It Was”) tells of a love lost, but in this instance, suggests the current status of Mexico’s beloved “El Divo de Juárez.” Seven years is an eternity in the music business, but Juan Gabriel has returned triumphant, as if he has never been away. Though the singer-composer-producer, affectionately known as “Juanga,” has kept a lower profile for most of the last decade, he’s managed to weather the reggaeton rage, the bachata boom and Latin pop fans’ generally fickle loyalties. At 64, after 40 years in the business, he’s still standing and seemingly more popular than ever.
And so it was when his “Volver” (“Return”) tour kicked off in Chicago, long a Juanga stronghold, with two sold-out shows at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont. From the moment he arose, like a conquering hero, from a tall riser and descended the stairs to deafening applause, Gabriel once again displayed his total command of the stage. His 2.5-hour concert Friday, with its impeccable showmanship and boundless energy, confirmed that he’s the reigning king (elder statesman division) of the Latin pop realm.
Though backed by a giant pop orchestra/choir and mariachi band, Juanga is dialing his trademark flamboyance down a notch for this tour. OC Weekly columnist and Latin pop culture sage Gustavo Arellano likes to refer to Gabriel as “The Mexican Elton John,” only with “better songs and better hair.” It’s a clever comparison but it doesn’t come close to capturing the scope of Juanga’s talents. His songcraft is rooted in Mexican folk traditions, especially ranchera, and appropriately his mariachi segments Friday were among the concert’s strongest. When he launched a ranchera medley anchored by “El Principio,” the crowd arose in thundering approval.
Later, he ceded the spotlight to ranchera diva Aida Cuevas, his latest protégé, who with her arching and soaring lines, easily eclipses Gabriel in the voice department. (Juanga, with his trademark hoarseness, might lack in vocal beauty, but he compensates with unequivocal passion.) He beamed like a proud parent during her three-song segment, and then dove into the concert’s emotive core of “Abrázame Muy Fuerte,” “Amor Eterno” and his signature “Así Fue,” which began with a celestial-sounding trumpet and crested with overwhelming ardor.
And so it was, simply and undeniably, when the incomparable Juan Gabriel returned to town.
Laura Emerick, a longtime follower of the Latin music scene, is the digital content editor for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
