Jose Feliciano – Live Latina Pride

It’s an exceptional paradox that a soulful Latino artist would draw a primarily white middle aged crowd full of boundless girth, white hair and bulging waistlines. But all them bulbous old white people – don’t let ‘em fool you – they used to get down to Jose’s version of Light My Fire and get with some heated-up firecracker love…so tough to woo but just caaaan’t turn it loose, baby. The attendance was a bit disappointing, I expected a sellout! Feliciano is a known master and has a real connection to us – remember his version of the Star Spangled Banner in the ‘68 World Series? Seems the exotic bounty of the Temple Theatre was no match for the ice cold weather nor could it budge the monolithic cultural malaise that engulfs our ragged city. Still 1000 brave souls made their way to downtown Saginaw to astound in the warm elegant beauty of the Temple. It’s a crime - popcorn and candy sales were off a little and wine sales were weak. I tell ya, it’s hard to make a buck sometimes, especially in the wild and wooly hinter regions of Saginaw County where income disparity is enormous and the elite show little concern for the have-nots and the squeeze-dried middle class. Perhaps all these issues are connected but if you can’t buy this sale then check out the incredible music of Jose Feliciano.

This cat is a stone guitar genius, pickin’ more notes than the number of calories in a supersized Latte.

He has a crack team of 5 musicians; 2 keys, bass, percussionist and a drummer – all very good and able to play at a pre-rock volume. This is Latin pop and soul at it’s finest. Feliciano looks and sounds as if he’s in some kinda secret pop-music time warp that is unknown to most of his contemporaries. His mid-range tenor is a bit scratchy but still powerful and his fingernail/finger tip-pickin style is more than incredible and owes a nod and a wink to his hero Andre Segovia.

Feliciano opened the show with his soundtrack to the iconoclastic but short-lived Freddie Prinze vehicle, Chico & the Man, a great tune with mucho bonito requerdos. But his show was much more than a re-hash of his hits, instead Feliciano included dazzling instrumental workouts like Dance With Me, Spanish songs such as (translated) For Women Like You, There’s a Man Like Me, or topical new songs from his new CD like Killing’s Not the Answer or Pouring Rain. He is a man who is comfortable with his ethnicity and his identity as a blind Latina artist and it’s in this radical acceptance that he allows his blindness only a passing fancy. He freely mixes his flamenco-soul hybrid style with blues and rockabilly riffs. Feliciano sang several songs in Spanish or a mix of Spanish and English. Although the stage patter was somewhat forced and awkward, Feliciano was still able to tell a pretty good yarn, like the moaner about his friend Ola - he had to pay Ola to get airplay….hmm. And he goofed on Julio Iglesias – Julio singing in English is like Nat King Cole singing in Spanish, only Julio sings it with a shivering vibrato that sounds like he slept in a REFRIGERATOR…hmmm…and Enrique, forget it, he sings English like he’s been constipated for two weeks and is ready to let it rip. Feliciano’s performance of his two biggest hits was a definite highlight. Light My Fire is a sexy groove every bit as compelling as the Door’s original. And Felize Navidad, well, it is simply brilliant and uplifting. Feliciano made his mark with this self-penned yuletide celebration and it is a sure-fired sentimental modern holiday classic. Feliciano performed a solid 90 minute set that kept the crowd groovin’ with awe and delight at his incendiary instrumental genius.

The Temple Mainstage Series did it again, another outstanding show for the unsuspecting masses. Yet the best show may be saved for the last as the Blind Boys of Alabama saunter into town on April 15th…don’t miss it.

Peace,
Bo White