Hernandez Offers Stirring Plea for Unity

A mystical ceremony of soulful mood-rock, Jaguares’ concert Saturday at the Arrowhead Pond was a night of special meaning in the growing rock en espan~ol community--the first time a band in the genre has sold out a venue of that size in Southern California (the pop-loving quartet of Mana doesn’t count).

Essentially a vehicle for the shadowy guitar dreams of singer-songwriter Saul Hernandez, the Mexican quintet embraces the epic connotations of rock ‘n’ roll with an earnest conviction that is rare these days. Fulfilling a classic rock fantasy, Jaguares was accompanied by a 10-piece string section.

It was a bold move, but the rewards were apparent from the opening “Matenme Porque Me Muero” to the majestic “No Me Culpes.”

The evening also served as a comeback of sorts for Hernandez, who, after the release of the group’s last record in 1996, was plagued by benign tumors on his throat. Fortunately, his vocal cords sounded in top shape Saturday, particularly when presenting material from his recent, Grammy-nominated album.

There’s a maturity to the new tunes, a restrained sensuality that makes them sound better than Hernandez’s previous compositions. That’s no small feat, considering his repertoire includes such gems as the wistful ranchera-rock of “La Celula que Explota” (from the singer’s previous band Caifanes) and the anthem-like “Dime Jaguar.”

But Jaguares is not only about the music. On stage, Hernandez concocts an explosive cocktail of emotional intensity, bringing out a Mexican flag, inviting fans to be part of his all-inclusive ritual (“tonight, this place is ours,” he said at one point), and even talking politics between songs. It is his populist mixture of philosophical meditation and in-your-face directness that seems to engage his young followers.

The singer’s desire for an idealistic unification was crystallized at the end of the show, when he turned the stage over to Los Angeles bandleader Jose Hernandez and his Mariachi Sol de Mexico for a medley of traditional rancheras. Surprisingly, the mostly young audience stayed on to participate in the experience.