Pepe Aguilar
At Morongo Casino, Sat. Feb 14
By: Stacy Davies
Son of Mexican crooning and acting legend Antonio Aguilar, who made an indelible imprint on celluloid during the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema (1935-59), and who was often compared to his Caucasian counterparts, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers—little Pepe had some very big boots to fill. But while his father was known for his corridos (narrative song poetry) and tamboras (heavy on the drums and percussion), Pepe was a child of the ’70s, riffing on Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd, and briefly joining a rock band. By the 1990s, however, Aguilar returned to the traditional music of his heritage and released several top-selling tejano/pop CDs, winning Billboard’s Hot Latin Track of the year in 1998 for his album, Por Mujeres Como Tu, which spent almost a year on the charts. His 1999 follow-up, Por una Mujer Bonita, earned Aguilar his first Grammy award.
Continuing to shatter musical boundaries, Aguilar became the first Mexican regional singer to play the Hollywood Bowl in 2002, and the first Hispanic to play the Kodak Theatre that same year. This weekend, take your other half out for a Valentine’s Day serenade at Morongo—Aguilar’s songs are an essential ingredient to midnight rumbas. Orale! (Stacy Davies)
Pepe Aguilar at Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49550 Seminole Dr., Cabazon, (800) 252-4499; www.morongocasinoresort.com. Sat., Feb. 14, 8PM, $70-$150
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