Screams from thousands of adoring fans echoed through the Honda Center as Puerto Rican singer Chayanne appeared on stage Thursday night. Wearing glittery black pants, a matching vest and a white, fitted T-shirt, the 38-year-old heartthrob sang the ballad “Y tu te vas” (“And Now You Go”) to an enthusiastic, half-capacity crowd.
After dozens of performances in Latin America, Chayanne started his U.S. tour two months ago, and Anaheim is about his 20th stop, but you wouldn’t guess it from the energy he radiated on every number.
Known as much for his dancing as for his romantic songs, the artist started showing off his moves on his second number, an instrumental, funky piece during which he grooved while his prerecorded shadow danced projected on a giant screen.
Six dancers joined Chayanne and eight musicians on stage for the third number, a medley of dance hits “Salomé” and “Boom Boom” that got the crowd on its feet.
After his soft, melodious voice gave life to a couple of ballads, the singer paused to say hello to his fans.
“Muchas gracias!” he said. “Hola!”
The veteran performer (he started his career at age 12) told the mostly female audience that he would do everything they wanted him to do. And he mostly delivered.
During the almost two-hour concert, Chayanne serenaded his fans and shamelessly flirted. He smiled seductively, he blew kisses randomly and he winked generously.
He stopped at various points to take photos with women in the first few rows. He got off the stage a couple of times to kiss some admirers. He even flashed his toned abs for fans after they requested it adamantly.
But charm is not the only thing fans enjoy at a Chayanne concert. He offered a mix of slow ballads and uptempo tunes accompanied by entertaining choreography.
The more than 20 numbers included favorites “Fiesta en América” (“Party in America”), “Un siglo sin ti” (“A Century Without You”), “Torero” (“Bullfighter”), “Baila, Baila” (“Dance, Dance”) and “Provócame” (“Provoke Me”).
There were also heartfelt moments, such as when he dedicated the hit “Lo dejaría todo” (“I Would Leave Everything”) to Estéfano, the song’s author and a prolific composer who was recently shot and wounded in Miami. Estéfano produced Chayanne’s latest album “Mi tiempo” (“My Time”), the 20th in his career and 15th as a solo artist.
From his latest project, Chayanne performed “Si nos quedara poco tiempo” (“If We Only Had a Short Time Left”) after urging people to nurture their relationships with their significant other, parents, brothers and sisters.
When Chayanne addresses his audience, it seems to be with sincerity. His unassuming, genuine and respectful manner is a characteristic that longtime fans like 28-year-old Blanca Viveros admire.
When she turned 15, Viveros had a quinceañera celebration, and the big dance number, the traditional waltz, was set to “Tiempo de vals” (“Time to Waltz”), an early Chayanne hit that was part of Thursday’s repertoire. He dedicated it to “all the women who feel they are 15 tonight.” But he didn’t see many, he said; most looked like they were 13 or 14.
“He is super down-to-earth,” said Viveros, an Anaheim resident who attended the concert with her 33-year-old sister Rosalinda and her 17-year-old niece Sugei. All the Viveros girls said their $125 ticket was well worth the price.
“I like him since I can remember,” said Blanca Viveros.
And she’s not alone. Countless “I love yous” were heard throughout the night.
At least the feeling is mutual. During a recent phone interview, Chayanne said that when he’s on stage, he enjoys the public as much as the public enjoys him.
“It’s magical … you forget about the world,” he said. “It’s very nice, you know. It’s sharing affection with the public.”
