Las Vegas shows to catch for Mexican Independence Day

Pepe Aguilar may get to play big Las Vegas concert venues only once a year. But it's been a lot of them now.

"Almost 20 years," he says.

The Mexican singing star has seen good times and bad on the Strip, from singing the Mexican national anthem before the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight at the MGM Grand in 2007 to being one of the few entertainers to carry on with a show in the week after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001.

"It was a very hard time for everybody," he recalls. "Even though it's not the country we live in, it's a country we respect and love." Mexicans "felt the same attack, as if it was done to us personally. It was terrible to have to maintain professionalism and go on with the show."

Aguilar won't be the only Latin star feeling at home when he headlines The Axis Theater at Planet Hollywood on Monday. The week is packed with headliners, most of them enduring stars who have made a Las Vegas tradition of the multi-day celebration surrounding Wednesday's Mexican Independence Day, or Grito de Dolores.

The romantic singer mostly known for traditional Mexican ranchera also had a good reason to visit the MGM Grand last November, when he won the Latin Grammy for best ranchero album, "Lastima Que Sean Ajenas."

The son of Mexican movie and recording stars Antonio Aguilar and Flor Silvestre played in rock bands as a teen, before embracing the traditional music of his country and his father.

Any associations with his father were "only in the mind of the media and some of the fans," he says. "In reality, I was my own man. He wanted me to be free and become my own artist."

Now, at age 47 and with 25 albums to his name, Aguilar is long past any novelty factor of a young man taking on the mantle of Mexican mariachi tradition. Last year, Aguilar was asked to do an "MTV Unplugged," and under the producer's helm of Cafe Tacuba's Emmanuel "Meme" del Real, the show released as an album became a meeting ground for the various styles he has dabbled in over the years.

"Time passes and experiences come and go and you become a lot more assured of yourself and what you are," Aguilar says. "Now I am only concentrating on doing what I want, not what people say.

"What people think about my past, it's not important at this stage in my life," he adds. "The most important thing to me is do better music. Just do whatever appeals to my heart, whatever makes me happy. It doesn't mean it's going to be only ranchera, or only mariachi or only rock. It means that I'm going to be true to myself until I die.

"Now, definitely, I have decades behind me that give me permission to do things that are not expected from a guy like me. I'm having fun, like I said."

Monday's show brings a cadre of 22 musicians, with both a rock and mariachi band to back him up. Even so, Aguilar says "a big chunk of the set" will be based on the "Unplugged" show, which "reminded me of who I am artistically and what's important to me. It was really great. I am full of projects now, and different ideas."

"In Mexico we are more open right now to listen to different genres without any prejudice. We are more open to 'de-tag' our music," he says. You go to any city in Mexico and you find teenagers and young guys with rock albums, reggaeton albums, ranchera albums, music in English, music in Spanish.

"To tell you the truth, I'm very happy with that. Because if an artist can express himself in different ways, and do it in a professional, competitive way, why not?"

Aguilar sings at 8 p.m. Monday at The Axis in Planet Hollywood. Tickets are $80.25-$195.25; call 800-745-3000.

Here's a quick look at the rest of the featured Mexican Independence week headliners:

• Marco Antonio Solis and Camila: Show 'em the town, Marco. Solis is the veteran balladeer with many a Las Vegas concert under his belt. Camila is the young Mexican group carrying on the romantic tradition. The two acts have been on the road all summer with their "La Experiencia" tour, which visits The Axis at Planet Hollywood at 9 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $85.25-$275.25; call 800-745-3000.

• Ramon Ayala: Locals (or visitors with a car) can take the party beyond the Strip, with the five-decade accordian king of Norteno at 8 p.m. Friday at the Eastside Cannery. Tickets are $51.65-$87.95; call 702-856-5470.

• Alejandra Guzman: The Mexican rock queen probably won't cross paths with Pepe Aguilar this trip. But if they ever do hang out they can talk about growing up with famous parents: Hers are actress Sylvia Pinal and singer Enrique Guzman. Then again, she has plenty of stories of her own and has proved herself a survivor of the rock 'n' roll life. She sings at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Palms. Tickets are $53-$103; call 702-944-3200.

• Banda El Recodo: The Mexican institution dating back to 1951 carries on under the helm of Alfonso and Joel Lizarraga, the sons of founder Don Cruz Lizarraga, at 8 p.m. Saturday at Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq, Tickets are $55-$66; call 702-862-2695.

• Chayanne: The Puerto Rican pop star and one-time TV vampire had his fifth No. 1 album — and first since 2010 — with "En Todo Estare" last fall. He sings at 9:30 p.m. Saturday in The Axis at Planet Hollywood. Tickets are $80.25-$180.25 (800-745-3000).

• Luis Miguel: Only a few acts lay claim to a specific piece of Caesars Palace history, having played both the bygone Circus Maximus showroom and the Colosseum. The ageless singer continues a Las Vegas career he started in 1992 when he sings at 10 p.m. Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Tickets are $78.10-$323.15; call 800-745-3000.

• El Tri: The Latin rock pioneers play Sunday at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35-$38; call 702-632-7600.

• Enrique Iglesias: The frequent Las Vegas headliner needed three hands for one song at the Latin Grammys last year. "Bailando" won three awards, for song of the year and best urban performance and best urban song. He sings at 9 p.m. Sunday in the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Tickets are $39.50-$300; call 888-929-7849.

• Juan Gabriel: The traditional age of retirement, 65, is kind of comical for the singer-songwriter who just had a big career boost doing the Tony Bennett thing on "Los Duo," a No. 1 album of duets with young singers. Disney's Latin division is also at work on a 13-episode TV biography, "Hasta Que Te Conocí." He sings at 8 p.m. Sunday at Mandalay Bay Events Center. Tickets are $78.10-$245.70; call 800-745-3000.

• Marc Anthony and Carlos Vive: If there's a common thread running through this year's Grito lineup, it might be that older hombres rock. Vive had a big comeback two years ago. He teamed up with Anthony for last year's highest-grossing Latin touring act, for the hit single "Cuando Nos Volvamos a Encantrar," which they performed on the Latin Grammy broadcast and won the award for best tropical song. Now their "Unido2" tour plays the Mandalay Bay Events Center at 8 p.m. Monday. Tickets are $87.15-$325.15; call 800-745-3000.

• Alejandro Fernandez: Fear not fans. The promoters at Live Nation say the superstar is recovering at home from an auto accident and looking forward to his Tuesday concert at Mandalay Bay. Photos of the single-car wipeout on rain-swept roads near his ranch in Guadalajara, Mexico, suggest he is lucky way beyond the success of his recent live album with orchestra, "Confidencias Reales." He sings at 9 p.m. Tuesday at Mandalay Bay Events Center. Tickets are $74.10-$241.70; call 800-745-3000.

• Ricky Martin: Tuesday is the kickoff date for the singer's "One World" tour. And since Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor lives in Las Vegas, and since some dude's funny video that makes it look like Slipknot is singing "Livin' La Vida Loca" made the viral circuit lately, we challenge Ricky to prove it's "One World" indeed and try to get Taylor to join him for the encore.

Either way, Martin sings at 8 p.m. Tuesday in The Axis at Planet Hollywood. Tickets are $65.25-$185.25; call 800-745-3000.

Read more from Mike Weatherford at reviewjournal.com. Contact him at mweatherford@reviewjournal.com. Find him on Twitter: @mikeweatherford.