Born Jose Manuel Figueroa, (confusingly, his son, also a singer, has the same name), Joan Sebastian is an accomplished performer of ballads, mariachi, and country-tinged norteño music (his nickname is El Rey del Jaripeo, or King of the Rodeo). He has also featured in a couple of Mexican soap operas, which probably goes some way in explaining the adulatory reception he gets here. This live show features hits such as "Hasta Que Amanezca -- Esa Noche" and the stirring "Tatuajes," the latter featuring some enthusiastic audience singing, and is a well-put-together overview of the man's career, which spans some 25 years of varying fortunes. His band, complete with accordion and horns (no synthesized reproductions here), expertly translates the studio hits, in some cases (as in "El Toro") notably improving on the originals. Despite his recently diagnosed cancer, Sebastian sounds better than ever. The title En Vivo has never been more appropriate.
© TiVo