Montero is heartthrob with a voice

Listen to music from his album "Gracias...Homenaje A Javier Solis"

La Cumbancha (mp3)
La Cumbancha (RealAudio)

Cenizas (mp3)
Cenizas (RealAudio)

Cuando Calienta El Sol (mp3)
Cuando Calienta El Sol (RealAudio)

Gracias (mp3)
Gracias (RealAudio)

Legendary Mexican actress and supreme diva María Félix was not one to mince words. So if the late brassy beauty said she liked something, she really did.
Just ask Mexican crooner and heartthrob Pablo Montero, the headliner at this year's 21st annual Mervyn's Tucson International Mariachi Conference, who is one of the few souls to be graced with a compliment from La Doña.
The moment occurred in 1993 when the unknown 19-year-old was singing at a Mexico City park. After the performance, he was introduced to Félix, who nicknamed him "El Charro Guapo" and told him his talent would take him far in show business.
"That's what she said," recalled the singer as he described the surreal experience during a recent phone interview from Mexico City.
Ten years, five CDs and five telenovelas later, the diva's prophetic words ring true. Montero, born Oscar Daniel Hernandez Rodriguez in Torreon, Coahuila, is a superstar in Mexico, where he is known for both his singing and acting careers. On this day he's wearing his singer hat to promote his latest CD, "Gracias ... Homenaje a Javier Solís" (See review, Page 5), released in February. It's a CD that has special meaning to Montero, who has idolized the late mariachi maestro since childhood.
"For me, he is a singer like Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. He is one of the greatest singers to come out of Latin America," Montero says with deep respect as he describes one of the four kings of mariachi/bolero music in Mexico. Rounding out the quartet are Jorge Negrete, Pedro Infante and Vicente Fernandez.
Montero's parents were huge fans of Solís. "Since I was a boy, I've been connected to the music of Javier Solís through my father," Montero said.
This CD is his way of honoring the man who played such a major influence in his career. CD buyers also are joining in on the tribute as they push the recording to the top of the charts. "Whenever you record a CD, it has to be something new and different," Montero says. "Fans are going to like my CDs because they're going to discover that they come with quality and with an evolution."
Also evolving is his acting career, which continues to become more high-profile. His fifth telenovela (soap operas in Spanish - with a lot more drama and skin than their American counterparts), "Rebecca" debuts in June.
Montero takes his craft seriously and doesn't see it as just another vehicle to boost his popularity. "If I act it's because I like it, because it fulfills me," he insists.
Movies may be in his future, he says, but so far the right role hasn't come along. But if he never acted again he'd still be a superstar in Mexico, thanks to his voice, which some fans have described as "heroic," "versatile" and "divine."
In announcing his selection as the event's headliner, mariachi conference board president Delfina Alvarez noted Montero's musical background and celebrity status south of the border. "We tried to bring someone that was a phenomenon that is very current in Mexico," she said. "There's very few singers there doing ranchera music ... Since he's been involved with that kind of music now for a while, we thought it was time to bring him."
And Montero's sex appeal wasn't lost on the selection committee either. "He's hot right now in Mexico, especially with the women," Alvarez said. "When we tell the public we're bringing Pablo Montero, all the women get very excited. Of course, the men have to get excited because they're going to bring their wives or girlfriends."

IF YOU GO:
What: Pablo Montero in concert at the Mervyn's Tucson International Mariachi Conference.
When: April 25, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Tucson Convention Center Arena, 260 S. Church.
How much: $26-$76.
Details: 838-3913.