Mexican singer-songwriter José Antonio “Pepe” Aguilar Jimenez is an imposing figure. He stands at 6 foot 4 inches with broad shoulders, a powerful gaze and booming voice. He definitely emanates main character energy, the kind of guy that draws and keeps your attention when he walks into a room.
Sunday night at RodeoHouston, Aguilar did more than walk. He rode into the stadium on a big beautiful white horse named Tornado who pranced in time with the music, much to the delight of the audience in the stands. It was an example of classic Mexican jaripeo, which is a tradition of rodeo that celebrates skill, culture, and showmanship.
Aguilar began his set with “El Gavilancillo” whose lyrics portray a hawk who hunts pigeons, providing a very macho metaphor for a man pursuing a romantic love interest. The song is performed con tambora or with drums, which is a style of Mexican music of banda. In fact, Aguilar had both a full banda and a full mariachi on stage with him at RodeoHouston, which added to the spectacle of the evening.
“What’s happening Houston?!” asked Aguilar to his fans. “Are y’all ready to dance and fall in love? How about a cumbia?!” He proceeded to perform “Ni Contigo Ni Sin Ti,” which is a collaboration he sings with legendary band Los Ángeles Azules. Aguilar is a master of genre hopping to keep the party going, shifting from traditional mariachi to pop ballads, danceable cumbias and back to rancheras.
His voice is both smooth and boisterous, and he showcases strong vocals throughout his set. I wouldn’t call his voice operatic, although he is known to perform sustained notes alongside the more subtle and emotional tones. Aguilar is known as one of the most recognized voices in Mexican music, something that he inherited by his famous parents Antonio Aguilar and Flor Silvestre.
The hits kept rolling on the set list with mariachi classics such as “Caminos De Guanajuato” and ranchera classics like “Disculpe Usted” by Los Humildes. Of course, no mariachi set is complete without a tribute to Vicente Fernandez, the late king of mariachi music. “Aca Entre Nos” was my favorite from this portion of the show. Now excuse me as a cry into my Dos Equis beer with plenty of límon and Tajin.
The night ended with the greatest hit of his career so far, which is the ballad “Por Mujeres Como Tu.” Aguilar then walked off the stage and into the belly of NRG Stadium before returning riding his horse once again to the tune of “Un Puño De Tierra.”
“We would love to see more Mexican jaripeo and charrería at RodeoHouston!” he proclaimed while singing atop his dancing horse. I, for one, definitely agree.
Prior to Pepe’s set was the finals to the annual Mariachi Invitational. Two mariachis competed for the chance to be named this year’s grand champion, and the eventual winners were Mariachi Aguilas de Oro from Austin. Congratulations to them!
Adios Houston! Viva Go Tejano Day!