Inside the El Paso County Coliseum, an excited crowd and a circus-themed stage were ready to receive Guatemalan singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona in his first U.S. concery on his “Circo Soledad” tour.
With the stage covered in a curtain that simulated a circus tent, only three objects were visible, a bullseye board in the middle of the stage, a puppet theater stage to the left and an old turntable to the right.
Moments before the show a “master of ceremonies” took stage to play a record on the old turntable to start the show and set the mood for the audience with the song “Circo Soledad.”
At the end of “Circo Soledad” Arjona started his set with his single “Ella.” As the curtain went down revealing the circus-themed stage, the band appeared on the scene and Arjona made his appearance by coming out from the inside of the puppet theater.
His 2002 hit “El Problema” featured a mix of white lights, the red and gold colors from the circus stage and a spotlight that illuminated a crowd that couldn’t stop singing along with the Guatemalan singer.
“It is too generic to say good night El Paso,” Arjona said. “I should say good night Mexico, good night Guatemala, good night Puerto Rico and many others and thank you for being here.”
With strong vocals, new melodic arrangements and a good set of musicians behind him, the Guatemalan singer continued the show with some of his most famous hits such as “Desnuda” and “Te Quiero.”
Every song featured a visual element on the big screen behind the artist. During his performance of “Si El Norte Fuera El Sur,” the audience could not stop cheering when a mockup of Arjona as President Trump appeared. Toward the end of this track, the projection of the American and Mexican flags showed up on stage.
Arjona’s connection with the public was undeniable as the 53-year-old singer stopped a few times during the show to address the crowd. He also allowed a woman from the audience to join him on stage to perform his 2009 hit “Señora de las Cuatro Decadas.”
Dancers, acrobats and a circus car took the stage as the artist performed “Historia de un Taxi” in front of a colorful urban backdrop.
Near the end, the singer performed “Fuiste Tú,” “Te Conozco” and “Minutos” alongside his backing vocalist to finish the show.
Minutes after Arjona left the stage, the artist re-appeared on the scene to please the audience with one more song.
Wrapping up the show with “Mujeres,” the artist thanked the audience one more time as he hit the last notes of the song
After a three-hour show, the Guatemalan artist left the audience satisfied with his performance as he performed over 20 songs, including new singles from his most recent album “Circo Soledad” and the hits that positioned him in the spotlight 30 years ago.
