Friday, May 27, 2005 | 6:06 a.m.
WEEKEND EDITION
May 28 - 30, 2005
Who: Jose Feliciano.
When: 9 tonight.
Where: Las Vegas Hilton Theater.
Tickets: $41, $57.50.
Information: 732-5755.
1. "Fantastic Feliciano," RCA, 1966.
2. "Feliciano!" RCA, 1968.
3. "10 to 23," RCA, 1969.
4. "Souled," RCA, 1969.
5. "Fireworks," RCA, 1970.
6. "Jose Feliciano 'Feliz Navidad'," RCA, 1973.
7. "And the Feeling's Good," RCA, 1974.
8. "Jose Feliciano," Motown, 1980.
9. "Tu Immenso Amor (Your Immense Love)," EMI Latin, 1987.
10. "And the Sun Will Shine," Raven, 1998.
Source: All Music Guide
Jose Feliciano is happy to wish you "Feliz Navidad."
Just not in May.
"People ask for it all year," Feliciano said. "I have to tell them it's not the season."
The revered Christmas anthem aside, there's no telling what Feliciano might perform when he headlines the Las Vegas Hilton Theater at 9 tonight.
The blind vocalist and guitarist is spending 2005 celebrating 50 years as a performer, dating back to his early years as a child in New York City.
One of the first musicians to successfully bridge the divide between Latin and English pop, Feliciano became a household name in the United States with his 1968 version of the Doors' "Light My Fire," a cover that reached No. 3 on Billboard's pop singles chart.
Also that year, Feliciano captured the first two of six career Grammy Awards, one for Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Performance ("Light My Fire") and the other for Best New Artist.
Since then, the 59-year-old Feliciano has alternated between Spanish and English releases, reaching the upper regions of the charts in both languages.
Feliciano was a mainstay on the Latin Pop album chart during the 1980s, finding the Top 10 five times during that decade.
His 1998 disc, "Senor Bolero," signaled a return to form, peaking at No. 1 on the Latin Pop chart and No. 2 on the Top Latin Album chart and earning double-platinum certification in the United States for sales topping 2 million units.
On Wednesday, Feliciano took time for a phone interview with the Las Vegas Sun from his home in Connecticut:
Las Vegas Sun: How did your 50-year performing career begin?
Jose Feliciano: I was 9 years old. I played the accordion at the time. That was my first performance in the public eye.
Sun: Did you ever think you'd be going strong five decades later?
JF: I'm very surprised myself, but I'm happy about it. The fans have been great.
Sun: Obviously, to stay on the road this long, you must really enjoy it. What keeps it fun for you?
JF: I love being with the audiences. And the fact that I like to play. I've always enjoyed playing.
Sun: It looks like you still get out for quite a few dates each year.
JF: I've been touring a lot. This year I go to Europe. I'm playing the Montreux Jazz Festival in July.
Sun: Your last project was a collection of traditional Mexican mariachi songs (2004's "A Mexico ... Con Amor"). What's next?
JF: I'm hoping it will be an album of all-original material.
Sun: Have you been writing?
JF: Yes, I've written quite a few. I've been recording in my studio for years, and I've come up with what I think are some great songs. I can give you the titles if you'd like ...
Sun: Sure.
JF: I wrote a song for 9/11 called "Killing's Not the Answer." I've written pop tunes like "She's in My Blood." I wrote a song about my children called "It's Just Dad." And I wrote a song called "That Summer," which is about summertime and things of that nature.
I'm also working on an instrumental album of tunes in the Django Reinhardt style. That album will be called "Django-izing." My pop album will be called "Soundtracks of My Life."
Sun: Why do you think it was so easy for you to transition back and forth between English and Spanish music at a time when so few artists were doing it?
JF: I've been very lucky that I have had two careers. It's very rare that an artist has two careers. A lot of other Latin artists have tried it, but I was the first successful one back in 1968 with "Light My Fire."
Sun: You've been referred to as the first Latin "crossover" artist ...
JF: Kind of, but I have to give a little bit of credit to Ritchie Valens. He really was the first Latin to get into the American circuit, in 1959 with "La Bamba."
Sun: What do you think of the success of recent crossover stars such as Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin and Shakira?
JF: I've been very surprised. Musically, I always thought if given a chance, Latin music could be as big as the British Invasion. But I'm still very surprised, happily surprised.
Sun: Was there something about "Light My Fire" that made you think it could be a breakthrough hit for you?
JF: I was a Doors fan. I liked their music. I didn't know whether it would be a hit, but when I performed it, it fit me very well. So that's what made me perform it.
Sun: Did you expect "Feliz Navidad" to become such an enduring holiday favorite?
JF: I wrote that in 1970, as part of a Christmas album called "Feliz Navidad." I didn't know whether that song would be a hit, but I made it bilingual so that radio stations wouldn't have any excuse not to play it.
Sun: And now you hear it wherever you go ...
JF: Every Christmas. It's a good feeling.
Sun: Some musicians born without sight speculate they developed a keen sense of hearing as a result. Do you think that was true in your case, and might it have been what attracted you to music?
JF: I don't think so. I was drawn to music because I love music. I was born blind, so I don't know what the other sense is totally like.
But I never felt like I was missing anything, and I think if I developed my other senses more, it's because you have to in order to take care of yourself.
Sun: You've been playing Las Vegas for most of your career. Do you feel like it's been a good town for you?
JF: No question. I played Vegas back in 1968 -- I opened for Bobbie Gentry at Caesars Palace. And then I opened for Frank Sinatra, which was great.
I love Las Vegas. It's always been very good for me. I love playing there.
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