Wednesday, May 3, 2006 | 7:41 a.m.
Cuban-born singer Jon Secada says he keeps going back to his roots this year.
Secada, who will perform at Caesars Palace on Saturday, has announced he will be a celebrity judge on the Latin American version of "American Idol."
"It's going to be very cool, very interesting," Secada said recently during a telephone interview from his home in Miami. "It will be the same format as 'American Idol' - only it will be in Spanish."
He says he will work on the project a couple of months a year, August through part of October.
It will air in about 25 countries.
He says he will be the only artist attached to the show. Other judges will be music industry people in Latin America.
Secada says he doesn't know how he is going to feel about criticizing young talent.
"I'll see when I'm part of it," he said.
Secada, 44, says he will be spending a lot of time in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where "Latin American Idol" will be shot for airing this summer.
"I'm very excited," the three-time Grammy winner said. "I keep going back to my Latin roots."
His roots are in Cuba, where he was born and lived until age 8, when his parents brought the family to the United States.
Earlier this year he paid his roots a visit. "I performed for the troops on the (U.S.) naval base at Guantanamo," he said. "It was amazing - I was back on Cuban soil, for the first time since I was a kid."
He says he has faint memories of his homeland.
"My dad was in prison - the memories were kind of heart-wrenching," Secada said.
He looks forward to the day when Cuba will be free and he can do more than perform at Guantanamo.
"Castro can't last forever," Secada said.
Secada's parents settled in Miami, where they operated a coffee shop. Secada attended the University of Miami, where he earned a bachelor's and a master's degree in jazz vocal performance and became a teacher at Miami Community College.
During the 1980s he was an occasional backup singer and songwriter for the Miami Sound Machine, the vehicle that launched the careers of Gloria Estefan and her husband, Emilio.
Secada co-wrote Gloria Estefan's hit, "Coming Out of the Dark."
In 1992 Secada's debut album, "Jon Secada," sold more than 7 million copies worldwide, and his single "Just Another Day" (written by Secada) became one of the biggest-selling singles of that year.
Secada - whose albums have sold more than 20 million copies - is known for his diversity as both a singer and songwriter, pulling from his Latin roots and his love of jazz, R&B and pop.
He will be in Las Vegas for the Cinco de Mayo weekend, performing at Caesars' 3,000-seat Roman Plaza Amphitheater.
His concert will include promoting his latest CD, "Same Dream," released by Big3 Records.
One cut on the album, "Free," was written by country singer/songwriter Joey Daniels, who is opening for him at Caesars.
In addition to touring and promoting his album, Secada is preparing to record another album, in Spanish.
And he recently won a Grammy for his participation in "Songs From the Neighborhood: A Tribute to Mister Rogers."
"I grew up watching Mr. Rogers," Secada said. "I probably learned a lot of English that way. I was very flattered to be attached to that project."
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