TAKE FIVEX2 : MEXICAN SUPERSTARS

Thursday, Sept. 14, 2006 | 7:26 a.m.

For fans of Latin music, it doesn't get much better than this weekend. Two Mexican superstars perform in back-to-back concerts at the Mandalay Bay Events Center - Pepe Aguilar on Friday and Alejandro Fernandez on Saturday. Aguilar kicks off a 15-city tour in the United States with his concert.

Fernandez stars in his annual Mexican Independence Day concert.

The two stars are often referred to as rivals, but the feud appears to exist mainly in the minds of fans and the media. Neither singer ever talks about it.

The 38-year-old Aguilar is the son of singers-actors Antonio Aguilar and Flor Silvestre. During his teen years, he was a fan of rock 'n' roll.

Aguilar toured with rock bands during the late '80s, but then returned to his roots and became one of the most popular Latin entertainers in the world. He has seven gold and three platinum albums and has been nominated for nine Grammy awards, winning in 2000 for "Por Una Mujer Bonita."

The 35-year-old Fernandez, like Aguilar, was born into show business - he is the son of Vicente Fernandez, a renowned Mexican singer. However, Fernandez initially chose a career in architecture over music, until his father persuaded him to return to his roots.

PEPE AGUILAR

When: 9 p.m. Friday

Where: Mandalay Bay Events Center

Tickets: $70 to $122

Call: 632-7580

Rock influence

Aguilar cites Pink Floyd as his biggest influence from the world of rock 'n' roll. Aguilar's stage designer, Mark Fisher, also has worked for Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones and Cirque du Soleil, among others.

Latin influence

But Aguilar calls Javier Solis his biggest influence: "My idol and a crooner, for me the best singer who ever lived in Mexico."

On charts

He just released his 16th album, "Enamorado," and both the album and first single, "Se Fue," are moving up the charts. He made his debut as a solo artist in 1990 with "Pepe Aguilar Con Tambora." His 1998 album, "Por Mujeres Como Tu," was a blockbuster, selling more than 2 million copies and spending 52 weeks on Billboard's Latin albums chart.

Production values

In addition to producing 10 of his own albums, he has produced for such Latin luminaries as Lupita D'Alessio, Lupe Pineda and Julieta Venegas.

Making history

In 2002, he became the first regional Mexican singer to perform at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

ALEJANDRO FERNANDEZ

When: 9 p.m. Saturday

Where: Mandalay Bay Events Center

Tickets: $80 to $160

Call: 632-7580

Nickname

Fernandez is called "El Potrillo," which means the colt or little horse. It's a reference to his father, who is called "El Rey," or the king of ranchera singers.

Career path

At the age of 6 he was scheduled to perform at a concert with his father, but developed stage fright that almost ended his career . He didn't sing in public again for more than 10 years. He studied architecture, but then returned to the stage in 1991.

First album

"Alejandro Fernandez" was released in 1992. Since then he has recorded 15 albums, selling more than 20 million copies worldwide.

Earliest hits

The popular single "Como Quien Pierde una Estrella" came from the '95 album. His 1996 release, "Muy Dentro de me Corazon," was double platinum. The 1997 breakout album "Me Estoy Enamorando," which sold more than 3 million copies worldwide, made him a superstar.

Fledgling actor

In 2003 Fernandez had the lead in "Zapata: The Dream of a Hero," a Spanish-language film about the Mexican revolutionary hero Emiliano Zapata.