Mike Patton sings Juan Gabriel with mariachi at Bellas Artes
Faith No More frontman Mike Patton sang Juan Gabriel's "Hasta Que Te Conocí" with mariachi backing on 1 October at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico. He shared the song with the Mexican mariachi ensemble Gama Mil. The moment came during his Mondo Cane concert, as reported by Billboard.
Patton is the singer of the San Francisco rock band Faith No More. Mondo Cane is a separate project he started in 2010. It presents classic Italian pop songs from the 1950s and 1960s with a full philharmonic orchestra, a large classical ensemble that plays live alongside the singer.
The Juan Gabriel cover was not a one-off insertion. It anchored a short Mexico-dedicated segment inside the Bellas Artes show. Patton also sang "La Llorona" and "Luz de Luna" in the same section.
He told the crowd it was his first time performing at Bellas Artes. It was his debut there. The remark tied the singer, the hall and the local songs he had chosen for the night.
The Bellas Artes date was part of the Circuito Cervantino, an extension of the International Cervantino Festival. Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura listed the event as 'MIKE PATTON (ESTADOS UNIDOS - ITALIA - MÉXICO) – Mondo Cane' at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, with a start time of 20:00, according to Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura.
Patton had flagged the Mexico dates in advance. In a July announcement he set out two special Mondo Cane performances in Mexico for October, including 1 October at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, according to Facebook. The plan pointed to a short, focussed run rather than a long tour.
He will now carry Mondo Cane to Guanajuato. Patton is due to bring the show to the opening gala of the International Cervantino Festival at the Esplanade of the Alhóndiga de Granaditas. The Festival Internacional Cervantino listed a general single ticket price of $280 for the Mondo Cane event, according to Festival Internacional Cervantino.
What makes this stand out is the combination. A singer from a San Francisco rock band stood with classical players and mariachi musicians and sang in Spanish. For fans heading to Guanajuato, the Bellas Artes night gives a sense of how the show adapts to place.
