Marc Anthony mesmerizes fans in Viña del Mar

Singer Marc Anthony captivated the audience at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in a concert that had fans dancing to his upbeat tunes and romantic ballads.

The 50-year-old Marc Anthony performed on Tuesday night in the Quinta Vergara, accompanied by 15 musicians, including wind instruments, encouraging the audience to dance to the sensual Latin rhythms.

The singer started the night with “Valio la pena” and “Hubo alguien,” and kept fans on their feet for the rest of the performance.

The singer took the stage wearing an elegant suit and sunglasses, which he removed while singing “Hasta ayer,” to show the emotion in his eyes as he sang the touching melody.

“I’m not going to talk much. I am here to sing,” the New York-born singer of Puerto Rican descent told his fans.

The few words he spoke were enough to steal the hearts of fans, who praised him all night long.

“There is no place in the world that feels like Viña. I arrived three days early to enjoy the atmosphere of the event,” the artist said as 15,000 fans chanted his name.

Appearing at the festival for the third time, Marc Anthony sang his early hits, such as “Si te vas” (1998) and “Flor Palida” (2002), which he calls his favorite songs.

The artist, who was married to actress and singer Jennifer Lopez for 10 years, danced to the rhythm of his salsa songs and almost cried during the sad ballads, such as “Vivir lo nuestro” (1994) and “Ahora quien” (2004).

“Where are the women?” the Latin artist asked the audience, which responded with an ovation.

Two excited fans jumped on the stage and approached him, catching security guards by surprise.

The artist also covered “Y como es el?,” a memorable song by Spanish singer Jose Luis Perales, which the two performers sang together at the festival in 2012.

Many fans cried seeing the emotion on Marc Anthony’s face as he sang the lyrics.

Before concluding his performance, festival organizers honored the star with Silver and Gold Seagulls, the event’s awards.

To end the concert, the singer took off his jacket and danced to “Vivir mi vida,” his biggest hit, saying goodbye to the audience at the Quinta Vergara.

Marc Anthony, who made his acting debut in the 1994 film “Natural Causes,” is also a philanthropist who created the Maestro Cares Foundation with Henry Cardenas in 2012 to build orphanages.

The salsa singer opened the third day of the music festival, the largest in Latin America, and was followed on stage by Spanish singer David Bisbal.

The Viña del Mar International Song Festival, now in its 60th year, continues to attract big-name acts, who play to packed houses in this city on Chile’s central Pacific coast.

On Monday night, legendary singer Raphael entertained fans with his romantic ballads, performing his greatest hits as the audience cheered.

The Viña del Mar International Song Festival will also offer concerts by the Backstreet Boys, Becky G and Bad Bunny, among others.

The Chilean music festival is considered one of the most important in Latin America and one of the longest in the world.

The Viña del Mar International Song Festival opened on Sunday and will end on Friday.

By Patricia Lopez Rosell