Los Angeles ? Alejandro Fernandez starts his concerts wearing the black suit of a mariachi. He ends the shows in the black leather of a pop star.

The scion of Mexico’s legendary singer Vicente Fernandez has set himself apart from legions of other Latin performers by refusing to choose between his traditional roots and pop inclinations.

Fernandez, now on tour with Marc Anthony and Puerto Rico’s Chayanne, hopes the concerts, a pop album to be released Nov. 1 and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December will make for a breakout year in the United States.

The 34-year-old performer splits his shows nearly evenly between classic Mexican Ranchera with a full mariachi band – including seven violins – and newer rock ballads designed to attract a younger crowd.

The singer known as El Portrillo (The Colt) says he’s not about to give up the music that gained him early fame.

“I feel very proud to be an ambassador of Mexican music. Wherever I go, I will always bring my mariachi. It’s what I grew up with. It’s what I love the most,” Fernandez told The Associated Press in Spanish.

Latin singer Alejandro Fernandez, the scion of Mexico's legendary singer Vicente Fernandez, has set himself apart from legions of other Latin performers by refusing to choose between his traditional roots and pop inclinations.

“But as a musician presenting Mexican music, it’s very hard to get noticed internationally,” he said. “I am really happy that people have let me explore this other side.”

His connection to Mexico’s past and present makes Fernandez particularly in demand. He played at Caesars Palace Thursday in Las Vegas to celebrate the eve of Mexican Independence Day and will play host to a documentary on the History Channel en espanol about Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa, followed by a miniseries on the history of Mexico.

Fernandez’s personal history is well-known back home. As a 3-year-old, he briefly joined his father in a concert then burst into tears and fled the stage. For years he avoided performing and studied architecture before recording his first album in 1992, followed by 10 albums celebrating Mexican musical traditions and three pop albums.

Recalling the Ricky Martin-led “Latin invasion” of the late 1990s, which at the time yielded fleeting success for pop stars who attempted to cross over with English audiences, Fernandez is in no rush to produce English-language tunes. For now, he’s content to win over more Spanish-speaking audiences in the United States and around the world.

“I’m interested, but I want to conquer it bit by bit. The person who dedicates themselves completely to the Anglo market can get absorbed completely, and it can take away a lot of time that you would dedicate to attending to your Latino public,” Fernandez said.

His ability to navigate both his country’s history and today’s culture is what prompted the History Channel to select him to promote this month’s series.

“We felt he was such a natural fit,” said Marlene Braga, director of programming and production for the History Channel en espanol. “His own life is steeped in a rich history, as son of a living music legend, Vicente Fernandez, and he marries that history so magnificently with what’s relevant today.”