Vicente Fernández is to Mexico what Frank Sinatra is to the United States: a musical legend of epic proportions. Latinos throughout North America have embraced Fernández’s music and have made him one of the best-selling artists in the world—though the mainstream American media often ignores his work.

Fernández has released more than 100 albums and sold out countless concerts since his rise to fame in the mid-1960s. The star began his career at the age of eight, when he performed in amateur contests to earn money for his struggling family. In 1976, at the age of 36, Fernández’s career finally gained momentum with the ranchera hit “Volver, Volver.” Today, the song has been covered by countless Spanish-language artists.

The mustachioed Fernández is famous for his live performances, which incorporate glittering mariachi costumes, dozens of musicians and Fernández’s signature oversized sombreros. His latest tour is in support of 2007’s Para Siempre, an album of new material that has been a hit with both fans and critics.

Vicente Fernández appears at the Mandalay Bay Events Center November 29 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $61.40, $84.50, $99.20, $123.25 and $207.35.

By Caitlin McGarry