Quito, Jul 16 (IANS/EFE): Salsa star Marc Anthony captivated more than 20,000 fans in the Ecuadorian capital with a show packed with tremendous hip-shaking energy.

Some of his all-time hits like "Contra la Corriente" (Against the Current), "Valio la Pena" (It Was Worth It), and "Tu Amor Me Hace Bien" (Your Love Does Me Good), backed by a powerful band of a dozen musicians, connected the salsa singer with his diverse audience in a somewhat short concert - less than 15 numbers - but one that unquestionably rocked.

With "Aguanile", by salsa innovator Hector Lavoe, he kicked off a show marked by the dramatics and daring stage presence that was all Marc Anthony, all seduction and kissing the ladies, that motion gone wild of hips, hands and head all over the stage.

The audience was excited with hits like "Y Hubo Alguien" (And There Was Someone) and "Vivir lo Nuestro" (Doing Our Thing).

The cold, rainy weather all Thursday afternoon soaked the concert site at the Atahualpa Olympic Stadium and at times turned the hardy audience into a sea of ponchos and umbrellas.

"Enjoyment is something you have inside, people shouldn't be put off by the rain," two excited friends named Fernanda and Fernanda said about their chance to see the singer perform live for the first time.

"Forget the umbrellas, we've got to throw away the umbrellas and dance," said Monica, another of the singer's fans who was there with her husband.

Wearing an elegant black suit accented by a silver necklace and a huge ring on one hand, the singer from Harlem of Puerto Rican origin referred to his mixed roots by leading into songs like "Esos" (Those Guys) and "Arriba Mi Gente" (Up With My People) with his standard introductory line "Check it out".

The vindictive "Te Conozco Bien" (I Know You Well) in which the singer replies to a girlfriend who is "sorry" she left him for another man, was bellowed deafeningly by the audience.

But after the vinegar came the sugary sweet "Tu Amor Me Hace Bien" (Your Love Does Me Good) to close the concert as the perfect prelude to a weekend between the sheets.