In the United States, Ms. Venegas may be best known for her appearance on the soundtrack of the 2000 film "Amores Perros." But she is one of Mexico's leading rock songwriters, and like many Mexican rockers she is proudly and casually eclectic. Whether she was playing a little Mexican accordion to hark back to rural music or strumming a guitar, she didn't force her hybrids; lilting melodies always came first. And there is a flirtatious quiver in her voice that gives her songs a girlish lift, even when she has complaints or regrets.

She devoted most of her set to songs from her most recent album, "Sí" (BMG US Latin), which is full of promises of lifelong affection. They dipped into rock, folk-rock and an occasional retro disco beat with the blithe assurance that the next catchy hook was just seconds away. Yet what makes Ms. Venegas something more than Mexico's answer to Jewel is that her songs recognize the uncertainty of romance. On her new album, she's more positive than ever. As her songs unfold, they fill with the slowly dawning realization that things might just work out.

Along with her own songs, Ms. Venegas implicitly declared her allegiance to Mexico with tunes from longtime stars like Juan Gabriel, José José and Los Tigres del Norte. She let herself sing with more bite and sultriness in the older songs, showing how the poppy ease of her own music is a matter of choice. And in one song, Ms. Venegas looked beyond romance: "La Jaula de Oro," a Los Tigres song about a Mexican immigrant father struggling to survive and watching his children assimilate. Here in New York City, where Mexicans are among the latest waves of immigrants, the song drew fervent applause.

Ms. Venegas was performing as part of the Queens Theater's Latino Cultural Festival, which runs through Aug. 8.