Maná: The kings of rock en español

One of the most influential and record-breaking bands hails from Guadalajara, Mexico. Maná, originally named Sombrero Verde, translates to good energy. To illustrate just how loved and special this band is, they hold the record of most sold out shows by a band at the famous Staples Center, totaling 11 sold out shows. Maná has received accolades like the lifetime achievement honor from Billboard Latin Music, charting 32 songs on the Hot Latin Songs chart, and a record-breaking 11 No. 1 songs on the Airplay chart — the only band to do so. In the United States, they’ve won 4 Grammys, not counting their 8 Latin Grammys, sold more than 40 million records, and were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

On top of their numerous awards and recognitions, Maná has impacted the Latino community and brought awareness to the culture, making the difficult crossover into the American mainstream. As a Mexican-American woman, Maná has always been able to rope me back into appreciating my culture and upbringing. If my mom was not playing Maná or other Spanish music early on the weekend mornings, it was not a normal morning. We would often be woken up by lead singer, Fher Olvera’s intoning and singing about love and the Earth. 

During my timidly rebellious teenage years, the song “Me Vale” would be playing nonstop, to the dismay of my mother who heard the turbulent lyrics saying “Que piensen mis padres de mi?/Solo tengo que decir/me vale, me vale” or, “What do my parents think about me?/I only have one thing to say/I don’t care.” Today, Maná provides the soundtrack to homesick moments and my need to hear my native language once more. Songs like “En El Muelle De San Blas” and “Oye Mi Amor” make me think about my family, who is 400 miles away, and allow for that connection to be formed with the emotions of Maná’s storytelling. 

Maná’s songs are more than a catchy beat or guitar solo; they tell stories about the relationship between people and nature. In “¿Donde jugaran los ninos?” a grandfather tells his grandchild his stories about the blue sky, abundant trees, and a clear and odorless river. When the grandfather dies, the lyrics describe how the Earth is rotting and about to split in two as the ocean vomits rivers of oil. The longstanding and distressing question asked throughout is ¿Donde jugaron los ninos?, or where will the children play? 

Maná does not only vocalize their environmentalism through their music; they also founded the Selva Negra Ecological Foundation in 1996 to bring climate change awareness to the world. The Selva Negra Foundation works on environmental education, reforestation projects, and even providing music and tools for indigenous communities. Their song, “Cuando Los Angeles Lloran” talks about Chico Mendes, a Brazilian Amazonian activist who was murdered for advocating to save the trees and to put an end to deforestation. Olvera dedicated this song to Mendes, and was inspired by his strive to preserve the Amazon rainforests. 

“You never know, we could be playing in front of the future president, and they could feel inspired to make a change,” said drummer Alex Gonzales in a Rolling Stone interview on what it means to play their music to crowds. 

Along with their environmental activism, they give back to the Latine community, partnered with the Univision Foundation and their own Selva Negra Environmental Foundation. Additionally, Maná launched a $10,000 scholarship program, which provided 15 scholarships to Latine students aged 18-35 who have helped the environment and their communities, which were made available to not only U.S. citizens,but also to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, who often have little to no opportunities given for scholarships such as this one. Maná has also voiced their push for immigration reform, again reflected in their music. In 2019, the scholarship recipients were also flown out to Los Angeles to attend and be presented on stage at the band’s closing tour show at The Forum. In this tour, Maná broke the record for selling out the Forum 7 times in a single tour. 

In their 30+ years in the music industry, Maná have proven to be a monumental rock band. With awards and records under their wings, they have also been outspoken supporters for the Latine community, climate change activism and so much more. They are a great example of using music to change the world into a better place. 

“I see [our music] as a means to protest, to spread ideas and share them…as a Latin group, Maná carries that ethos and that way of thinking,” says Olvera in a Rolling Stone interview. 

Maná proves their importance to the history of rock music by breaking records and charts, while still managing to change and save the world. They will rightfully go down in music history as the band that brings the Latine community together and hails them as the kings of rock en español. 

Written by Stephanie Enciso