There’s a vast difference between a musical group that has an occasional hit song on the charts or a trending track on Instagram and Tik-Tok for a month, and a band who has soundtracked the life of millions of fans for multiple decades and generations. Mexican rock en Español band absolutely falls in that second category.
Their eponymous debut album was released in 1987, with Falta Amor dropping shortly after. But the band catapulted into legendary status with 1992’s ¿Dónde jugarán los niños?. Last night showcased a litany of hits from every decade of the group’s existence, accompanied by a joyful Mexican attitude alongside a reverence for the lives and struggles of the band’s fans around the world.
A large translucent curtain was draped front of stage as the lights dimmed. The classic song by Carlos Santana “Oye Como Va” blasted over the loudspeakers, signaling that the show was about to begin. The notes of “Angel De Amor” rang out from behind the curtain as lead singer Fher and the rest of the crew danced as a backlit silhouette, building the energy in the arena until it culminated into a roar once the covering was dropped.
“Bienvenidos a todos los Latinos!” Fher yelled as a greeting to his fans. ‘Y a todos los gringos tambien… Welcome!” Its amazing how much rockstar aura he has, winning over the crowd with a sleek smile, vigerous dance moves and non-stop energy. He can most certainly be compared to Mick Jagger or Steven Tyler the way he moves and shakes and rocks the arena with a seemingly boundless battery. Even at 66 years old, the females are still throwing their bras at him (which he complimented for the perfumed scent last night).
The set list continued with the trio of love songs “Labios Compartidos,” “Vivir Sin Aire” and “Mariposa Tracionera.” Intense love is usually accompanied with at least some heartbreak, and Maná are masters of extolling the duality of love.
The night continued with Fher dividing the crowd in two with his ultra bright torch flashlight. The audience on the left followed the vocal prompts with energy, and the right side followed with even higher radiance and joy. A cover of “Get Up, Stand Up” by Bob Marley followed, and the concert turned into a backyard jam session.
The band’s drummer Alex made his presence heard with an extended drum solo, one of those that build and build to the point of elevated greatness, just like he was elevated on the platform to showcase an array of lights underneath his drum kit. I’ve seen and heard many amazing drummers in my career, and Alex from Maná is easily one of the best to ever do it.
Fher and his bandmates made their traditional B-Stage side set complete with “Me Canse De Rogarle” by Pedro Infante and “El Rey” by Jose Alfredo Jimenez, two of the most iconic Mexican songs ever written. They followed with “Te Llore Todo Un Rio” which was dedicated to Fher’s first love and then “El Reloj Cucu” dedicated in memory of his late mother.
Back on the main stage, Fher asked his production crew to turn off all the house lights, prompting the fans to illuminate their cell phones in unison. It was a beautiful showcase of unity and love, accompanied by a dancing waterfall in front of the stage during the song “No Ha Parado de Lluver.” After all of these years, Maná continues to surprise fans with elevated stage presence and production to accompany the sounds.
“En El Muelle de San Blas” was held as the closing song, and one that is super special to my girlfriend and myself. It’s one of our favorite tracks, and she held me close as we sang along and reminisced about those lovely nights soundtracked by Maná’s love songs.
After more than three decades, Maná is still bringing people together and lighting the way to a brighter future.
“¡Oye, mi amor, no me digas que no
Y vamos juntando las almas!”
