Mana
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Maná is a Mexican rock group that had its origins near the end of the 1970s in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Their sound has strong influences from hard rock and more mellow pop sounds with additional influences from calypso and reggae.
Early history
The band was first organized in 1980 with the name of Sombrero Verde (Green Hat). The band began by singing covers in English, but then added Spanish numbers to their repertoire. In 1981, they recorded their first album, Sombrero Verde. Their second album, A Ritmo de Rock appeared in 1983.The group reorganized under the name of Maná (a Biblical reference to the heavenly mannah provided for the Israelites in the desert, as well as meaning "supernatural force" (mana) in Polynesia) with Fher Olvera as lead vocalist, brothers Juan Diego and Ulises Calleros on bass and lead guitar, respectively, and Alex "El Animal" González, a young Cuban-Colombian on drums. They released their first eponymous album for Polygram in 1986.
Commercial Success
The group's first hit album was Falta Amor, which was released in 1990, but did not become a hit until the next year. The first track from that album "Rayando el Sol" became their first hit single. They began to tour, performing more than 250 times in Mexico, and also abroad in Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia.1992 brought two new members to the group, Iván González on keyboards and César "Vampiro" López on guitar. Ulises Calleros no longer performed with the group, but became one of their managers. They also released a new album called ¿Dónde Jugarán los Niños? The band undertook an international tour with 268 concerts in 17 countries, including an appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.
In 1994, Iván González and César López left the group. Fher, Alex, and Juan continued to perform as a trio and released a live album entitled Maná en Vivo with the collaboration of Gustavo Orozco on guitar, Sheila Ríos on vocals, and Juan Carlos Toribio on keyboards.
In 1994, Sergio Vallín brought a new sound to Maná on guitar. The group released Cuando los Ángeles Lloran. The group also started a foundation that year, Selva Negra, to advocate for ecological causes.
In 1997, the group released Sueños Líquidos, recorded in Puerto Vallarta, which hit the markets in 36 countries simultaneously. They also released a retrospective album for distribution in Spain called Todo Maná.
Collaborations
In December 1998, they were invited by Carlos Santana to collaborate on his album Supernatural. One of the tracks "Corazón Espinado" was composed by Fher. This gave them exposure in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. They also appeared on the Grammy Award presentations, the Tonight Show, and on MTV. The live performance was released in the Americas and Spain on CD and DVD as MTV Unplugged. They released a greatest hits album for distribution in Italy called Grandes Maná.In 2002, the group released an album called Revolución de Amor, on which Santana also appeared in the title track. In 2003, they released a version of "Eres mi Religión" (you are my religion) with Italian singer Zucchero and appeared in the annual Pavarotti and Friends concert. At the end of the year, they released a three-disc retrospective called Maná Esenciales.
Critical Review
Alex González has been regarded as one of the best pop/rock drummers in the world. (Modern Drummer, March 1997)
Some critics have compared Fher Olvera voice to that of Sting, who is a successful English rock singer and was the lead vocalist for the rock group The Police. There was a rumor that Fher was going to record a duet with Sting on the internet, but it appears that it was just a rumor.
All Music Guide reviewer Sandra Brennan has said "Mexican pop-rockers Maná are considered the kings of Latino rock and have a huge following in the United States."
Italian singer Zucchero performed a duet with Mana on the song "Eres Mi Relgión" and, Baila Morena
Awards
Maná did well at the first annual Latin Grammy Awards in fall 2000, winning the award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for the song "Se Me Olvidó Otra Vez", which was on their 1999 release MTV Unplugged.Discography
- Maná (1987)
- Falta Amor (1990)
- ¿Dónde Jugarán Los Niños? (1992)
- Maná En Vivo (1994)
- Cuando Los Ángeles Lloran (1995)
- Sueños Líquidos (1997)
- Maná MTV Unplugged (1999)
- Todo Maná (2001)
- Grandes Maná (2001)
- Revolución De Amor (2002)
- (2003)
- (2003)
- (2003)
- Amar es Combatir (2006)
Music DVD
- Maná MTV Unplugged (1999)
- Total Access (Acceso total) (2006)
External links
- [Official site]
- [Review and overview] at All Music Guide, has discography
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