Known as the U2 of rock-en-Español, Mexican band Maná have attracted a huge audience with their prosaic but remarkably popular strain of Latin-influenced rock music, winning four Grammy Awards and selling more than 16 million records worldwide.
Fher Olvera (b. Fernando Olvera, 8 December 1959, Puebla, Mexico; vocals), Juan Calleros (bass) and Ulises Calleros (guitar) first played together in garage band Green Hat Spies, and recorded two albums in the early 80s as part of Sombrero Verde. When drummer Alexander González aka El Animal (b. 24 February 1969, Miami, Florida, USA; drums) joined them in 1986 the band changed their name to Maná, and two years later they released their self-titled debut album. The follow-up, Falta Amor, built on the commercial breakthrough of Maná and was buoyed by the radio success of ‘Rayando El Sol’. A number of personnel changes ensued in the early 90s, with Ulises Calleros becoming the band’s manager and new recruits César López and Iván González briefly expanding the line-up to a quintet. Sergio Vallín (b. Sergio Vallín Loera, 26 May 1973, Mexico City, Mexico; guitar) joined Olvera, González and Juan Calleros in 1994, completing Maná’s most familiar line-up.
Although they sing in Spanish and have resisted the urge to record in English, claiming they do not want to become like any other band on MTV, the band’s most frequent comparison points are U2, Bruce Springsteen, Peter Gabriel, Midnight Oil and the Police. Maná claim to be ‘anti-rock stars’ and socio-political preoccupations are at the forefront of their lyric writing with songs about Mexican immigrants (‘Pobre Juan’) and the rights of Mexico’s indigenous people (‘Justicia, Tierra Y Libertad’), although they are also not adverse to platitudinous songs about love.
In 1995, Maná founded Selva Negra (Black Jungle), a non-profit foundation intended to protect several hundred miles of Pacific coastline in Mexico and which has been acknowledged with a Billboard Spirit Of Hope award. The foundation has also funded schooling for the indigenous people of Chiapas, provided food to communities in need, and supported organisations such as Greenpeace and Amnesty International.
Maná was notably invited by Carlos Santana to appear on his (multi-million selling) 1999 album Supernatural. The quartet wrote and produced the song ‘Corazon Espinado’ for the release, for which they won two Grammy Awards. Having toured together, Santana subsequently appeared on Maná’s 2002 release Revolución De Amor, as did legendary Latin vocalist Rubén Blades. A four-year hiatus preceded the release of their next studio album, Amar Es Combatir, which reached the US mainstream Top 5.
