1 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:08,960 Speaker 1: From Futuro Media. It's Latino USA. I'm Maria Rosa today 2 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:21,800 Speaker 1: the legendary rock en Espanol band Mana. Over their decades 3 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 1: long career, Mana has sold over forty million albums worldwide. 4 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 1: The Grammy winning Rocqueros made a name for themselves playing 5 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: fusions of reggae, salsa, rock and punk. The current band 6 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: members include fer Orberra, Alex Consalez, Serjo Bajin, and Juan Cairos. 7 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 1: Mana didn't start out playing stadiums. Over three decades ago. 8 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 1: Lead singer Fair was playing small venues in Guadalajara with 9 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: his band The Green Hat, and he was singing in. 10 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 2: English stay all the time. 11 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 1: They quickly changed their names to Sombrero Verdem and they 12 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 1: started singing in Spanish. They eventually added drummer Alex and 13 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty six they became Mana. Since then, they 14 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: released eleven albums. Their nineteen ninety two album Don de 15 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: Jugaran los Minos is the best selling Spanish language rock 16 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 1: album of all time. Hola Migols, Welcome to this morning's 17 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 1: Walk of Fame ceremony. In twenty sixteen, they became the 18 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: first Mexican rock band to receive a star on the 19 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in twenty eighteen, they received 20 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: the Latin Music Lifetime Award from Billboard and were awarded 21 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 1: Person of the Year at the Latin Grammys. But back 22 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: when they were just starting out, drummer Alex Gonzalez says, 23 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: it wasn't all that easy for this How I made 24 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 1: it segment. Alex is going to take it from here. 25 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 2: This is Alex Gonzalez. I am the drummer, one of 26 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 2: the songwriters and producers of the rock En Espanio band 27 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:35,920 Speaker 2: Manall before nineteen eighty six, Fernando l lead singer. He 28 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:42,959 Speaker 2: had another band that was called Sombrero Verdin. They were 29 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 2: influenced by a lot of the new wave stuff that 30 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 2: was going on, especially the police drug so they already 31 00:02:54,680 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 2: had that reggae rock fusion. They wanted to be a 32 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 2: rock band, and if you look at the majority of 33 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:05,639 Speaker 2: rock bands in the world, they sing in English, She's 34 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 2: a rich girl. So they were just trying to imitate 35 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 2: their idols and their bands. But then you know, Fernando said, 36 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 2: you know, wait a minute. You know, we live in Mexico. 37 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 2: We should be singing about the things that we're concerned 38 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:34,359 Speaker 2: about or that we want to talk about or things 39 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 2: that we love. It just made sense singing rock and 40 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 2: his Fino. I was part of that band. They were 41 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 2: looking for a new drummer. When I was fifteen years 42 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 2: old and I moved to Guala Lajadra. That band, this 43 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 2: banded and Fed says, you know what, I want to 44 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 2: start a new band, but I want to incorporate even 45 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 2: more elements of Latin music into the pop rock that 46 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 2: we're doing. That's when Now was established. Man Now is 47 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 2: a pop rock band. But the great thing about our 48 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:18,279 Speaker 2: band is that we're very universal when it comes to music. 49 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 2: We could play alternative stuff reggae rock, but we can 50 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:34,920 Speaker 2: have sky punk. Then we can have Mexican trial music, 51 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 2: or even Cuban music, even Mariacci. We weren't trying to 52 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:52,159 Speaker 2: invent the wheel. We just wanted to play what we 53 00:04:52,200 --> 00:05:02,479 Speaker 2: wanted to hear. We grew up with the classic rock bands, 54 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 2: I mean the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, YouTube Pink Floyd. On 55 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 2: the other hand, you know, we were listening to and 56 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 2: we were listening to Bob Marley, so I think we 57 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 2: were never afraid to try to mix it within our 58 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 2: style of music. When you're starting a new band, and 59 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:44,599 Speaker 2: you're starting to do these fusions. It doesn't always work out. 60 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 2: And he said, well, I think there's an audience out 61 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 2: there for people that like this kind of music. That's 62 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 2: our first album had very little airplay, but it was 63 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:13,320 Speaker 2: an album that to record was difficult because we had 64 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 2: a producer that obviously he believed in the band, but 65 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:19,360 Speaker 2: he changed a lot of the sound and the production. 66 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 2: But you know, it was the beginning of what now 67 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 2: is Mana. We leave that record company and we start 68 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:39,040 Speaker 2: writing music again, trying to see if there's any way, 69 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 2: you know, if you getting a record deal. And then 70 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 2: one day we went to a record company. The president 71 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 2: said that we would never make it, that you know, 72 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:49,040 Speaker 2: rocken Espanol is just a fad, that that type of 73 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 2: music won't last. Fed and I we came back very sad. 74 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 2: Fernando went downstairs and he bought two Kawama beers, which 75 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 2: are like huge, huge beers. We started putting together this 76 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:06,479 Speaker 2: music and Fed stayed the whole evening writing until the 77 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:08,480 Speaker 2: early hours of the morning, and then when I woke up, 78 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 2: he says, hey, Alex, I have the lyrics to the song. 79 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 2: The song. That song basically saved our career. Turned out 80 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 2: to be Rana Jagas song. Yeah, the radio station started 81 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:41,240 Speaker 2: playing it and the fans started calling those days leases 82 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 2: who's our manager? We had the telephone number of our office, 83 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 2: which was just where Lisa's was living his bedroom with 84 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 2: a telephone. When Ryander Soul started getting a lot of airplaying, 85 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 2: the phone started picking up and so we started getting 86 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 2: more calls to play. So we said, oh, here we go, 87 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 2: Almar Christino Eli. It took us a long time to 88 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:10,680 Speaker 2: break into Mexico City. We're from Gualalajaa. In our case, 89 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:14,640 Speaker 2: Mexico City was like another country and it was very 90 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 2: hard to get in. So I said so many, you know, 91 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 2: I stopped, but man now was doing extremely well. In 92 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 2: the rest of the country. We would travel in this 93 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 2: small Volkswagen comedy and sometimes, you know, we would sleep 94 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:32,959 Speaker 2: in there because we would just make enough money, you know, 95 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 2: maybe for a motel room, and we flip a point 96 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 2: and see who's going to be able to sleep in 97 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 2: the bed. But we worked so hard and we were 98 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 2: so determined, and the buzz really took off. And then 99 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 2: when we come out with a dis where were the 100 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:48,199 Speaker 2: children playing? That's when we really exploded, and we did 101 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:50,599 Speaker 2: two sold out shows and at Palacelos de Portis in 102 00:08:50,880 --> 00:09:02,319 Speaker 2: nineteen ninety three. No Mexican band had done that. When 103 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:05,319 Speaker 2: it comes out, that was like the album that broke 104 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 2: us internationally. So the band went from playing clubs to 105 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 2: now playing very big venues. From there it went to 106 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:27,360 Speaker 2: baseball stadiums, football stadiums to cut us up. We were 107 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 2: already dabbing into social issues. We were talking about the 108 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 2: very dire dangerous situation with the environment. Yeah, there were 109 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:44,600 Speaker 2: people that knew about the environment and how important it is, 110 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 2: and there were environmental groups, but it wasn't so huge 111 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 2: like it is now. Every single album we would talk 112 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:00,559 Speaker 2: about something like, for example, with the first record for 113 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:06,640 Speaker 2: that More, that song is talking about all the homeless 114 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:19,320 Speaker 2: kids that aren't in Mexico. When we start playing in 115 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:22,079 Speaker 2: the United States, when we start seeing how the Latino 116 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 2: community has given so much, I never saw so much 117 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 2: backlash against Mexicans, and not only Mexicans, but people from 118 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 2: other countries or races, we were saying, well, it's important 119 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 2: to support the community. We've told Latinos not to be afraid. 120 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 2: The United States is made up of immigrants. I think 121 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 2: there's more good people in the United States than bad people. 122 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 2: And we always said, if someday we would become famous, 123 00:10:58,240 --> 00:10:59,960 Speaker 2: we would want to use that platform to talk about 124 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:15,320 Speaker 2: things that we're concerned about. God, we've accomplished and achieved 125 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 2: more than we ever dreamed about. When you have to 126 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:23,640 Speaker 2: work so hard, you really protect what you have and 127 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 2: you don't take it for granted, and you cherish it 128 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:29,240 Speaker 2: every day and you're thankful every day, and every day 129 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 2: you get up on stage and you see that we're 130 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:35,319 Speaker 2: overwhelmed by seeing all those fans and all the passion. 131 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 2: As long as we're healthy and we still are hungry 132 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:48,920 Speaker 2: and passionate as we are, there's there's gonna be Manah 133 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 2: for a long time. Listen. 134 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:31,559 Speaker 1: This episode was produced by Gini Montalvo and edited by 135 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 1: Sophia Palisaka. The Latino USA team includes Lean Macias, Andrea 136 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:42,000 Speaker 1: Lopez Cruzado, Marta Martinez, Mike Sargent, Julieta Martinelli, Victori Estrada, 137 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:46,880 Speaker 1: Gini Montalvo, Alejandras Alas, Rinaldo, Leanoz Junior, and Julia Rochak, 138 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:50,400 Speaker 1: with help from Traul Prees. Our engineers are Stephanie Lebau, 139 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:54,480 Speaker 1: Julia Caruso, and Lia Shaw. Our digital editor is res Luna. 140 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 1: Our New York Women's Foundation a night fellow is Mari Esquinka. 141 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:02,200 Speaker 1: Our intern is Oscar. Our theme music was composed by 142 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:04,720 Speaker 1: Sane Robinos. If you like the music you heard on 143 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:08,199 Speaker 1: this episode, stop by Latinousa dot org and check out 144 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 1: our weekly Spotify playlist. I'm your host and executive producer 145 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:15,359 Speaker 1: Marie no Hosa. Join us again on our next episode, 146 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:18,320 Speaker 1: and in the meantime, look for us on social media. 147 00:13:18,559 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 2: Bye. 148 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 3: Latino USA is made possible in part by New York 149 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:30,600 Speaker 3: Women's Foundation, The New York Women's Foundation, funding women leaders 150 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:34,680 Speaker 3: that build solutions in their communities and celebrating thirty years 151 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 3: of radical generosity, The Ford Foundation, working with visionaries on 152 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:44,440 Speaker 3: the front lines of social change worldwide, and the John D. 153 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 3: And Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Okay translation, this is. 154 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 2: Early for musicians. 155 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 1: I'm marieng no JSA. Next time on Latino USA, we 156 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 1: dig into the meaning of the term cholo, how it's 157 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:08,960 Speaker 1: being reclaimed, and how its violent history still plagues those 158 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:15,520 Speaker 1: who use it. That's next time on Latino USA.