1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: Hey, Latino USA listener, Here's a show the Los Chivos 2 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:12,719 Speaker 1: from Fudro Media and PRX. It's Latino USA. I'm Maria 3 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: Rosa today Spanish rock legend Manna. Over their decades long career, 4 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:32,199 Speaker 1: Mana has sold over forty million albums worldwide and they 5 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 1: continue to have a devoted audience. The Grammy winning Rocqueros 6 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,959 Speaker 1: made a name for themselves playing fusions of reggae, salsa, 7 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:47,960 Speaker 1: rock and punk. The current band members include fer Orberra, 8 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: Alex Consalez, Sejo Bayin and Juan Caileros. Earlier this year, 9 00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 1: on their latest tour, they played seven sold shows at 10 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:07,400 Speaker 1: the La Forum, breaking a record previously shared by the 11 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: Eagles and Kanye West. But Mana didn't start out playing stadiums. 12 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:21,919 Speaker 1: Over three decades ago, lead singer Fed was playing small 13 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:25,479 Speaker 1: venues in Guadalajara with his band The Green Hat, and 14 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: he was singing in. 15 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 2: English all the time. 16 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:36,319 Speaker 1: They quickly changed their names to Sombrero Verde and they 17 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 1: started singing in Spanish. They eventually added drummer Alex and 18 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty six they became Mana. Since then, they 19 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 1: released eleven albums. Their nineteen ninety two album Donde Jugaran 20 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 1: los Minos is the best selling Spanish language rock album 21 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 1: of all time. Hola, mygal, Welcome to this morning's Walk 22 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: of Fame ceremony. In twenty sixteen, they became the first 23 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: Mexican rock band to receive a star on the Hollywood 24 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:23,639 Speaker 1: Walk of Fame, and in twenty eighteen, they received the 25 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:27,640 Speaker 1: Latin Music Lifetime Award from Billboard and were awarded Person 26 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: of the Year at the Latin Grammys. But back when 27 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: they were just starting out, drummer Alex Gonzalez says, it 28 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 1: wasn't all that easy for this How I made it segment. 29 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: Alex is going to take it from here. 30 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:46,559 Speaker 2: This is Alex Gonzalez. 31 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 3: I am the drummer, one of the songwriters and producers 32 00:02:50,200 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 3: of the rocken Espanio band Manna. Before nineteen eighty six, 33 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 3: Fernando the lead singer. He had another band that was 34 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:11,079 Speaker 3: called Sombrero Verdan. They were influenced by a lot of 35 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 3: the new wave stuff that was going on, especially the Police, 36 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 3: so they already had that reggae rock fusion. They wanted 37 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 3: to be a rock band, and if you look at 38 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 3: the minority of rock bands in the world, they. 39 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 2: Sing in English. You know, she's a rich girl. 40 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 3: So they were just trying to imitate their idols and 41 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 3: their bands. But then, you know, Fernando said, you know, 42 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 3: wait a minute. You know, we live in Mexico. We 43 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 3: should be singing about the things that we're concerned about, 44 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 3: or that we want to talk about, or things that 45 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:06,840 Speaker 3: we love. It just made sense singing rock and Hispanoic 46 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 3: I was part of that band. 47 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 2: They were looking for a new drummer. 48 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 3: When I was fifteen years old and I moved to 49 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 3: Gualala Jada, that band, this bandedn't fed says, you know what, 50 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 3: I want to start a new band, but I want 51 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 3: to incorporate even more elements of Latin music into the pop. 52 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 2: Rock that we're doing. 53 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 3: And that's when man Now was established. Man Now is 54 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,160 Speaker 3: a pop rock band. But the great thing about our 55 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 3: band is that we're very universal when it comes to music. 56 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 3: We could play alternative stuff, reggae rock, but we can 57 00:04:55,080 --> 00:05:06,919 Speaker 3: have skot punk, we can have Mexican trial music, or 58 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:17,599 Speaker 3: even Cuban music, even Mariacci. We weren't trying to invent 59 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 3: the wheel. We just wanted to play what we wanted 60 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:29,559 Speaker 3: to hear. We grew up with the classic rock bands, 61 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 3: I mean the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, YouTube, Pink Floyd. On 62 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 3: the other hand, you know, we were listening to Celia 63 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:54,719 Speaker 3: Cruz and we were listening to Bob Marley, So I 64 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:58,160 Speaker 3: think we were never afraid to try to mix it 65 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 3: within our style of music. When you're starting a new 66 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:05,159 Speaker 3: band and you're starting to do these fusion it doesn't 67 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 3: always work out. And he said, well, I think there's 68 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 3: an audience out there for people that like this kind 69 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 3: of music. That's our first album had very little airplay, 70 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 3: but it was an album that to record was difficult 71 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 3: because we had a producer that obviously he believed in 72 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 3: the band, but he changed a lot of the sound 73 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 3: in the production. 74 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:49,480 Speaker 2: But you know, it was the beginning of what now 75 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:50,040 Speaker 2: is Wana. 76 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:04,479 Speaker 3: We leave that record company and we start writing music again, 77 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 3: trying to see if there's any way, you know, if 78 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 3: getting a record deal. 79 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 2: And then one day we went to a record company. 80 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 3: The president said that we would never make it, that, 81 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 3: you know, rock and Espanol is just a fad, that 82 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 3: that type of music won't last. 83 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 2: Fed and I we came back Garry sad. 84 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 3: Fernando went downstairs and he bought two Kawama beers which 85 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 3: are like huge, huge beers. We started putting together this 86 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 3: music and Fed stayed the whole evening writing until the 87 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 3: early hours of the morning. And then when I woke up, 88 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 3: he says, hey, Alex, I have the lyrics to the song. 89 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 2: That song basically saved our career. Turned out to be. 90 00:07:58,280 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 4: Ja song. 91 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 3: The radio station started playing it and the fans started calling. 92 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 2: In those days, leases who's our manager. 93 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 3: We had the telephone number of our office, which was 94 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 3: just where Lisa's was living his bedroom with a telephone. 95 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 3: When Ryan and So started getting a lot of airplane 96 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:21,640 Speaker 3: the phone started picking up, and so we started getting 97 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:22,360 Speaker 3: more calls to play. 98 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 2: So we said, oh, here we go. 99 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 5: Selmar Christ. 100 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 3: It took us a long time to break into Mexico City. 101 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:36,359 Speaker 2: We're from Gualalajaa. 102 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 3: In our case, Mexico City was like another country and 103 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:46,199 Speaker 3: it was very hard to get in. So I said, 104 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 3: so f many, you know, but man now was doing 105 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:53,559 Speaker 3: extremely well in the rest of the country. We would 106 00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 3: travel in this small Volkswagen comedy and sometimes, you know, 107 00:08:56,880 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 3: we would sleep in there because we would just make 108 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 3: enough money, you know, maybe for a motel room, and 109 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:03,199 Speaker 3: we flip a coin and see who's going to be 110 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 3: able to sleep in the bed. But we worked so 111 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 3: hard and we were so determined, and the buzz really 112 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:09,679 Speaker 3: took off. And then when we come out with a 113 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 3: dis were with the children playing, that's when we really exploded, 114 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 3: and we did two sold out shows and at Palacelos 115 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:22,400 Speaker 3: Deportis in nineteen ninety three. No Mexican band had done that. 116 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 3: When it comes out, that was like the album that 117 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 3: broke us internationally. 118 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:38,559 Speaker 2: So the band went. 119 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 3: From playing clubs to now playing very big venues. From 120 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 3: there it went to baseball stadiums, football stadiums. List then 121 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:56,320 Speaker 3: to cut us up, we were already dabbing into social issues. 122 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 3: We were talking about the very dire, dangerous situation with 123 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:10,120 Speaker 3: the environment. Yeah, there were people that knew about the 124 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 3: environment and how important it is, and there were environmental groups, 125 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:23,680 Speaker 3: but it wasn't so huge like it is now. Every 126 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:26,560 Speaker 3: single album we would talk about something like, for example, 127 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 3: with the first record for that song is talking about 128 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:45,760 Speaker 3: all the homeless kids that aren't in Mexico. When we 129 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 3: start playing in the United States and we start seeing 130 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:57,680 Speaker 3: how the Latino community has given so much. I never 131 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:01,720 Speaker 3: saw so much backlash against Mexicans, and not only Mexicans, 132 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:06,040 Speaker 3: but people from other countries or races. We were saying, well, 133 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 3: it's important to support the community. Lord, We've told Latinos 134 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:16,440 Speaker 3: not to be afraid. The United States is made up 135 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:20,280 Speaker 3: of immigrants. I think there's more good people in the 136 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:23,720 Speaker 3: United States than bad people. And we always said if 137 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:26,080 Speaker 3: someday we would become famous, we would want to use 138 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:34,240 Speaker 3: that platform to talk about things that we're concerned about 139 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:42,160 Speaker 3: or my eyes right now, there was this demand to 140 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:44,880 Speaker 3: see the band live. You know, we come out with 141 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 3: the Ryan Tour because Tinko shows thirty five. If it 142 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 3: wouldn't have been for that song, you know, I don't 143 00:11:58,400 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 3: think there would have been any man not. 144 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:10,440 Speaker 2: We're part of rock and roll history. You know. 145 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:13,200 Speaker 3: We sold out seven La Forums, which is such an 146 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:16,559 Speaker 3: iconic rock and roll venue, and it's a band that's 147 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 3: singing in Spanish Welcome. 148 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:26,439 Speaker 2: We really love to share our music with everybody. 149 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 3: So that's another way of showing also how music is 150 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:35,280 Speaker 3: so universal. 151 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:37,760 Speaker 2: It doesn't matter what language it is. 152 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:41,000 Speaker 3: It's about what's behind the artists or what do they 153 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 3: give off when they're playing it. We've accomplished and achieved 154 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:49,720 Speaker 3: more than we ever dreamed about. 155 00:12:51,679 --> 00:12:53,840 Speaker 2: When you have to work so hard. 156 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:57,079 Speaker 3: You really protect what you have and you don't take 157 00:12:57,080 --> 00:13:00,199 Speaker 3: it for granted, and you cherish it every day. You're 158 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:02,720 Speaker 3: thankful every day, and every day you get up on 159 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 3: stage and you see that we're overwhelmed by seeing all 160 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:16,360 Speaker 3: those fans and all the passion, And as long as 161 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:19,600 Speaker 3: we're healthy and we still are hungry and passionate as 162 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:22,560 Speaker 3: we are, there's there's gonna be Manah for a long time. 163 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:38,959 Speaker 5: Listen, we just started. Listen. 164 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:04,319 Speaker 1: This episode was produced by Gini Montalbo and edited by 165 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 1: Sophia Palisa Ca. The Latino USA team includes Andrea Lopez Crusado, 166 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:16,160 Speaker 1: Marta Martinez, Mike Sargent, Daisy Contreras, Victoria Estrada, Renaldo Leanoz Junior, 167 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 1: Patricia Sulvaran, with help from Raoul Perez. Our editorial director 168 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 1: is Fernando Santos. Our director of Engineering is Stephanie Lebau. 169 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:27,640 Speaker 1: Our senior engineer is Julia Caruso. Our associate engineers are 170 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:31,440 Speaker 1: Gabriel Lebias and jj Carubin. Our marketing manager is Luis 171 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 1: Luna or New York Women's Foundation Fellow is Elizabeth loentdal Torres. 172 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: Our theme music was composed by Zania Rubinos, I'm your 173 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 1: host and executive producer Maria Jojosa join us on our 174 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 1: next episode. You can also find us on your social 175 00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 1: media and I say not te rayas Ciao. 176 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:55,680 Speaker 4: Latino USA is made possible in part by the Ford Foundation, 177 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:59,480 Speaker 4: working with visionaries on the front lines of social change 178 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:03,360 Speaker 4: world wide, the John D. And Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, 179 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 4: and Hispanics and philanthropy. 180 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 2: Didn't that mean lesson the ust? So you'll okay translation? 181 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 2: This is early for musicians.