Mana-Drama y Luz Tour

On the 26th of October the Guadalajara-based rock group Mana came to the Autonomous University of Guadalajara, known as "La Autonoma." This university is very close to where we are living, so we actually walked to the Estadio 3 de Marzo (Stadium 3rd of March) which is right off Avenida Patria. It's so interesting the types of concerts they hold in Mexico. For example, on the 1st of December in the same stadium Britney Spears will be performing, and in other venues around Guadalajara other famous singers and bands from the United States will be performing (like Aerosmith and heavy metal bands).

Here's a little about the group from Wikipedia:
           Mana is a pop rock band from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, whose career has spaned more than three decades. They have earned three Grammy Awards, seven Latin Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards Latin America, five Premios Juventud awards, nine Billboard Latin Music Awards and 13 Premios Lo Nuestro awards.
            Their sound has been described as drawing on pop rock, Latin pop, calypso, reggae and ska. They initially received international commercial success in Australia and Spain and have since gained popularity and exposure in the U.S., Western Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Their worldwide sales stand at more than 25 million albums as of 2011.
            When we arrived it was fairly packed. We moved our way towards the gates that sectioned off half the floor. The front part had seats and those of us in the back half were standing. In the center was a make-shift stage and the tech crew below.

This picture was taken before the concert began.

This was taken right after the concert when we finally could reach the gate between the two sections. There were a lot of people walking through the crowds with beer and chips. The range of ages that we saw was anywhere from teenagers to an old lady in front of us rocking her heart out. It was awesome to see someone like that at this concert. There really wasn't any notable difference between this concert and any other typical American concert. The lighting, sound, and pyrotechnics were amazing. Here's a look at one of the songs of the concert "Manda una Senal:"

Here's "Si no te hubieras ido." The first time I heard this song was in 2010 in Southern California where there are various radio stations in Spanish.

I enjoyed the original and well-known songs Mana performed, but I was really disappointed because I was looking forward to hearing newer songs like "El Verdadero Amor Perdona" and Sor Maria." The advantage of performing so many classics is that Mana keeps the older generations coming back again and again with the same songs. In fact, the little old lady in front of us was jamming out to just about every song. Bless her heart.
Now, I have to critique the concert. The first song was cleverly staged. In order to show special effects over the band there was a thin screen which allowed the audience to see the performers but also allowed the tech crew to shine different patters of water in the song "Lluvia al corazon." Here's the official video so you know the song:

The lighting was amazing with effects in just about every corner of the stage. As you have already seen in the videos I posted earlier there were a lot of lighting effects (probably part of the reason the tour is called Drama and Light). At the end of the show they projected "Gracias Guadalajara" and shot off many fireworks.

In terms of the song selection there were many different styles: reggae, ballads, alternative rock and pop. They have a unique style, especially the versatile lead singer Fher Olvera who plays acoustic and rhythmic guitars, does lead vocals, and plays the harmonica. There was also about 15 minutes of a straight drum solo by Alex Gonzalez, also known as "El Animal." He was amazing and really energetic. The two guitarists were very quiet: Serio Vallin (electric) and Juan Calleros (bass). The whole band is extremely talented.
As you saw in one of the videos before (si no te huberias ido), there was a small make-shift stage in the central section of the ground area. Around 3/4 into the show there was a small video about humanitarian aid, and then out of no-where the group starts climbing the ladder onto this small stage. They called on someone from the audience (obviously a girl), so they could sing a romantic ballad. It was neat how close were to the band. Gloria absolutely loved it. She's been to Mana concerts before, though this is my first one.
This was an enjoyable experience because I had been looking forward to a Mana concert while in Mexico. Mana is a current group that is in the market not only in Latin America but also in the United States (having performed on the Jay Leno Show). Again, there was a sense of community as people from all ages gathered and packed themselves like sardines. One of my biggest concerns when I gather with a lot of Latinos is bumping into someone. When people are squeezed together someone's foot has to be smashed in the process. Then the anger comes out. Luckily even though we were really packed there wasn't any anger over pushes or accidental bumps.
I felt as though the lead singer could have used a bit more tactics while singing. You have to be creative and keep an audience happy for 3-7 minutes per song, for about 2-3 hours. After awhile one becomes tired and runs out of antics. The drummer was a great example of someone staying on their feet for the whole performance. He was really energetic and that kind of energy feeds into the audience. Though I do give the lead singer credit because his role is the toughest: all eyes are on him throughout the entire show.
It was a wonderful concert. Gloria and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Maybe one day we will attend another Mana concert in the U.S., or perhaps another Latin rock group.

Aida-28 Oct. 2011

I believe it is important to know that AIDA, the Tim Rice & Elton John musical produced over and over again in the United States for its catchy tunes and tragic love story, is in some ways different here in Mexico. The biggest difference is that the musical is translated into Spanish and boy was it difficult to sing along. Another big difference is the mentality in which one views AIDA while living in Mexico and the United States. I in no way want to offend anyone in this article, so please take what I am about to say lightly. This is my opinion and my observation, nothing more. I have come to notice that in the United States we live among a lot of wealth. For that reason, the American perspective of AIDA shows how material worth doesn't give you the pleasure you desire in the end. With our educational system inculcating books such as The Great Gatsby and Romeo & Juliet (the play), among many others, we learn to depreciate the value of money as the means to a happy life, and rather look at happiness in terms of relationships and social pursuits. Countless movies demonstrate this trend as well, such as The Pursuit of Happyness, Cinderella Man, and UP, just to name a few. On the other hand, what I have noticed in Mexico is the pursuit for wealth as a major factor that drives most interactions. People see glimpses of wealth here and desire to be like those who do become wealthy (Carlos Slim, for example). I have experienced that at just about any opportunity most Mexicans will look for a way to make money. Whether that is because of their poverty or because of their desire to be rich is up for debate. Mexico is the country with the biggest gap for those who earn income, making it an extremely poor country for the majority. As I have interacted with many people, either on the street, the bus, in school, and elsewhere, I have come to learn that Mexico is a society where people will do anything to take your money. They will jump out at your car in the intersection for a couple of pesos just to wash your windshield. They'll hop on a bus for 5 minutes, sing a song and expect at least a few to pay them for their talent (or lack of it).

Thus as I reflected on how Mexicans could perceive this musical, I couldn't help but consider that they might disagree with how AIDA is played out. Indeed, Rhadames could have had everything, I mean, he had a woman that was madly in love with him, so there could have been a possibility that one day his feelings could allow him to love Pharaoh's daughter, Amneris. He had the kingdom of Egypt at his hands. With a society that looks for ways to get ahead and leave their poverish backgrounds, Radames is the biggest idiot. At the same time, those in attendance aren't those in extreme poverty, but we all know that Mexico is a relatively poorer country with one of the most dangerous cities in the world (Ciudad Juarez). I am in no way saying the United States isn't violent in some areas. We all know St. Louis, Missouri is the most dangerous city in the U.S., with my hometown Kansas City, Missouri as one of the other cities with an extremely high crime rate. But let's not kid ourselves. It's a completely different ballpark here in Mexico. Thus stated, it is important to consider how one society may react to another society's entertainment, because even though we are all humans, we perceive reality differently.
Now may I say how enjoyable the show was. The scenery was superb. Here's a picture of the actual set. I could only take this picture at the end so I can't show the incredible backdrops that were constantly changing for each scene.

The eye of this part could be replaced by some type of backdrop that changed colors. This was used in the "Like Father, Like Son" song. Here's the curtain they used that is similar to this backdrop.

The singing was exceptional, but I only had one qualm, which could have just been a stylistic choice. Most of the time when the performers would go for a higher note they would slide. Maybe that feels more appropriate since it's a pop-esque style of music, I mean, come on, this is Elton John we're talking about, not Verdi. Yet for some reason it said to me that perhaps these actors were incapable of really hitting a note dead-on. Again, it may be a stylistic choice, but I would have liked to have heard at least a couple of notes without having to slide up to them. The singers were excellent, though. Every major singer was right on. I was a bit sad, though, because I couldn't really sing-along, although I had an idea of what they were saying. It's different having to rhyme in Spanish. The lighting, costumes, and make-up were also superb. This was a top-quality production.

The director, Chema Verduzco, did an excellent job. At the end he recognized his whole team which made possible the entire production. It was a lengthy but worthwhile recognition. They were sponsored in part by the XVI Juegos Panamericanos which were still occurring during this performance. Therefore, there were people from other countries that attended as well. Indeed, this American (North, Central and South) event brought many people here, and obviously they capitalized on this influx of capital to perform this show and maximize ticket sales.
Here are some photos of the playbill and one of the advertisements in the actual theater hall.

You can see on the back side the symbol of AIDA as well as the logo for the Juegos Panamericanos (Guadalajara 2011).

Well, all in all we enjoyed it. This was Gloria's first musical experience, and

Uncle Vania-Tio Vania, International Cervantes Festival

Gloria and I made our way back to Guanajuato for some unfinished business. We finally were able to make it to the State Archive of Guanajuato to do some research, which proved to be very helpful in terms of biographical information. This was also the opening week for the International Cervantes Festival, where for a couple of weeks they hold performances of many kinds (opera, theatre, musicals, dance, street spectacles, etc.) in the various venues around Guanajuato. To be honest, Guanajuato is our favorite place in Mexico, and we really wish we could have come here to study. It's like night and day compared to Guadalajara in terms of like-ability. So after we did some more research we were able to get two tickets to a very special performance of Uncle Vanya, an Anton Chekhov play. Anton Chekhov is from Russia and considered to be one of the revolutionary playwrights who brought theatre into the modern age. I remember in my theatre classes we discussed his revolutionary play The Sea Gull that was a disaster at first but became later one of the most celebrated plays because of the change in acting techniques (Stanislavsky-esque Acting).
It was honestly a miracle we were able to make it because Ticketmaster was very difficult with us. We went to the Teatro Principal, one of the main venues in Guanajuato.

It's really more of a white-ish/green look. This picture is obviously edited. Unfortunately the only pictures we took were on the inside. Like these:

 This is the stage at the beginning. They put bales of hay on a hanging platform of tubes. These were hanging throughout the entire performance to give the appearance of a farm-atmosphere, if not to show that they lived in a barn.

 Here's a closer look at their scenic design. Very creative.

 Since they spoke in their native tongue (Russian) there were super titles in Spanish. It was a privilege to hear Chekhov in his own language.

 Here's an interior shot where the audience comes in at the bottom.

It looks like a normal, small theater. Just like any other typical theater in the United States.
Now, may I talk about their acting. Powerful!!! You felt like you just left Guanajuato and spent a few hours with Russians back in Russia. The acting was sincere and creative. It appears as if this play follows the neo-classical rules to a certain extent: the play takes place in one room and the time appears to move almost as fast as it takes to perform the play, without anything but serious and real matters brought forth. There was a fantastic scenic technique they employed for the rain. At the back of the stage there were two patio doors. Behind the stage, above these doors they employed a system that actually rained, so when the daughter goes outside, she actually comes back in wet. Obviously there must have been something underneath collecting the water. That was one scenic design that stood out, besides the bales of hay that gradually descended after the final word.

This is how the stage looks at the end. After the daughter, Sonia, played by Elena Kalinina, finished her heartfelt speech about how they would find solace in God even through their despair. The final speech is more of a desperate plea convincing herself that God will help them rather than truly finding solace in the God they believe. At least that's how I interpreted the tragic ending.
The story of Uncle Vanya revolves around a Russian family wrought with financial problems. The main woman, the wife of the ex-professor, falls in love, or is more enticed, by two others, Uncle Vanya and the doctor. Also, Sonya, a daughter, is looking for love as well, but believes no man will ever love her, and by the end, it looks as if she's right. The whole play is tragic, with the ending a very gut-wrenching plea that God will save them from their misery.
I don't quite understand why the bales of hay were lowered around the actors at the end.
It was a unique experience and a surprise for me that the play was in Spanish. The International Cervantes Festival holds special performances like these each year as they invite countries to visit Guanajuato and present theatrical productions. What I find terribly sad is that I had never heard of this festival before. It's an international affair and it's been held for years. I believe this year is the 39th year. They invited countries like Finland, Norway, and Denmark as their guests of honor, amid other countries represented, such as this Russian company. We witnessed a jazz ensemble one evening for free from Stockholm, Sweden.
It was a wonderful experience. Guanajuato is a very cultured city full of theater and history. It stands out, at least for me, from Guadalajara in the sense that it is a cleaner, safer, more beautiful city. Mexico has some diamonds in the rough, and Guanajuato is one of them. We will miss this city when we leave more than any other that we were able to visit so far.