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.
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.
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.
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