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AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! What a wonderful show! What an incredible crowd! What an honor to have the chance to not only see Maná play live at the United Center but to photograph and write about them for UIC Radio!
When Maná announced their tour, MÉXICO, LINDO Y QUERIDO, I knew I had to be there. Not only because Maná’s music is the perfect combination of passionate lyrics and playful instrumentals, but also because Maná has been one of the most influential Latin rock bands since the 1980s. They are the most successful Latin American band of all time, with over 40 million albums sold worldwide. This show was about more than music, and Maná knew this!
The name of the tour, MÉXICO, LINDO Y QUERIDO, which translates to Beautiful and Beloved Mexico, hints at the importance of the tour itself for the Latinx community.
I was born and raised in Colombia, and I grew up with this music. My mom grew up with this music. My parents fell in love with this music! For the Latinx in the crowd, this wasn’t only a cool show to attend. This meant seeing our culture and heritage live at one of the largest arenas in the United States. I got to sing my heart out with thousands of strangers who didn’t truly feel like strangers at all. We had all sung "Mariposa Traicionera" after a breakup before, yelled "Me Vale" when we felt rebellious and bold, and danced to "Oye Mi Amor" at a family function before. The nostalgia and Latinx pride were tangible!
The People
But let's backtrack for a second. I had the chance to attend the first of two shows in Chicago. Live Nation, the world’s leading live entertainment company, made this incredible show a reality and gave me the opportunity to do press on behalf of UIC Radio. I had the chance to meet photographers who were there reporting for other radio stations, newspapers, blogs, and much more. Let me introduce you to Bill Smith, United Center photographer. While in the pit waiting for Maná, I was shocked by the number of people who were attending the event. I was right beside the stage, and realizing that this was Maná’s view left me speechless.
Imagine singing and playing in front of ALL these people! Not once, but almost every single night during a tour!
Minutes before Maná came on stage, I had the chance to chat with Morgan Dart, who works for Live Nation. During my time at UIC, I had the opportunity to help plan and organize a bunch of events. My favorite event to help out at was SPARK, which is an annual concert for the entire UIC community. After seeing the behind-the-scenes of SPARK and other events, I learned that at events, ANYTHING can happen, and sometimes you just have to adapt and keep going (this is the best event planning advice I can ever give you). With this in mind, I asked Morgan how their night was going, and they said, "The day has been great! It's been a pleasure to work with Maná’s team, and everyone has been so great! From security to the audio technicians, it's just great." This response gave me such a warm feeling!
Fun fact: Morgan has been working in event planning since they were only 17!
The Music
At the beginning of the show, I was shaking! I was so nervous, and I felt butterflies in my stomach! Fher Olvera, second guitarist, composer, and lead singer, started the show by saying:
"Chicago! Llevavamos años sin venir, le contaba a unos amigos que aqui desde los inicios de la carrera de Maná hemos venido y nos han recibo muy bien, con los brazos abiertos, desde el principio de nuestra carrera! Porque aqui [Chicago] esta lleno de Latinos!"
Which translates to:
"Chicago! It has been years since we last visited. I was telling some friends that here, since the beginning of Maná’s career, we have visited and been welcomed with open arms, since the very beginning of our career! Because here [Chicago] is full of Latinos!"
Following these powerful words, Olvera said, "Where are all the Mexicans? Do we have many Mexicans in the crowd? Where are all the Latinos?!?" And the crowd exploded in cheers and screams.
To top this all off, right before the band started singing "De Pies a Cabeza", Olvera spoke in English and said, "Although my English isn’t perfect, for my American friends, welcome to a real Mexican party". I’ve been to so many shows, but that was the best introduction I've ever seen. The entire crowd was over the moon!
Here is the setlist, grab some headphones and relieve this concert.
“Como te Deseo”
“De Pies a Cabeza”
“Corazón Espinado” (Santana cover)
“Manda una Señal”
“Labios Compartidos”
“Cuando los Ángeles Lloran”
“Vivir Sin Aire”
“Mariposa Traicionera”
“Oye Mi Amor”
“Get Up, Stand Up” (The Wailers cover)
“Como un Perro Enloquecido”
“Se me Olvidó Otra Vez” (Juan Gabriel cover)
PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS COVER! Such a beautiful song about a lost love.
“Se me olvidaba que ya habíamos terminado / Qué nunca volverá, que nunca me quisiste / Se me olvidó otra vez que sólo to te quise”
Which translates to something like:
“I was forgetting we had broken up / That is not coming back, that you never loved me / I had forgotten that I was the only one that loved you”
“Te Lloré un Río”
“El Reloj Cucú”
“Huele a Tristeza”
“Eres Mi Religión”
“Me Vale”
“En el Muelle de San Blas”
“Clavado en un Bar”
“Rayando el Sol”
20 hits, 20 anthems! Plus, Guitar and Drum solos that left everyone speechless.
Here are some of my favorite pictures! Check out @SageModeRadio on Instagram for more pics of this event.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR! ON OCTOBER 1ST! YOU HAVE A DATE WITH MANÁ
The last stop of the tour is Los Angeles on December 2nd of this year. If you didn’t get a chance to see them, no worries! Maná is coming back to Chicago on October 1st, and I promise you DON’T WANT TO MISS IT. See you there!
Keep track of upcoming shows on their website!
New-ish to Maná? My top 3 songs of them are
Ángel De Amor
Clavado En Un Bar
Hechicera
Give them a listen! Tip: Whenever you need an extra dose of self-love, sing “Ángel De Amor” to yourself!
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