Maná celebrates Latinidad and collective invincibility during Phoenix concert

Thousands of Maná fans came together Friday at the Mortgage Matchup Center in downtown Phoenix to watch one of the most celebrated Rock en español bands. My family and I were among them.

It was the first of two back-to-back shows in Phoenix over the weekend as part of the band’s “Vivir Sin Aire” tour, where they played hits like “Rayando El Sol,” “Clavado En Un Bar,” “En El Muelle de San Blas,” “Labios Compartidos” and, of course, “Vivir Sin Aire.”  

The Mexican band, formed in 1986, has recorded 11 albums and sold over 45 million copies. They’ve performed in more than 30 countries and sold out the OVO Wembley Arena in London. 

Just before the end of the two-and-a-half-hour concert, lead singer Fher Olvera reminded the crowd of the power in unity. 

“The Latino community in the United States has always been very united. And that will make you invincible,” he said to the crowd in Spanish. “Right now, these are difficult times, but they pass… and the Latino community keeps going and will continue to grow, becoming an even greater force in this country.”

The stadium grew loud with screams, cheers and applause. A sense of unity, pride and hope washed over me. I’m sure others felt it too.

I expected Olvera and the band to address our country’s current state of anti-immigration politics head-on. And while he didn’t call anyone out by name, or specify what he was talking about, we all knew what he meant by “difficult times.” 

Maná has always been vocal about immigrant rights, women’s rights and protecting the environment. Last year, they made headlines for removing a collaboration with Nicky Jam from all streaming platforms after he endorsed now-President Donald Trump. 

“For the past 30 years, Maná has supported and defended the rights of Latinos worldwide,” the band wrote in Spanish in a Facebook post in September of last year. “No business or promotion is worth more than the dignity of our people. That is why today Maná decided to remove their collaboration with Nicky Jam, ‘Pies a Cabeza,’ from all digital platforms.”

Although not inducted, Maná became the first Spanish-language rock band to be nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. In an Instagram post sharing the news, the band expressed gratitude for the nomination and shared it with Latinos around the world. 

“We want to share this recognition with all Latinos around the world, and especially with all the immigrants who are suffering right now,” the band wrote in Spanish. “Don't lose faith and hope. Our people always find a way out. Maná loves you. We will always be by your side.”

As the show went on, Olvera shared stories of what inspired certain songs, drank a toast to the fans and told us that our voices were powerful as we sang along to their songs. But he didn’t mention anything about how Trump and his administration have been treating Latinos. 

I started wondering whether he would actually make any comments about immigrant rights or about protesting or resisting the violent ways in which federal immigration officers have been attacking Latino communities. 

But as we drove back to our hotel later that night, I realized he didn’t have to bring up any of that. Actually, I was glad he didn’t. Why remind us of what we have been seeing every day in the news and in our own communities? Instead, Maná focused on all the things that make us proud to be Latinos. 

Throughout the show, the band paid homage to Latinos and Mexicans, bringing a sense of pride, unity and hope to their fans. Olvera wrapped himself in a Mexican flag after singing “Clavado En Un Bar.” A band member took the mic to shout a strong, “¡VIVA MEXICO!” 

People in the audience throughout the concert waved flags from Mexico, Colombia and Peru. A woman next to me waved a red and green scarf with “Mexico” embroidered on it. The people behind us screamed “¡Arriba Guadalajara!” in honor of the band’s hometown.

During a more intimate part of the show, the band members moved to a smaller stage in the center of the room, the flashing lights were toned down and the sound transitioned from the pachanga Olvera had promised at the beginning of the show to a more acoustic, Mexican ballad sound. The band — and the crowd — sang a cover of “El Rey” by Vicente Fernandez. 

Then, Olvera dedicated “El Reloj Cucu” to any friends and family members who have passed, and to his own mother, who raised him alone after his father passed when he was seven. “They live on in our memories, in our hearts and in our love,” he said. 

“We, all of us, are offshoots of them all,” he said in Spanish. “Here we are, here they are, following what has been the tree of our entire family, and this is dedicated to them.”

I fought back tears as I watched my brother-in-law, my brother and my cousin wipe away their own tears. Everyone in our group has lost a parent, some more recently than others. Many others around us also cried as they sang along, waving their cell phone flashlights to the rhythm. 

Maná’s songs have been passed down through generations in my family. When we found out the band was coming to our state, we bought 12 tickets — my siblings and their partners, my niece, my cousins, my mom and I attended the show.

It was my second time seeing Maná; my mom’s third.

My niece and my mom swayed back and forth, singing along to “Mariposa Traicionera.” Behind the band, images of a butterfly flying through a field of sunflowers lit the stage in yellow and orange hues. 

“Eres como una mariposa. Vuelas y te posas, vas de boca en boca. Fácil y ligera de quien te provoca,” the song starts. “You're like a butterfly. You fly and land, you go from mouth to mouth. Easy and light, drawn to whoever tempts you.”

On Friday, Maná brought together thousands of strangers, most of us Latinos, many of us exhausted by the constant attacks on our communities. It brought us joy and reminded us of the power of our voices, our culture and our collective strength. It was a wonderful reminder that, as Olvera said, our unity makes us invincible.

Stephanie Casanova is an independent journalist from Tucson, Arizona, covering community stories for 10 years. She is passionate about narrative, in-depth storytelling that is inclusive and reflects the diversity of the communities she covers. She recently covered the criminal justice beat at Signal Cleveland, where she shed light on injustices and inequities in the criminal legal system and centered the experiences of justice-involved individuals, both victims and people who go through the system and their impacted loved ones.