The date for Mana’s tour stop in Oakland is only a couple of hours away (OK, so, I’m getting ahead of myself here. It’s more like 50 something hours, BUT TIME FLIES!)
The show on the 27th of April will mark my 8th time watching Mana live. And honestly, it’s always felt like the first time. I get that excited. Some bands just, well, they just speak to you.
I wish I was playing when I say I like almost every one of their songs … but it’s true. Above is from my favorite album, Sueños Liquidos. It’s around then, I feel, that they made a real conscious decision to pull away from their Rock en Español label and focus more on making music that spoke to them. It’s actually a stigma and a move that the band carries to this day. Fans who fell in love with their self-titled debut album, through “Donde Jugaran Los Niños” and then “Cuando Los Angeles Lloran” nowadays still expect the same sound. And man, Mana’s sound has changed drastically over the years. It’s for that reason that if you’re a fan of the genre (Rock en tu Idioma), you probably hate Mana and cringe when someone says they’re a Rock en Español band.
They’re not. They’re … f*ck … they’re the best band alive. I debated over a Top 5 list for a bit during my Herman Melville class the other day, but here are the five Mana songs I cannot live without (haha, like, Vivir Sin Aire, but, Vivir Sin Mana … I crack myself up).
5. OYE MI AMOR
It would not be a Mana playlist without arguably their biggest Rock hit. And please, I dare you to name another opening riff more recognized than the Bm F#m of Oye Mi Amor. … You can’t.
4. COMO UN PERRO ENLOQUECIDO
The first Mana song I ever heard. I “borrowed” the CD from a family friend after falling in love with Alex’s drumming in the first 10 seconds of the song. I returned the CD having not listened to ANY OTHER SONG. Sergio’s guitar solo is among my favorite by any guitarist ever.
3. CLAVADO EN UN BAR
I take that back, Sergio’s solo in this song is my favorite. I used the non-video version because the radio edit takes out that bit of reggae that comes in the last minute of the song, right after the solo. The hell is that! The album version is so much better.
2. EN EL MUELLE DE SAN BLAS
Hmm … in an image …
1. CUANDO LOS ANGELES LLORAN (VERSION UNPLUGGED)
The first time I saw Mana was back in 2002. The Giants were playing the Braves in the NLDS (if my memory serves me correctly, Bonds hit a couple homers off of Kevin Millwood), and my brother Max and I had to sneak out of house and drive to San Jose’s HP Pavilion to watch Mana. We were still going to church frequently at the time, and there was no way my mother would have approved. We snuck out and took the risk because we both wanted to see them play THIS SONG. THIS WAY. To this day, some seven shows later, I pray this play this song.
Oh My July! 