They have spent the entire morning sitting in front of the cameras, giving interviews to announce Maná's return to Spain after 6 years, on a tour that will include the iconic Mexican band's first visit to London. And so, so static, it seems incredible that they are the same ones who just a few nights ago did not stop moving on the stage of the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, an immense venue in which this year they completed 16 concerts to 20,000 spectators per night, a demonstration of the power and validity of those who began timidly in their native Guadalajara almost 40 years ago to become the most influential rock group in Spanish in the world. And although during the meeting with La Vanguardia it is Fher Olvera who takes the lead, drummer Álex González and guitarist Sergio Vaillín also contribute. Bassist Juan Calleros, a member of the group forever, just nods and listens. The 4 undoubtedly share the enthusiasm for the concert they will give on Sunday, June 9 at the Palau Sant Jordi, which under the title Mexico Lindo y Dear brings together many of the group's most popular songs.
I got the impression that you have a lot of fun doing your concerts, is that true?
Fher: Of course, very much! It's a party we put together there. The truth is that we are very lucky to have this job because every concert is about enjoying ourselves and the people. We live it as if it were the final match and that is what the public appreciates and their euphoria infects us. It's something reciprocal.
The lyrics of the songs speak of hurt hearts. Was it worth suffering so much to write them?
Fher: I would have preferred not to have suffered so much but I think that Mexicans tend to be melancholic people and that is partly due to the heritage we have of the music we listened to when we were children and then one also has strong loves and lives that sometimes come to an end. to be tragic like that of The Cuckoo Clock, although I must clarify that the meaning of that song has been changing, because the sadness of remembering someone who has already died, as happened to me with my father who died when I was 7 years old, It becomes nostalgia, and that has a beautiful part since when you remember someone, that person re-exists and is there with you. That's very comforting.
When you sing, do you reconnect with the moment when you created those songs?
Fher: Completely, one always connects to that, what's more, there were songs that when they came out I couldn't sing because I was broke and we were only able to play them on the next tour. In fact, I don't have a teleprompter, something that almost all artists use, because I am more connected to what I feel and not to what I read.
In concerts, there is an intention to democratize spaces, because they do not stay in one place
Yes, it was intentional to bring a good portion of the show to the people who paid less, perhaps a quarter of their ticket. They appreciate that very much and we like to see them up close, being able to look into their eyes and sometimes even touch them too, it creates a very special empathy in us.
What makes you come back to Barcelona to play at the Palau Sant Jordi?
Sergio: We love all of Spain, but without a doubt Barcelona is wonderful, we like its food, the architecture of the place, the people and the music, there is one of the most important jazz universities, and playing at the Palau Sant Jordi is incredible.
Fher: We have a special affection for Catalonia because it was the last place we managed to conquer as a band even though we were already playing in great places in Madrid.
Álex: We showed up at a nightclub where Prince was one of the owners and we played Vivir sin aire with a quartet, a song that is recorded on the album Maná en vivo. In that place 40 people came to see us, so we have broken ground in Barcelona.
Álex: That arena is spectacular, I remember that Fher and I went to see Eric Clapton and I told him “one day we are going to fill this place to the brim,” and then there you realize that Maná is an inspiration that sometimes When you think that things cannot be achieved, with work and talent, everything can be achieved.
Fher: The Catalans were the most difficult until they started to fall in love with the band and finally all of Spain fell.
Is it more difficult at this age to maintain the energy required for the work they do?
Fher: I would rather die on stage from a heart attack than watching a series on Netflix. Obviously it is more difficult than 25 years ago but you also do things that compensate for that because you know that to have sustainable energy for more than two hours you have to sleep and eat well, exercise daily and dedicate yourself to going out and playing without taking care of the rest of the activities. things, for that we have a very competent team that has everything organized for us.
Álex: Reduce the alcohol!
Fher: Yes, before we drank a lot more alcohol, now a little less. You see it in Mick Jagger or Paul McCartney with the age they are and how they maintain themselves, and you understand that there are ways to maintain themselves well.
Soon they are going to go into the studio to record an album. Is it more difficult to compose now than when you were 20 or 30?
Fher: It's different, I think that all the concoction that you carry inside of what you experienced at 30 or 40 is still there. I have a girlfriend now who suddenly when I start writing some lyrics she tells me “Who are you dedicating it to?!”, because the story was not very similar to the one she had with me so she thought she had a lover . Then I told her that it was a story that she had been stuck on for 15 years and that one of the sentences she had read had triggered all the lyrics.
Álex: It is also important to listen to new things. We are not in our comfort zone, that is, we are still hungry, we are a band very passionate about what we do so it is amazing to discover new sounds and concepts. Furthermore, we are still alive and unfortunately we continue to see many problems in Latin America and in our beloved Mexico as well as the wonderful things that are happening.
