Maná

Mexican behemoths Maná have transcended their country’s rock scene to become one of the most widely recognized and celebrated Latin music acts in the world. They were in the right place at the right time, for sure, but they also had all the right ideas. Fronted by singer Fher Olvera, the Guadalajara quartet officially announced itself to the world with the release of their self-titled debut studio album in 1987 at a key moment when record labels were eager to capitalize on the rock en español tag. Through their 1992 effort ¿Donde Jugarán los Niños?, the band emerged as one of the pillars of the movement in Mexico, along with fellow countrymen Café Tacvba and Caifanes. Yet, as the ‘90s ended, they made clear they were more than a product of the decade’s hype by switching musical directions for genre-bending releases like “Corazón Espinado” (1999), featuring Carlos Santana, and the band’s iconic MTV Unplugged (1999). This omnivorous quality would characterize the band’s sound––and echo across much of rock music––in the decades after. It was most visible on the group’s 2015 effort Cama Incendiada, which found Maná fully embracing cumbia, merengue, bachata, and other tropical sounds of the Americas.