Back in the USA

The screaming of the crowd and the adrenaline that kicks in as they’re ready to walk on stage—these are just a few things that keep the members of Maná excited about playing live.

On Nov. 27, Man&#;aacute;, one of the most influential Spanish rock bands, will take the stage at the Golden 1 Center. The Rayando El Sol Tour, which takes its name from the band’s 1989 breakout hit song of the same name, is its first American tour in three years.

Formed in the late 1980s in Guadalajara, Mexico, the band consists of lead singer Fher Olvera, drummer Alex Gonz&#;aacute;lez, guitarist Sergio Vallín and bassist Juan Calleros. Over the years, they’ve become one of the highest-grossing Latin acts in the world, but if it hadn’t been for the success of “Rayando el Sol,” the members of the group would have walked away from music altogether.

“We were on the verge of breaking up, and that song, … basically saved our career,” Gonz&#;aacute;lez told SN&R. “We started getting more job offers and playing a lot more, it just took on a life of its own.”

This tour marks the first time the band has toured without a new album. Instead, they’re playing in support of a special collaboration in which the group is revisiting some of its biggest hits with different artists and releasing them as singles. Gonz&#;aacute;lez says the idea came after the band was awarded the “Person of the Year” award at the 2018 Latin Grammy awards.

“Different colleagues, musicians and singers came out on stage and did different versions of Man&#;aacute; songs and we really liked this idea,” Gonz&#;aacute;lez said.

Instead of just copying the arrangements those artists performed on stage, the band decided to record the songs their own way, but with the input of the featured musicians. This spring, they released a new version of “Rayando el Sol” with Spanish singer Pablo Albor&#;aacute;n. This month, a new version of their 1995 hit, “No Ha Parado de Llover,” was released with Colombian singer Sebasti&#;aacute;n Yatra.

Man&#;aacute; hasn’t had a new album since 2015’s Cama Incendiada and the band is eager to get back in the studio, with hopes for a 2021 release.

“I know a lot of fans are anxious to know if we’re going to get into the studio and do a new album,” Gonz&#;aacute;lez said.

Fans remain the band’s main priority and it puts a lot of thought into making sure each performance is a great experience. Two ways they’ve done that, Gonz&#;aacute;lez said, is by trying to keep ticket prices affordable and by designing a show that lets fans get closer to the action with three stages.

“Anywhere you sit in the arena, you can see, or you can hear perfectly,” Gonz&#;aacute;lez said.

Despite its 30-plus years in the spotlight, Gonz&#;aacute;lez says the band remains humbled by their success and growing popularity.

“It’s incredible when you see the different ages, ethnic groups and races,” Gonz&#;aacute;lez says. “There’s people that are going to that concert for the first time, so it’s pretty mind-blowing for us.”