Mexican rock band Maná has made some of the most influential and globally recognized Spanish-language music of the last 30 years. As true as that may be, the Guadalajara-bred group is experiencing one of its most rewarding chapters yet: Maná — comprised of Fher Olvera, Alex González, Sergio Vallín and Juan Calleros — were recently revealed as nominees for the 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class as the first Spanish-language act ever nominated (the RRHOF was established in 1985). Shortly after that announcement, the group revealed the lineup for a 30-date North American jaunt, or the “Vivir Sin Aire Tour,” which is slated to break Los Angeles arena records this fall.
“L.A. is our second home and it’s where Maná’s career in the States started,” González tells Variety. Indeed, when Maná completes its upcoming four nights at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., they will hold the record for the most arena shows performed in L.A. history with a total of 44 concerts — a title previously held by Bruce Springsteen at 42.
“The size of the Mexican and immigrant communities in this city is massive, but it’s really Latinos as a whole who show up to support us,” says González. “Apart from this concert inherently bringing positive messaging to this community, we’re here for Latinos at this time. We [Latinos] are a big part of the economy in this country, and there’s a lot of pride attached to these Los Angeles shows for us… and after every rainstorm, there’s the sun. We want to bring on some sun.”
Maná’s “Vivir Sin Aire Tour” kicks off on Sept. 5 with back-to-back shows at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. It will continue into the next year, with a short hiatus between December and February, and with an end-date of April 4 in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The trek, titled after the band’s famed 1992 ballad, will also see the band stopping in American rock capitals including Nashville and Detroit for the first time, in addition to St. Louis, Baltimore and Montreal. It couldn’t be more fitting in a year where Maná is up for a Rock Hall nod against Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker and Bad Company, along with other internationally-recognized stars including Mariah Carey, Outkast and more.
“The true definition of rock and roll is hard to pin down,” says Olvera. “More than anything, rock is an attitude — it’s a form of existing and viewing the world. We’ve embodied that as a pop-rock group that sings in Spanish, and it’s undoubtedly given us an advantage. We never felt the need to sing in English, despite being offered the opportunities and the resources and companies to do so. We are authentically Latin and have always felt at home with our audience, doesn’t matter where in the world, and that’s what led us here, above anything else.”
Above all else, Maná shows their gratitude for the nomination process, albeit a little confused: “If Chubby Checker is an architect of the genre, you would assume they would’ve gotten to him sooner,” González says with an inquisitive smirk. “It’s always a bit conflictive, but to be recognized in this space is an insane honor.”
Adds Olvera, “I honestly didn’t even know the nomination was as big as it is until I got more ‘Congratulations’ for it than I got for my birthday this year.”
