New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Following decades of world-wide service and advocacy, MANÁ, Latin America's most influential band, has announced the launch of their first ever local social impact initiative as part of the second leg of their wildly successful US tour. The band will donate a portion of proceeds from their México Lindo y Querido tour to chosen local organizations providing need-based services and advocating for structural change in markets. A total of 11 local organizations were chosen, along with four national advocacy and voter registration partners:
Latino Victory Foundation, PoderLatinx, Mi Familia Vota and
Mamas Con Poder. Tickets for the shows are now available at Ticketmaster.com.
The effort will kick off in September, with a portion of the proceeds from their
Texas shows funding The Maite Yuleana Rodriguez memorial scholarship, in honor of the tragic loss of 10-year-old Maite and her classmates at Uvalde's Robb Elementary School shooting. Maite was one of the 19 children who lost their lives when a gunman entered the elementary school with an assault rifle. One of the ways Maite's family was able to identify her body was by her favorite green converse with a heart shape on the right toe she had drawn on herself. She had earlier told her mom she drew a heart on them, "just because it looked pretty." Maite's dream was to be a marine biologist, an aspiration close to the heart of MANÁ who have worked extensively to support marine life in Mexico through their Selva Negra Foundation. The scholarship fund, established by her mother, provides opportunities to
Latino youth to follow their educational dreams.
"At the heart of MANÁ is the belief that our music can be a vehicle for social good. Our concerts are a celebration of life and hope where all are welcome," said Fher Olvera, lead singer of MANÁ. "Through this initiative, we want to do tangible good in the communities where we perform by highlighting and financially supporting organizations that are striving to help the
Latino community."
Early this summer, the legendary band concluded the first leg of the tour, playing 18 sold out shows to over 240,000 enthusiastic fans, who night after night sang at the top of their lungs to hits including "Rayando el Sol," "Clavado En Un Bar," "Mariposa Traicionera," and many more. The tour will resume in
Houston Texas on
September 1st then continue on to Las Vegas, San José, Sacramento, Denver, Chicago, Philadelphia, Newark, Orlando, Austin, San Diego, Phoenix,
Fresno and finish in Los Angeles.
Following is the list of chosen recipients in each market:
TEXAS: Maite Rodriguez Memorial Scholarship and
Latino Victory Foundation
Friday,
September 1st - 8:30 pm - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
Saturday,
September 2nd - 8:00 pm - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center
Friday,
September 8th - 8:30 pm - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
Saturday,
September 9th - 8:00 pm - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
The Maite Yuleana Rodriguez Scholarship will be awarded to a student from Uvalde who is pursuing a degree in marine biology.
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi wanted to honor the memory of Maite Rodriguez after learning of her desire to become a student at
Texas A&M. The scholarship was created by the university and her mother.
Latino Victory Foundation is a 501(c)(3) that engages in research, non-partisan civic engagement, strategic communications and leadership development. This is a non-partisan effort to raise awareness about Latinos' contributions to the United States and build greater understanding between Latinos and other communities. The foundation seeks to strengthen the country through conversation and uplift the values of inclusion and civic engagement.
ARIZONA/CALIFORNIA: Border Angels: Humanitarian Aid and Migrant rights
Saturday,
September 16th - 8:00 pm - Glendale, AZ - Desert Diamond Arena
Wednesday, November 22nd - 8:30 pm - San Diego, CA - Aztec Bowl at San
Diego State
Border Angels provides humanitarian aid and advocacy to immigrants and refugees at the U.S.-Mexico border. They offer a range of services, including water drops in the desert, shelter support, and education and advocacy to promote immigrant rights and social justice.
NEVADA: DREAM Big Nevada/ Dreamer Moms DACA Renewals, DREAMer scholarships
Sunday,
September 17th - 8:30 pm - Las Vegas, NV - TMobile Arena
Dreamer Moms is a project of DREAM Big Nevada. They serve Nevada's immigrant families through direct services and by empowering community members to advocate for themselves and others in similar situations. Serving and empowering the community is at the center of what they do. They cultivate civic engagement by educating the community about how immigration, education and other issues intersect with their lives.
CALIFORNIA: La Mesa Verde Sustainable gardening for low-income families
Friday,
September 22nd - 8:30 pm - San Jose, CA - SAP Center at San Jose
Saturday,
September 23rd - 8:00 pm - Sacramento, CA - Golden 1 Center
La Mesa Verde is a non-profit organization based in San Jose, California that promotes sustainable agriculture and provides access to healthy, organic produce for low-income families. The organization was founded in 2009 and has since grown to serve over 1,200 families. La Mesa Verde's primary program is the "Home Gardens" initiative, which provides families with the resources and education needed to grow their own organic produce in their front or backyards. The program includes a garden installation kit, which includes raised garden beds, soil, and seeds, as well as gardening classes and ongoing support from staff and volunteers. The effort will help fund over 250 garden beds for local community members.
COLORADO: Green Latinos Environmental justice and climate change
Friday,
September 29th - 8:30 pm - Denver, CO - Ball Arena
Green Latinos is an active comunidad of Latino/a/x leaders, emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture, united to demand equity and dismantle racism, resourced to win our environmental, conservation, and climate justice battles, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.
ILLINOIS: La Casa Norte Housing and education for at risk youth
Sunday, October 1st - 8:30 pm - Chicago, IL- United Center
La Casa Norte provides housing, food, and support services to youth and families experiencing homelessness in Chicago, with a focus on serving the
Latino population. They offer a range of programs, including supportive housing, food assistance, case management, and youth education and employment services.
PENNSYLVANIA and FLORIDA: MAMAS CON PODER Advocacy and women's defense
Saturday, October 21st - 8:00 pm - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
Saturday, October 28th - 8:00 pm - Orlando, FL - Amway Center
Mamás con Poder addresses the most critical issues facing women, mothers, and families, and we organize to do the following:
We bring directly to our leaders the experiences of our nation's women and mothers;
We amplify the voices of women and their problems in the media through all platforms (print media, radio, blogs and others);
We created a popular movement in the country's capital;
We put pressure on companies for the fair treatment of women and mothers, and also for them to guarantee the safety of their products.
NEW JERSEY: ICC Ironbound Community Corporation
Sunday, October 22nd - 8:30 pm - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
ICC works with the people of Ironbound to identify needs and develop community-based solutions for them. ICC strives to empower people to better control and develop their own lives, families, and community. ICC impacts the lives of Ironbound residents both at the individual and community levels. Whether it's preparing children for kindergarten and life-long success with high quality early childhood education, or negotiating land use with industry and government, ICC's priority is to support the people of the Ironbound with the services, resources, and opportunities they need, want and deserve.
CALIFORNIA: UNITED FARM WORKERS in memory of Elidio Hernandez
Friday, December 1st - 8:30 pm - Fresno, CA - Save Mart Center
United Farmworkers aims to serve and support farmworkers in California by providing programs and services to better their quality of life. The organization was formed to offer and create opportunities that would enable farmworkers to develop personal and professional skills. The foundation has five areas in which it models its services: Education, Health & Wellness, Workforce Development, Immigration Services, and Community Engagement.
Considered the most influential Latin rock band in the world, MANÁ began in 1986 when four friends from Guadalajara, Mexico came together to fuse new rock sounds with Latin and Caribbean rhythms. The group includes Fher Olvera as lead singer, guitarist, and main composer; Alex González on drums,
Sergio Vallín on lead guitar, and Juan Calleros on bass. The group released their first album, Falta Amor in 1990. In 1992, they released ¿Dónde Jugarán los Niños? which became the best-selling Spanish-language rock album of all time.
MANÁ is one of the highest selling Latin touring acts of all time and has sold millions of copies around the world with 11 albums of original songs along and several live albums and compilations. 4 Grammy Awards, 9 Latin Grammys including 2018- Person of the Year, 23 Billboard Latin Awards are some of MANÁ's many accolades including their handprints on the Hollywood Rockwalk and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, making them the first Spanish-language rock band to receive that honor. In 2022, the band began a historic residency at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, CA which to date has totalled 16 sold-out shows.
MANÁ's influence spans beyond music. In addition to their social impact program, for 28 years, the Selva Negra Ecological Foundation has been the band's social arm, combining conservation and environmental rescue with social development. Throughout their career, the band has been a vocal advocate for issues impacting their fans around the globe. Earlier this year, MANÁ supported the community of Pajaro after they suffered catastrophic floods. In 2021, Fher Olvera joined as the face of the "We Are Home" campaign calling for a fair and dignified immigration policy for the millions of
Latino immigrants living in the US and again with Dr. Anthony Fauci in a call for the US
Latino population to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.
