Amar es combatir

Mana is inclined to try something new with every album

There has been four years since the Mexican band Mana released its album Revolucion de Amor, and finally this year vocalist Fher Olvera and the team of musicians have pleased their fans with a collection of brand new songs called Amar Es Combatir. Many have expected it to be a primarily rock album, but it turned out a somewhat different record. Closer rather to pop music, Amar Es Combatir basically has a feeling of thoughtfulness, tenderness and serenity, marking Mana’s turning towards the eternal love theme, developing against the background of experimental mix of various musical styles including bachata, reggae and cumbia. Such original approach has appeared to be a clever idea for the most part of the album sounds wonderfully enigmatic and many of the songs have a chance of becoming hits. Though the significant part of the tracks on Amar Es Combatir might not have the energy of the band’s best rock creations, they still please with unusual but catchy melodies and a great musical background. Mana is inclined to try something new with every album rarely stopping at one and the same manner of playing and musical direction.

Amar Es Combatir gives a great opportunity to douse into the atmosphere of romance

Outstanding production work and balanced sounding are the first things one notices having just started listening to Amar Es Combatir. Melancholic mid-tempo ballad Labios Compartidos enraptures with the vocalist’s flawless performance and a harmony of the instruments playing, while Arrancame El Corazon is one of the most impressive tracks on the album. It has an infectious lively rhythm, interesting lyrics, and superb guitar parts, and on Dime Luna one can enjoy the dreamy soft reggae-like rhythm. Another brilliant vocalist Juan Luis Guerra with a very specific quality joins Olvera on another album’s highlight Bendita Tu Luz, turning it into a sultry tropical composition. A very beautiful love song Tu Me Salvaste is the one to remember for a long time due to its catchy melody and sensual singing, and El Viaje (Dub) also deserves a status of Mana’s new hit considering its positive mood, powerful guitars, clinking drums, and especially tuneful vocals. On the cheerful and careless composition El Rey Tiburon, Mana gets the closest to Cuban music, and the closer Relax demonstrates the musicians’ ability to play simultaneously confident and calmly reassuring. Amar Es Combatir gives a great opportunity to enjoy the Mexican guitars combined with Olvera’s incomparable vocals and douse into the atmosphere of romance.

A new turn in Mana’s creative work

Despite of the band’s turning to a slower and lyrical music than on the previous album, the new creation is by no means a worse or less impressive work. Perhaps for some of the fans it’s going to take time to get used to the quietness and sensuality of the songs on Amar Es Combatir, but if a person is flexible enough, one will appreciate the album at once. One should always bear in mind that Mana is a band that avoids repetitions and over the two decades of its existence there can be hardly found two identical albums. Of course, all the material is distinguished for the band’s unique playing and the front man’s vocals, but stylistically it is surprisingly varied. The new album for one is a combination of romance and entertainment, dreaminess and gentleness. Mana deserves praise for each album, exactly because they are all different, and the main qualities of Amar Es Combatir are passion, thoughtfulness and friendliness. This is a new turn in Mana’s creative work, which is probably to be followed by another one in some time, and today, if you are looking for a pleasant Mexican music Amar Es Combatir is just the right album for you.