Law #27 in Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power states:

“Play on People’s Need to Believe to Create a Cultlike Following”

Yesterday, Maná demonstrated that law in Madison Square Garden, the world’s most famous arena. Before the show, I heard about the band from most of my Central and South American friends, who absolutely love the band. When I first heard their songs, I thought they were OK, but not spectacular. Little did I know that this Mexican band would embody so much of what Latin American youth look for in a true rock band: a great live performance, songs they can sing along to, and a message of hope in a time of despair for Latinos in this country as well as across the world. 

Before I even got near the Garden, I saw hordes of fans from far and wide who wanted to just get a glimpse of the men on stage. Most of the women dressed very well and the men did likewise. Flags waved all over the crowd from Mexico to Dominican Republic, and this sea of colors only made the event that much more exciting. Even my friends couldn’t contain their screams for the band that created some of their favorite songs.

Essentially, I was floored by their performance, despite my weariness from a long day at the job. I didn’t know most of the songs (except for “Labios Compartidos,” a #1 hit on the Billboards), but I understood how deeply they touched the people in front of them. I would even say it was a religious experience. Maná performed as if MSG would be their best performance, and the crowd responded accordingly.

This most certainly makes me a convert, so I apologize to the Maná fans that tried to convert me earlier. I had never been to a sermon before ;-).

jose

p.s. – I thought about Maná’s name and while the definition they intended is “Supernatural Force” (hence the title of the blog), I also thought about how phonetically, it also sounds like “manna”, as in the food that miraculously appeared to the Isrealites in the desert in the Bible. Interesante. So when I first saw their name, I thought they meant “food for the people,” which I definitely saw last night.