Tag Archives: Sergio Vallín

Sergio Vallín Teams Up with Gibson Custom Shop for His First-Ever Gibson Signature Guitar

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Sergio Vallín is rockin’ to his own guitar…

Gibson Custom Shop has teamed up with the 49-year-old famed Mexican guitarist for the launch of his first-ever Gibson signature guitar.

Sergio Vallín, Gibson GuitarVallín, whose career spans nearly 30 years as part of Mexican rock band Maná and is currently making the rounds with his solo album Microsinfonías, collaborated with Gibson luthiers to create the Sergio Vallín 1955 Les Paul Goldtop from the Gibson Custom Shop Murphy Lab.

“This guitar is an extension of my hands and my soul,” Vallín expressed in a statement. “I remember seeing Les Paul play at a show in New York. I met him backstage, and he said, ‘if I stopped playing, I would die.’ I feel honored to be carrying on Les Paul’s legacy, and I thank Gibson for honoring not only my work but also for recognizing the importance of Latin music.”

The Sergio Vallín 1955 Les Paul Goldtop is a lightweight and versatile guitar that “carries a lot of power,” the Mexican musician assured.

The new model includes all the features and performance that Vallín requires from a mahogany body and neck to a ’59 Rounded C profile, and is equipped with Kluson reissue tuners, a Bigsby B7 vibrato, a custom P-90 Soapbar and more.

“It’s exciting to bring this collaboration to fruition,” said Cesar Gueikian, brand president of Gibson Brands. “We have been working with Sergio for some time and this signature Gibson Custom Shop Murphy Lab Les Paul was years in the making.”

“For Latin musicians, it’s so hard to imagine the idea of having a signature model, and I hope this is just the first of many because there are so many amazing guitar players and musicians in Latin America who deserve their voices to be amplified and honored by a guitar brand that we all love so much,” Vallín added.

Beginning Tuesday (April 12), the guitar will be available worldwide at authorized Gibson dealers and on Gibson.com.

Mana to Launch Unprecedented Residency at The LA Forum

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Mana is holding a forum…

The Grammy award-winning Mexican rock band has announced an unprecedented Los Angeles residency at the Forum in Inglewood, with concerts starting in March and continuing indefinitely.

ManaIt’s the first-ever arena residency in the city of Los Angeles, and members of Mana said they promise to play “for as long as Los Angeles fans will have them.”

The Forum will be the only place in the United States where fans will be able to see Mana play live in 2022.

Long-term residencies at arenas in places like Las Vegas are commonplace among top-rank acts like Britney Spears, Celine Dion and Gwen Stefani, but they are unheard of in Los Angeles, even in the fabled Forum’s 50-year history.

Mana is one of the best-selling Latin touring acts of all time. From their first show in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Palace in 1993 to their 2019 run at the Forum on the Rayando El Sol Tour, Mana broke the record as the first and only act to sell out seven dates at the Forum as part of a single tour since the venue’s reopening (previously held by Kanye West and the Eagles).

“We are proud to announce this historic residency with Mana, doing what no other band has ever done in Los Angeles,” said Geni Lincoln, general manager and senior vice president of booking for the Forum.

“On their 2019 Rayando El Sol Tour, Mana cemented their position as the reigning kings of the Forum, breaking the record for the most shows sold out on a single tour since our remodel and reopening. This residency is the culmination of an incredible journey, with an incredible band, and we look forward to hosting their fans from around the world for these historic shows.”

Mana got its start in 1986 when four friends from Guadalajara, Mexico, came together to fuse new rock sounds with Latin and Caribbean rhythms. The group’s current lineup includes Fher Olvera as vocalist, guitarist and main composer, Alex Gonzalez on drums, Sergio Vallin on lead guitar, and Juan Diego Calleros on bass. Mana released its first album Falta Amor in 1990. In 1992, they released Donde Jugaran los Ninos? — which sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and became the best-selling Spanish-language rock album of all time.

“We have so many surprises in store for our fans at this residency,” said the members of Mana in a statement. “No two shows will be the same. Get ready to see Mana like never before — special guests, unique set lists and a kick-ass new production we put together special for these shows at the Forum. L.A. is a second home for us. We started here 30 years ago at the Hollywood Palace, and we’ve been rocking with L.A. fans ever since. We are amped to get back on stage in the City of Angels and want our fans to feel the same.”

The Forum is owned by billionaire Steve Balmer, who also owns the LA Clippers.

The performances will kick off on March 18 and 19, plus April 22 and 23, with more dates soon to be announced. Tickets will be available starting at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 19 at Ticketmaster.com.

Maná to Receive Icon Award at This Year’s Billboard Latin Music Awards

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Maná has officially reached icon status…

The Mexican rock band, considered one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time, will be honored with the Icon Award at the 2021 Billboard Latin Music Awards, according to Billboard and Telemundo.

Mana

The chart-topping and Grammy-winning band will be recognized for “having carved out a career that has not only remained relevant through time but has also made them the most distinguished band in their genre, celebrated globally for achieving both musical and commercial success.”

Comprised of Fher Olvera, Alex González, Sergio Vallín and Juan Calleros, Maná will be honored during the awards ceremony set to take place on September 23 live on Telemundo.

Maná will also deliver an exclusive performance of their new single, a remake of the classic “El Reloj Cucú” featuring 12-year-old vocalist Mabel, during the awards show.

Additionally, Maná’s frontman will be joined by Mabel to host the Inside the Soul of the Artist panel, which will honor single mothers and discuss growing up fatherless and the role heartbreak plays in the creative process, at the Billboard Latin Music Week — which returns to Miami September 20-24.

Mana & Steve Aoki Team Up for “La Prision” Remix

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Maná is going electronic…

The Mexican pop rock group, comprised of vocalist/guitarist Fher Olvera, drummer Alex González, guitarist Sergio Vallín and bassist Juan Calleros, has partnered with electro house musician Steve Aoki for a remix of the band’s breakup anthem “La Prisión,” the new video for which features plenty of tribal-themed action.

Mana

To the tune of Olvera’s empowering vocals, Aoki is seen crowd-surfing in Ibiza and Las Vegas, while Maná rocks different concert crowds as part of their current Cama Incendiada tour. Cuts of the original video, set in the Mojave Desert, are interspersed throughout.

The remix is a departure from Maná’s other singles from the same album, like the Shakira-assisted ballad “Mi Verdad,” but it’s definitely a club thumper.

Mana Speaks Out Against Donald Trump’s Verbal Attack on Mexican Immigrants

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Mana isn’t afraid to trump Donald Trump when it comes to his negative comments against Mexicans…

The Mexican pop rock group, comprised of vocalist/guitarist Fher Olvera, drummer Alex González, guitarist Sergio Vallín, and bassist Juan Calleros defended the dignity of Mexican immigrants following Donald Trump’s verbal attack against the community during his presidential campaign speech.

Mana
“There is a person named Donald Trump who made very violent statements, full of hate against Mexicans and Latin Americans; called them rapists, criminals, drug traffickers, and that they were rubbish,” said Olvera at a press conference preceding the concert for the Cama Incendiada tour at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Olvera and his bandmates reacted to Trump’s accusations after the sound test of their performance on Thursday in Los Angeles.

Cama Incendiada is the group’s latest album, whose runaway success got them a platinum disc from the label Warner Music Latin.

“It makes me sad because Mexicans have come to help build this country and it is sad that someone with so much hatred in his heart has a microphone to say these things,” he said about the statements made by Trump, after he announced his presidential nomination for the Republican Party on Tuesday.

He added such hatred was last seen in German and Nazi films and demonstrated “an excessive xenophobia.”

“We are very angry with Trump, because many Latinos are construction workers who have helped build his buildings and he is forgetting that they are the ones working hard to build the United States,” Gonzalez said
Mana was created in 1986 and has won 4 Grammys, 11 Latin Grammys and 14 Billboard Latin Music Awards among others.

Maná to Support Its Upcoming Album with Montejo-Sponsored U.S. Tour

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Maná is ready to run north of the border…

The iconic Mexican rock band, consisting of vocalist/guitarist Fher Olvera, drummer Alex González, guitarist Sergio Vallín and bassist Juan Calleros, will embark on a U.S. tour in support of the group’s upcoming album this June with sponsorship from Mexican Montejo beer, according to brand representatives.

Maná

The announcement coincides with the release of Maná’s first single and video from their upcoming album. “Mi Verdad” is the band’s first collaboration with Shakira.

In addition to signing on for Maná’s nationwide tour, Montejo, a newcomer to the Mexican beer market in the U.S., will produce special promotions, including a sweepstakes to attend a private concert by the group in one of the brand’s breweries in Mexico.

“Montejo is a very authentic Mexican beer,” says Patricio Ferrara, director of marketing for Montejo, who says the brand aims to appeal to Spanish language-dominant Mexican consumers in the United States. “For us, it was a very natural partnership with Maná, who we consider to be the best and most authentic Mexican rock band.”

Montejo is produced in Oaxaca by Grupo Modelo and imported to the U.S. by Anheuser-Busch, which bought Grupo Modelo in 2013.

“Montejo is one of the few beers made in México and imported to the United States that doesn’t try to adopt an Anglo personality or try to change what it is,” said, Maná frontman Fher Olvera, who deemed the beer “delicious.”

“It’s important for us to feel the connection with our heritage and our fans, especially when we are traveling,” he added. “We can’t be more proud of having Montejo as our sponsor to help us celebrate our music with our fans in the United States.”

Ferrara said that the brand has made “a significant investment” into its partnership with Maná, set to raise awareness with its Latino target consumers at Maná’s sure to be sold-out concerts. Winners of four Grammy Awards and seven Latin Grammy Awards, Maná is the most successful Latin rock band in the U.S., and the world.

“The partnership will be the largest asset the brand leverages in 2015,” Ferrera said. Maná’s new album is expected in March.

The Mexican rock stars are also set to play the first Rock in Rio USA, taking place in Las Vegas in May.

Maná to Perform at Next Year’s Rock in Rio USA Festival

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Maná is ready to rock Las Vegas…

The multiple Grammy– and Latin Grammy-winning Mexican rock group—consisting of vocalist/guitarist Fher Olvera, drummer Alex González, guitarist Sergio Vallín and bassist Juan Calleros—will perform at next year’s Rock in Rio USA event.

Mana

The Latin music superstars, considered the biggest Latin rock band in the world, are the first Spanish-language artists to be announced for the first U.S. edition of the massive festival, to take place in Las Vegas over two weekends in May 2015.

“Maná is the perfect example of the strength of the Hispanic community in the United States and how culturally diverse the country is,” Rock in Rio founder Roberto Medina said in a release announcing the band’s inclusion in the lineup.

Maná is set to play on the festival main stage during Rock Weekend (May 8-9) joining No Doubt, Metallica, Linkin Park and Rise Against. Deftones, Sepultura and Coheed & Cambria have been announced for the City of Rock Sunset stage that weekend.

Taylor Swift, John Legend and Joss Stone are the headliners revealed so far for the following Pop Weekend.

Brazilian artists Leo Gandelman, Bossacucanova and Spokfrevo have been announced for the festival’s Rock Street Brazil, which will be animated by “charismatic characters of Brazilian culture,” according to the festival website. A Rock Street USA and Rock Street UK are also planned.

Maná, the world’s biggest-selling Latin rock band, played Rock in Rio Madrid in 2012.

Mana’s Vallín to Open Guitar School in Aguascalientes, Mexico

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Sergio Vallín is helping educate the next generation of guitarists…

For the past 18 months, the 40-year-old Mexican musician and lead guitarist of Maná has been working hard to build a guitar school in his hometown of Aguascalientes, Mexico.

Sergio Vallín

Vallín will offer students a first-rate musical education with guitar stars of every genre as visiting professors.

“These kids are hungry to play, so I want to give them a space with the best infrastructure and the best programs,” Vallin said. “I spent 10 years with another (charity) program, but now I’m going independent and launching what will be a school for guitar. The notion is to teach all styles: flamenco, jazz, blues, classical. And in addition to the classes at the school I want to bring to my city great musicians; not just guitarists, but great instrumentalists,” he added.

Located in a historic building, the completely remodeled school will be adorned with paintings and murals by some of Latin America’s premiere artists.

“[Cuban painter] Waldo Saavedra made a painting of a Last Supper that’s amazing,” Vallín told Billboard.com. “And the main room will have a gigantic mural covering the entire ceiling and a wall with all these famous musicians. It’s going to be amazing, amazing, amazing.”