Maná Announces 'Latino Power Tour' to Get Latinos to Vote
Maná, one of Mexico's most well-known rock bands, announced on Feb. 9 they will be going on tour to get Latinos to vote in the upcoming presidential election.
The "Latino Power" tour will kick off on Sept. 9 in San Diego and aims to help American Latinos understand the political power they have in this country.
“We have baptized our new tour ‘Latino Power,’ because with the strength of their collective vote this year, U.S. Latinos can further empower our community -- demanding more respect and effecting real change in the living conditions and opportunities for our people,” said lead singer Fher Olvera in a statement released on Facebook, which the band also shared on Twitter.
Maná anuncia el Latino Power Tour para Estados Unidos https://t.co/6HPUrMthVw pic.twitter.com/vPCmyCX3CY
— Maná (@manaoficial) February 9, 2016
Since political candidates began campaigning for a ticket to the White House, Maná has been very vocal about the importance of the Latino vote. The group have criticized Republican candidate Donald Trump for his now infamous remarks about Mexicans.
At the 2015 Latin Grammys, the group performed with Los Tigres del Norte. After they finished their performance, they held out a banner that read "Latinos United, don't vote for the racists!"
Olvera previously spoke to Billboard about why it's important for artists to speak up about political issues.
"In a way, artists are like troubadours; they’re the voice of the people. Like Carlos Santana said, 'we are the hose that takes water to people.' And I write songs that tell those stories," he explained.
Maná aren't the only Latino entertainers trying to rally the Latino community to get more involved in politics. In 2014, actress Eva Longoria launched Latino Victory Project, a non-partisan effort to get more Latinos to vote in all political elections, not just for president.
"We can't, as a community, be so engaged in the presidential elections and elect the president, but not turn up at midterms to elect the people who have to work with the president," Longoria said while announcing the initiative, reported NBC News. "These numbers clearly are not representative of today's American landscape, and we want the political landscape to match the identities and reflect the reality of America's people."
Other Latino celebs using their platform to encourage political participation include Marc Anthony, Salma Hayek, Demi Lovato and Ricky Martin, who, along with Longoria, have all endorsed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
Since announcing his support for Clinton on Twitter, Martin has been encouraging Latinos to vote, using social media and texting as a way to get involved.
On Feb. 3, rapper Residente of Puerto Rican duo Calle 13 announced his support for Bernie Sanders with a tweet and video emphasizing the candidate's support of working class people.
Maná have yet to endorse any of the presidential candidates. Tickets for the band's "Latino Power" tour go on sale on Feb. 19 on LiveNation.com.