Mana a Mano

Not all of Mana's songs are quite so serious. "El Borracho" ("The Drunk") takes its sound from the Mexican vallenato and its inspiration from the party-filled nights of Puerto Vallarta. "Como Un Perro Enloquecido" ("Like a Mad Dog") is a spirited, jangly reggae-rocker about love gone bad. And "Dejame Entrar" ("Let Me In") is a fun funk-rock romp.

Mana had a taste of crossover possibilities when they recorded a remake of Led Zeppelin's "Fool in the Rain" in Spanish that became the title track of the recent Zep tribute Encomium. (It was the only song in the collection recorded in a language other than English). The band was also the first Spanish-language group to appear on the Regis and Kathie Lee show.

"People are starting to get curious about us, and they get hooked on the energy and rhythm. People fall in love with the lyrics when they hear them translated," Gonzalez says. "We aren't recycling American music. Fher sings in English perfectly, but [crossing over] has to be at the right moment. We want to achieve a high status in Spanish. We want to be the biggest Latin-rock band since Santana."

Mana performs on Saturday, September 7, at the Miami Arena, 721 NW 1st Ave, 530-4444. Showtime is 8:00. Tickets cost $25, $35, and $40.