Current:Home > FinanceIconic Mexican rock band Mana pay tribute to Uvalde victim Maite Yuleana Rodriguez -GlobalInvest
Iconic Mexican rock band Mana pay tribute to Uvalde victim Maite Yuleana Rodriguez
View
Date:2025-04-16 15:57:05
San Antonio, TX -- As the influential Latin American rock band Maná played one of their four shows in Texas on Saturday, the Grammy award-winning group paid tribute to Maite Rodriguez, a 10-year-old victim of the Robb Elementary School shooting.
The band, who recently launched a social impact initiative, was inspired to uplift the Uvalde and San Antonio communities by donating a portion of the proceeds from their Texas shows to The Maite Yuleana Rodriguez scholarship offered by Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
MORE: Police officer praised for reviving baby during traffic stop in suburban Detroit
Maite is remembered by her mother Ana Coronado as a curious 10-year-old with big dreams of becoming a marine biologist. Coronado told ABC News that her daughter loved marine animals and her fascination started after family visits to Corpus Christi.
Fher Olvera, the lead vocalist and guitarist of Maná, is also passionate about sea life – a detail that was incorporated into the band’s performance as a turtle propelled from the arena ceiling. It’s something Maite’s mother knows her daughter would have connected with.
“No matter the platform he has, the fame he has, the one thing she would have said is ‘Hey, we both like turtles!’” laughed Coronado.
MORE: 'There's a powerful argument' Trump is disqualified for presidency under 14th Amendment: Kaine
As Coronado waited patiently in the wings, she held her necklace tight – it included pendants for Maite. She also wore green Converse, like Maite's, with a hand-drawn heart on the toe, which became a symbol for the 21 lives lost. Only moments later, Coronado was pulled on stage while the band performed “El Reloj Cucú.”
The song, which translates to “The Cuckoo Clock,” was written by Olvera and inspired by the loss of his father at a young age. The lyrics declare the song a "cry of love," one that was dedicated to Maite and her legacy at the show on Saturday.
“She is still doing great things,” Coronado said about her late daughter. “She is still accomplishing so much, and I can’t believe that she is mine. My girl … my girl is doing this.”
Throughout the México Lindo y Querido tour, the band -- frontman Fher Olvera, drummer Alex González, guitarist Sergio Vallín and bassist Juan Diego Calleros – has chosen to platform several causes, such as human rights and environmental issues.
“Music has given us so much that we feel good helping people,” González told ABC News. “If we can inspire other people to help, then, you know, I think it is better. Everyone should pitch in and try to help one another. That is what we need.”
In addition to the funds for the scholarship in Maite’s name, another portion of the proceeds from the band’s Texas shows will be allocated to The Latino Victory Foundation, a national voter registration partner. LiveNation has also pledged to support both efforts, according to Maná management.
“Although I would rather, much rather be at home watching movies with her today, you know, that it is just not possible,” Coronado said about her daughter.
“This is what I have to do to keep her legacy going,” she added.
Ismael Estrada contributed to this report.
veryGood! (53)
Related
- Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
- Nebraska Landowners Hold Keystone XL at Bay With Lawsuit
- Gwyneth Paltrow Shares Sex Confessions About Her Exes Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck
- House Votes to Block U.S. Exit from Paris Climate Accord, as Both Parties Struggle with Divisions
- Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
- Natural Gas Flaring: Critics and Industry Square Off Over Emissions
- Not Sure What to Wear Under Low Cut, Backless Looks? Kim Kardashian's SKIMS Drops New Shapewear Solutions
- Tearful Derek Hough Reflects on the Shock of Len Goodman’s Death
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
- Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS Has Mother’s Day Gifts Mom Will Love: Here Are 13 Shopping Editor-Approved Picks
Ranking
- Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
- InsideClimate News Celebrates 10 Years of Hard-Hitting Journalism
- Today’s Climate: May 6, 2010
- Exxon’s Business Ambition Collided with Climate Change Under a Distant Sea
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Dr. Anthony Fauci Steps Away
- Over half of people infected with the omicron variant didn't know it, a study finds
- Chinese warship comes within 150 yards of U.S. missile destroyer in Taiwan Strait
Recommendation
The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
Is Climate Change Ruining the Remaining Wild Places?
Is Climate Change Ruining the Remaining Wild Places?
Score $131 Worth of Philosophy Perfume and Skincare Products for Just $62
Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
New York City Sets Ambitious Climate Rules for Its Biggest Emitters: Buildings
GOP Rep. Garret Graves says he's not ruling out a government shutdown after debt ceiling fight
Go Behind-the-Scenes of Brittany Mahomes’ Met Gala Prep With Her Makeup Artist