MEXICO CITY — Mexican pop rock band Maná has dropped its 2016 song with Nicky Jam after the Puerto Rican reggaeton singer voiced his support for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
“Maná does not work with racists,” the group said in an Instagram post explaining the decision to remove “De pies a cabeza” from online platforms. The song is a remix of the 1992 original featured on Maná’s classic album “¿Dónde jugarán los niños?”
“For the past thirty years, Maná has supported and defended the rights of Latinos around the world. There is no company or promotion more valuable than the dignity of our people,” the band wrote on Instagram.
Jam, known for songs such as ‘Travesuras’, ‘Voy a Beber’ and the J Balvin collaboration ‘X’, expressed his support for Trump at a rally in Las Vegas last Friday. When introducing the singer, Trump appeared to mistake him for a woman: “Latin Music superstar Nicky Jam! You know Nicky, she’s pretty. Where’s Nicky?’ he said.
Despite the confusion, Jam expressed pleasure at meeting Trump, who has pledged to close the border and embraced harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric since his first presidential campaign.
Maná has supported the cause of immigrants in the United States for more than two decades. In 2018, after receiving the Latin Recording Academy’s Person of the Year award, singer Fher Olvera vowed: “We will continue to fight for the rights of migrants who made this country great; in the last century they were the difference that allowed this country to become as great as it is today.”
A representative for Jam did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ request for comment. A Maná representative confirmed the band’s statement, but provided no further details.
Formed in Jalisco, Mexico, Maná has won six Latin Grammys and four Grammys and is one of the most influential bands in Latin America. It also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In addition to Maná, a long list of artists have requested that their music not be associated with or used by Trump, including ABBA, The White Stripes, Celine Dion, Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Phil Collins, Pharrell, REM and Guns N’ Roses.
