Only Shirley Manson can wear waterproof pants and a helmet with a headlamp to descend into a cave and explore a cenote (underground river) in southeastern Mexico, without losing the aura and power she projects as the lead singer of the rock band Garbage — all while channeling her energy into adding her voice to the protection of the planet.
The Scottish singer-songwriter and activist visited Mexico this week incognito to explore the Mayan underworld, or Xibalbá — a system of caves, rivers, and underground lakes that wind beneath the Yucatan Peninsula. This ancient and beautiful place has been threatened for decades by urban development and mass tourism.
“When I left the cave today, after seeing what I saw, I felt, aside from exhilaration and aside from a sense of real profound wonder, I felt concern for the future of what is essentially the life force of this part of the country,” Manson says in an exclusive interview with Billboard Español. “I am known for being a really sensitive person. I really do care about animals, I care about nature, I care about the environment, I care about people, I care about community, I care about society, I care about the well-being of people. That was how I was brought up by my parents and by my grandparents [in post-war Europe]. It’s something that’s important to me.”
The performer of “Stupid Girl” and “Only Happy When It Rains,” also renowned for her relentless fight for women’s rights, came to Mexico through Sélvame MX and was deeply moved by the work of the organization that promotes respect for the jungle and the great Mayan aquifer. Sélvame MX was founded in 2022 by divers, experts, and activists who warned of the enormous damage that would be caused by the construction of the Tren Maya, a megaproject initiated by then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to connect the tourist sites of the region.
“We’ll make efforts to try and preserve it and protect it,” adds Manson. “You know, regardless of political party or political interest, they will see how important this is to preserve and protect for the future of Mexico, for the future of the Yucatan Peninsula”.
The cause to save the Mayan jungle — the most important lung of Mexico and the second largest in the Americas after the Amazon — will resonate this weekend (March 14-15) at the Vive Latino festival, where Sélvame MX will screen videos on the GNP Seguros Stadium’ screens to promote it.
Manson, who will turn 60 this summer, notes that as “a societal elder” she feels an increasing desire to raise her voice, to try to preserve the world she has lived in and improve it for future generations. “It’s just something I feel very strongly about — but I don’t expect everyone to think like me,” she admits.
Manson is not the first artist to join Sélvame MX’s cause. In 2022, Mexican musicians like Natalia Lafourcade and Rubén Albarrán of Café Tacvba participated in a campaign asking the government to halt the construction of the controversial Tren Maya. Despite a series of citizen-led injunctions, the project was ultimately completed and inaugurated in 2023.
Manson emphasizes that what Mexico has is something “extraordinary” that needs to be preserved.
“This experience here on the Yucatan Peninsula has really moved me and underscored once again how vitally important nature is to all our well-beings,” she concludes. “The biodiversity here, the incredible environment — it’s one of the biggest, most sacred jungles that’s crawling with diversity and really, it would be such a tragedy if the Mexican government can’t help the people preserve this because it’s a jewel and ultimately Mexican people will suffer if this is not protected.”
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