Manu Chao | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Manu Chao helped begin the Latin alternative movement way back in the 80s -- although it had no name then -- and in his later work he cut a cross-cultural swath across styles and geographic boundaries. Chao was born on June 21, 1961, in Paris to Spanish parents -- his father, Ramon Chao, a respected writer, comes from Galicia, his mother Bilbao. Growing up bilingual, he was also influenced by the punk scene across the English Channel that happened while he was still in his teens. As a teen he played in bands, including a rockabilly outfit called Les Hot Pants, which won local critical praise but never went anywhere before breaking up. After that, Chao and his cousin began Mano Negra, named for an anarchist organization that operated in Spain. They recorded their first single, "Mala Vida," for a small label, but its French success led them to a contract with Virgin -- something many early fans decried as selling out. Multilingual and decidedly multicultural, but with an edge heavily influenced by the punk rock of the Clash, Mano Negra seemed comfortably at home anywhere, be it North Africa or North America, in their music. Operating as a collective, without a manager, wasnt the best way to guarantee international success, and their attempts to break the U.S. at the start of the 90s didnt work -- America simply wasnt ready for their musical ratatouille. However, Europe loved them, as did South America. In 1992 they began a seemingly odd tour of Latin America, traveling by boat with actors and a circus, playing in port cities on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides, aided and abetted by various political guerilla groups, which sometimes didnt sit well with governments. In 1995, Chao moved the band to Spain, where he also formed another outfit, Radio Bemba Sound System, employing both musicians from Mano Negra and outside, which, according to rumors, caused rifts within the ranks, leading to the split of Mano Negra. Chao then returned to South and Central America, spending the next few years drifting around with his guitar and a four-track, recording here and there. The resultant collection of songs was released in 1998 (1999 in the U.S.) under the title Clandestino and included a reworking of the Mano Negra track "King of Bongo," which was picked up for use on the soundtrack to Madonnas The Next Big Thing. The album itself took off very slowly, but after a year was going stronger than ever, a sleeper that found its niche in the burgeoning Latin alternative scene (even though its lyrics freely mixed English and French along with the Spanish). In 2000 Chao played a rare pair of shows in Los Angeles, and in June 2001 released Proxima Estacion: Esperanza, which showed that his musical self had been spending the last couple of years soaking up the sounds of the Caribbean. This was further explored on Radio Bemba Sound System, a live recording done in 2002 that was taken from the tour following Proxima Estacion: Esperanza. In 2004 Chao released his first French-only album, Sibérie Métait Contéee, about Paris, and in 2007 Radiolina, the artists first studio album in six years, came out. It was followed in 2009 by the release of another live album, Baionarena, and by further heavy worldwide touring, including a number of high-profile festival appearances. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 9 Title: Clandestino Released: 1998-04-30 Tracks: 16 Duration: 46:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Clandestino (02:28) 2 Desaparecido (03:47) 3 Bongo Bong (02:40) 4 Je ne t’aime plus (02:03) 5 Mentira… (04:37) 6 Lágrimas de oro (02:58) 7 Mama Call (02:23) 8 Luna y sol (03:08) 9 Por el suelo (02:23) 10 Welcome to Tijuana (04:06) 11 Día luna… día pena (01:30) 12 Malegría (02:57) 13 La vie à 2 (03:02) 14 Minha galera (02:23) 15 La despedida (03:11) 16 El viento (02:27) |
| Clandestino : Allmusic album Review : The first solo album released by the former frontman of Mano Negra, Clandestino is an enchanting trip through Latin-flavored worldbeat rock, reliant on a potpourri of musical styles from traditional Latin and salsa to dub to rock & roll to French pop to experimental rock to techno. Chaos voice tends to be a bit nasally, but the best songs ("Mentira," "Mama Call," and the silly novelty "Bongo Bong") here benefit from his infectious, freewheeling delivery which incorporates balladry, chorus vocals, rapping, and tossed-off spoken-word passages. Just about every track has odd sampled bits from what sound like pirate radio-station broadcasts (a possible link to the title). There are so many great ideas on this record that its difficult to digest in one listen, but multiple plays reveal the great depth of Manu Chaos artistry. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 9 Title: Millennium Hits Released: 2000 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:14:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 La trampa (03:32) 2 Mr. Bobby (02:44) 3 Clandestino (02:28) 4 Desaparecido (03:47) 5 Bongo Boy (02:38) 6 Je ne t’aime plus (02:03) 7 Mentira… (04:37) 8 Lágrimas de oro (02:58) 9 Mama Call (02:23) 10 Luna y sol (03:08) 11 Por el suelo (Esperando la última ola) (02:21) 12 Welcome to Tijuana (04:06) 13 Día luna… día pena (01:30) 14 Malegría (02:57) 15 La vie à 2 (03:00) 16 Minha galera (02:23) 17 La despedida (03:11) 18 El viento (02:27) 19 Mano negra mala vida (02:52) 20 Out of Time Man (03:22) 21 Machine Gun (04:25) 22 This Is My World (04:49) 23 Dont Want You No More (03:05) 24 Hamburger Fields (03:13) |
 | Album: 3 of 9 Title: Próxima estación: Esperanza Released: 2001-06-01 Tracks: 18 Duration: 49:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Merry Blues (03:36) 2 Bixo (01:52) 3 Eldorado 1997 (01:30) 4 Promiscuity (01:36) 5 La primavera (01:53) 6 Me gustas tú (04:00) 7 Denia (04:39) 8 Mi vida (02:33) 9 Trapped by Love (01:55) 10 Le Rendez-vous (01:57) 11 Mr. Bobby (03:49) 12 Papito (02:51) 13 La chinita (01:34) 14 La marea (02:37) 15 Homens (03:18) 16 La vacaloca (02:24) 17 Infinita tristeza (03:56) 18 La trampa (bonus) (03:31) |
| Próxima estación: Esperanza : Allmusic album Review : Clandestino, Manu Chaos first solo effort, owed its greatness to its character. It was a minimalistic, yet filled with experimentation, album. But, whats most distinctive, it was honest, direct, intimate: the personal diary of someone who had traveled a lot, not only around Latin America but through life. Unfortunately, Chao seems to lose his way a little bit in Esperanza. Apparently intended to be a continuation of what started in Clandestino, it ends being just a clone of it. The reiteration of ideas and formulas takes away from Esperanza everything that made of Clandestino a memorable piece of work. The problem with Esperanza is that Chao, instead of deepening what he proposed in his first album, seems to overfly the surface of his ideas. The consequence of this is that he transforms charm into cliché, leaving the listener with a very light flavor. Anyway, Esperanza still has a bunch of great songs ("Mr Bobby," "Mi Vida," "Trapped By Love," "Me Gustas Tú," "Bixo") and good lyrics ("Mi Vida") which amply justify its listening. Dedicated fans will find that Esperanza is not what they were expecting, yet its really easy-going and accessible so it will end working for them as well as for casual listeners. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 9 Title: Radio Bemba Sound System Released: 2002-09-17 Tracks: 29 Duration: 1:05:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Intro (00:51) 2 Bienvenida a Tijuana (01:57) 3 Machine Gun (02:15) 4 Por dónde saldrá el sol? (02:43) 5 Peligro (03:11) 6 Welcome to Tijuana (02:51) 7 El viento (02:43) 8 Casa Babylon (02:36) 9 Por el suelo (03:56) 10 Blood and Fire (02:36) 11 EZLN… Para tod@s todo… (01:43) 12 Mr Bobby (03:38) 13 Bongo Bong (01:06) 14 Radio Bemba (00:22) 15 Qué pasó qué pasó (00:55) 16 Pinocchio (viaggio in groppa al tonno) (00:47) 17 Cahí en la trampa (02:11) 18 Clandestino (03:01) 19 Rumba de Barcelona (03:33) 20 La despedida (04:04) 21 Mala vida (02:28) 22 Radio Bemba (00:35) 23 Qué pasó que pasó (01:12) 24 Pinocchio (viaggio in groppa al tonno) (00:46) 25 La primavera (03:33) 26 The Monkey (02:01) 27 King Kong Five (02:45) 28 Minha galera (03:18) 29 Promiscuity (01:43) |
| Radio Bemba Sound System : Allmusic album Review : In July 2002, Manu Chao performed a live show in Japan, ending a worldwide tour carried out with his band, Radio Bemba New System, a multicultural group consisting of ten talented musicians from different countries. From Jamaican reggae to Latin alternative pop/rock, including rock en español, hip-hop, flamenco, and French rock, The Live Album delivers a collection of hits from 1998s Clandestino, 2001s Ultima Estacion Esperanza, and Mano Negras legacy, the Parisian rock outfit named in honor of an Andalusian anarchist group that served as Manu Chaos breakthrough in the music industry. In addition, the 29-track record features the previously unreleased "Bienvenido a Tijuana," "Rumba de Barcelona," and a version of the classic Afro-Caribbean-inflected hit "Blood and Fire." Recorded at Paris Grande Halle de La Villette in September 2001, The Live Album is a multilingual and experimental live experience featuring the best of Manu Chao. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 9 Title: Jai Alai Katumbi Express Released: 2003 Tracks: 41 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Intro samples (?) 2 Mr bobby (?) 3 Welcome to Tijuana (?) 4 El Viento (?) 5 Casa Babylon (?) 6 Mama Perfecta (?) 7 Tumba (?) 8 Por el suelo (?) 9 Dia luna dia pena (?) 10 Machine Gun (?) 11 Samples (?) 12 El hoyo (?) 13 Peligro + Cumbia Police (?) 14 Maputxe + Merry blues (?) 15 Amargavida Loca-Occidentestyle (?) 16 Solentiname + Puzka (?) 17 Panteras (?) 18 Me Gustas Tu + La primavera (?) 19 Radio Bemba + Que passo!? (?) 20 Radio Bemba Sound System Samples (?) 1 Clandestino (?) 2 Desaparecido (?) 3 Accordage (?) 4 Minha galera (?) 5 Rumba de Barcelona (?) 6 Despedida (?) 7 Samples (?) 8 Hamburger fields + Itzegin (?) 9 Dub manifest (?) 10 The monkey (?) 11 Gora herria (?) 12 My life (?) 13 Volver (?) 14 Radio bemba (?) 15 Sample + fausse fin (?) 16 King kong five (?) 17 Mala vida (?) 18 Sari sari (?) 19 Bobby Marley (?) 20 Fuerza la makina (?) 21 Si me das a elegir (?) |
 | Album: 6 of 9 Title: Sibérie métait contéee Released: 2004-11-01 Tracks: 23 Duration: 1:12:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Le Ptit jardin (04:03) 2 Petite blonde du bld Brune (03:21) 3 La Valse à sale temps (03:40) 4 Les Mille paillettes (04:04) 5 Il faut manger (01:46) 6 Helno est mort (03:33) 7 Jai besoin de la lune (02:45) 8 Lautomne est las (02:57) 9 Si loin de toi... je te joue... (02:49) 10 100 000 remords (03:29) 11 Trop tôt, trop tard... (02:36) 12 Te tromper (01:12) 13 Madame Banquise (02:40) 14 Les Rues de lhiver... (03:35) 15 Sibérie fleuve amour (04:14) 16 Les Petites planètes (04:11) 17 Te souviens-tu... (02:33) 18 Jai besoin de la lune... (remix) (02:27) 19 Dans mon jardin (05:33) 20 Merci bonsoir... (00:51) 21 Fou de toi (avec Aldo La Classe) (02:26) 22 Les Yeux turquoise (03:18) 23 ...Sibérie... (04:22) |
 | Album: 7 of 9 Title: Rainin in Paradize Released: 2007 Tracks: 4 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Rainin in Paradize (radio edit) (?) 2 Mama Cuchara (?) 3 Panik Panik (?) 4 Rainin In Paradize (long album version) (?) |
 | Album: 8 of 9 Title: La Radiolina Released: 2007-09-03 Tracks: 21 Duration: 51:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 13 días (02:36) 2 Tristeza maleza (02:54) 3 Politik Kills (03:02) 4 Rainin in Paradize (03:41) 5 Besoin de la lune (01:54) 6 El kitapena (01:55) 7 Me llaman calle (03:14) 8 A cosa (02:14) 9 The Bleedin Clown (01:54) 10 Mundorévès (01:48) 11 El hoyo (03:22) 12 La vida tómbola (03:16) 13 Mala fama (04:07) 14 Panik Panik (01:46) 15 Otro mundo (02:47) 16 Piccola radiolina (01:08) 17 ¿Y ahora qué? (01:45) 18 Mamá cuchara (01:42) 19 Siberia (02:04) 20 Soñé otro mundo (01:19) 21 Amalucada vida (02:25) |
| La Radiolina : Allmusic album Review : European superstar Manu Chao has long gotten by on writing simple repetitive melodies with simple repetitive lyrics, making it, if nothing else, easy for his international audience to sing along, no matter their native language. So it is not particularly surprisingly he follows the same pattern on his fourth studio full-length, Radiolina, recycling not only musical and lyrical phrases throughout the actual album, but also borrowing from his previous work. "Infinita tristeza!" he wails, alluding to an older track of the same name, in "Tristeza Malera" -- sadness being a common theme for Chao alongside government and marijuana -- while "Rainin in Paradize" incorporates the line "This world go crazy, its an atrocity," substituting the "atrocity" for the "emergency" in "Mr. Marley." Even more overt are the melodic reappearances that occur during Radiolina: "The Bleedin Clown," "Otro Mundo," "13 Diàs," and "Rainin in Paradize" all appear at least twice in the record, and while this does create a kind of continuity, it also drags the songs down, making everything seem a little trite. Its not that this should be unexpected: this is Chaos modus operandi, so to speak, and its worked well for him, giving him a recognizable sound and approach that is appreciated by fans worldwide. But ironically, the biggest problem with the album is that it doesnt sound enough like the artist, like he knew he had to offer something different but wasnt exactly sure how to go about it, and so his experiments with bluesy country ("13 Diás," "Besoin de la Lune") and electric guitar-driven polished rock ("Y Ahora Qué," "Rainin in Paradize") seem a little forced and inauthentic. Certainly there are good songs -- "La Vida Tombola," which references Argentine soccer hero Diego Maradona and his (in)famous "Hand of God" goal against England in the 1986 World Cup, or "Politik Kills," which takes a classic reggae-inspired Chao beat alongside provocative lyrics -- but theres also, at 21 tracks, a lot of filler, filler that gets boring, too much like the artist and too much unlike the artist at the same time, making for an album that, despite its best efforts, cant quite figure itself out. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 9 Title: Baionarena Released: 2009-09-14 Tracks: 33 Duration: 2:15:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Panik, Panik (04:56) 2 El hoyo (05:38) 3 Peligro (04:09) 4 Casa Babylon (03:24) 5 Tumba (00:52) 6 Mr. Bobby (06:24) 7 La primavera (08:15) 8 Radio Bemba (01:01) 9 Bienvenida a Tijuana (02:09) 10 El viento (04:57) 11 The Monkey (02:19) 12 Clandestino (03:16) 13 Desaparecido (07:02) 14 Rumba de Barcelona (05:01) 15 La despedida / Mentira (04:24) 1 Rainin in Paradize (03:54) 2 A cosa (03:35) 3 La vacaloca (01:40) 4 Hamburger Fields / Merry Blues (04:47) 5 Tristeza maleza (03:46) 6 Dia luna, dia pena (05:05) 7 Machine Gun (04:22) 8 Volver, volver (03:17) 9 Radio Bemba / Eldorado 1997 (02:32) 10 Mala vida (03:29) 11 Sidihbibi (03:24) 12 Radio Bemba (00:36) 13 Forzando maquina / Mr. Bobby (07:16) 14 Me quedo contigo (si me das elegir) (04:48) 15 La vida tombola (06:28) 16 Lhiver est là (04:54) 17 Crèv la vie (04:22) 18 Pinocchio (viaggio in groppa al tonno) (03:29) |