Mano Negra
Encyclopedia
Mano Negra was a music band in France, during 1987–1995, fronted by Manu Chao
.
The band, founded in 1987 by Chao, his brother Antoine, and his cousin Santiago Casariego in Paris, France, was very influential in Europe during the early 1990s. Although it reached mainstream success in countries including the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Italy, they failed to penetrate the Anglo
. By 1992 the band got involved in different projects in Latin America that now are considered epic adventures: Cargo 92, where the band traveled to several countries by ship and the "Train of Ice and Fire" that involved traveling to the deep and savage countryside of Colombia by train. The band split up around 1995, although many members had already left by 1992. Some follow-up albums and videos were released after the band had split and formed other bands.
Mano Negra mixed a number of styles: punk rock
, flamenco
, ska
, raï
, salsa
, reggae
and African rhythms. The band, which is still popular on three continents, had been among the pioneers of world music fusion
and are a direct influence on countless bands in Europe and South America. The mix of African, Latin and other rhythms is often called mestizo or patchanka (which is the name of one of their albums). Mano Negra is now considered a cult
band and still spreads their spirit to multiple bands around the world.
After the split, Manu Chao embarked on to a solo career that earned more commercial success, due to smoothing his former style into a more friendly and chill sound, very much based on reggae
rhythms.
" (English: "The Black Hand") was a supposed secret and violent anarchist organization that was founded in Andalusia, Spain, at the end of the 19th century. The Spanish National Police accused most of the Spanish anarchist
s of being part of the organization. In the 1880s, Andalusia had experienced a severe economic crisis. Due to the resulting misery and famine, farm workers revolted, burning and looting bakeries and numerous orchards. This led to the authorities' carrying out mass arrests and public executions. Despite the debates that took place, for years, about the existence of this organization, it is now widely recognized in academic circles that it was a type of "false flag" invention, by the Sagasta government, in order to suppress peasant revolts in the south of Spain. Chao's parents were political exiles from Spain who moved to France, escaping persecution from the dictatorship of Franco
.
"La Mano Negra" is also a common expression in Spanish to say, "Aquí hubo mano negra" ("There was a black hand here") to say that someone with authority, in a particular event, manipulated things illegally for its benefit. The expression is also used sometimes as a name for illegal employment.
However, it was in reading a comic Dominique Rousseau that the idea came to the group. "Mano Negro" was the name of a band of guerrillas in South America, and the band liked the black-hand symbol.
, Noir Désir
, or Los Carayos were leading the local scene. It is in this context that the musician Manu Chao, with the intention of recording some songs written that did not fit into the groups of which he had been a part, decided to start a band with his brother, trumpeter Antoine Chao, and his cousin, drummer Santi Cassariego. Needing more musicians, they called the group "Dirty District" and recorded in 1987 EP Takin' it up (Boucherie Productions).
After this recording, the group was diluted almost sporadically, with three members participating in other projects: Manu in Les Casse Pieds, Antoine with The Kingsnakes Carayos and with Santi. However, the following year, they recorded the first LP of the group, Patchanka
. That album had songs which Manu had written before and which Dirty District again participated with other musicians from Les Casse Pieds, urban group, holiday, folk and gifts to improvise, Hot Pants and Los Carayos, to accompany the three members of the group. Patchanka is an album that sounds like the time period, made on a budget and with imagination, and Manu Chao allowed recording several songs as unedited renditions: "Mala Vida", "Indios de Barcelona" and "Ronde de Nuit", among others.
The laborious search for the Patchanka sound did not stop there, as Manu continued to collaborate with other groups, while Patchanka continued to accumulate good reviews. Daniel Jamet (lead guitar), Jo Dahan (bass) and Philippe Teboul (drums), as 3 musicians from Les Casse Pieds, decided to join the project Mano Negra, and later would be joined by keyboardist Tomas Darnal. The group toured in France and drew media attention, getting a contract signed with major label Virgin Records
France, which brought them criticism from France's alternative scene, but otherwise let them pay for their travel.
("Slut's Fever"), a title that reflects the contempt with which other groups were treated for their signing with Virgin Records. Pierre Gauthe, trombone, joined as the eighth member of the group, and they went on tour to Latin America, choosing countries like Peru or Ecuador, unaccustomed to receiving foreign rock bands, causing a sensation in the audience to perform free concerts in auditoriums and public places. Recording concluded on Puta's Fever
, considered one of the best albums of the group, which mixes Tex-Mex ("Patchuko Hop"), Arabic songs ("Sidi H'Bibi"), flamenco, etc. Enriched with the Latin American experience and tucked behind the success of the new job in France and other European countries, they began a world tour in 1990, leading them to visit more than fifteen countries, including: Japan, Holland, Germany and the United States, where they opened for Iggy Pop
. However, the U.S. tour was not a good experience, and the band decided not to pursue the Anglo market since they don't identify themselves with their style of performing.
During 1991, while the group continued to tour the European continent, its members began to show signs of disunity. However, they began recording in Cologne
(Germany) which would be their third LP, King of Bongo
. The album, which was not well-received by critics, included more lyrics in English, fewer Latin rhythms but more rock and hardcore sounds. Some English songs are "Mad Man's Dead", "Out of Time Man" or "Bring the Fire". Later, the group performed what would be its last concert in Paris with all its members, in the plaza of La Défense
, with attempts to cancel the show by the municipality.
, recorded during two concerts at the city of Kawasaki
(Japan). The work captures, in essence, the energy of live band, as Mano Negra was a band of performance, which owed much of its success to its eccentric performances and travel. Precisely in this year, they started the Cargo 92 project, embarking from the city of Nantes
in the cargo ship
Melquiades with the theater company Royal de Luxe
, in order to start a boat trip to South America, subsidized by the French government. The tour, which lasted nearly five months and visited countries such as Colombia, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Cuba, Ecuador, Brazil, Uruguay or Argentina, giving free performances in public places, witnessed the weakening of the group. After four months, without a break, in unfavorable economic conditions, the rebellious spirit of the group showed signs of unwillingness to continue. It is not until July 1992, in Buenos Aires
(Argentina), that Mano Negra gave its last concert with all original members, preceded by an incident in the program TV Attacks, when the keyboard player broke a monitor. That same year, they published the compilation album Amerika Perdida
("Lost America").
Upon returning from South America, the tension between group members continued to grow and trumpeter Antoine left the band. The rest of the band, especially Manu, gave form to what would become its next album, Casa Babylon
("Babylon House"), an album like King of Bongo, unrelated to their previous albums. At the same time, the group published a biographical book collection that includes a picture disc
Bande Originale Du Livre
with new songs, some included later in the album Casa Babylon
. During the recording sessions, Jo Dahan and Daniel Jamet also left the group, letting new members enter, which were not welcomed by some former members. One of them was Fidel Nadal, Argentine vocalist from Todos Tus Muertos
and Gambeat bass player from Manu's new band, French Lovers. The result of the recordings was the only concept album of the group; piece by piece, it becomes a party of Latin rhythms mixed with rock and hardcore shoots.
The group, as such, did not interpret the themes of Casa Babylon
, although several of its members made some presentations in Spain with different names, such as Larchuma FC or Radio Bemba, and offered some collaborations with other groups, especially with Negu Gorriak
, from the Basque Country.
and Aracataca
, all other members of the group, except Manu and Thomas decided to return to Paris. It was the end of an era, which Ramon Chao described in the book The Train of Ice and Fire: Mano Negra in Colombia.
However, in 1994 the details are finalized for the start of album Casa Babylon, which will not do either U.S. or England. The music video of the song "Señor Matanza" (Mr. Slaughter) began to give more publicity to the band in Latin America, which had come so far, but unfortunately when the band was already dissolved, a fact ignored by many of its admirers. Meanwhile, among the old members there were two positions for membership: a commitment to continuity of the band, giving freedom to enter for other participants, while leaving the door open for the original members to return anytime. On the other hand, some members wanted Mano Negra to cease to exist, at least to not use that name. This second approach would be imposed.
In 1995, Manu Chao and other members of the band, whose desire was to continue to offer concerts in Madrid
, but due to the restriction on the use of the former name of the group, do so as "Radio Bemba", the final project that also dissolved. In 1998, the compilation album Best of Mano Negra
was released, including 22 hits and two previously unreleased tracks. The album was well received, although it was criticized for the fact it was released just as the LP Clandestino
, Manu Chao's solo album was having some success.
In 2005, there was a planned release of a double DVD (video) of the group, with six hours of concerts, documentaries, and rare images in the history of the band. Manu Chao was not involved in the production, but six members, Jo, Tom, Phillipe, Daniel, Antoine and Pierre, offered interviews to promote the work. In a presentation to Radio France
in the program,Fou du Roi, they perform three themes: "Jamie Jamie" plus "Sidi H 'Bibi" and a version of "Jesus Reviens" (Jesus Return) that they title "Manu Reviens", calling the former leader of the group to his return. In December 2005, the same members participated in a festival like Mano Negra Sound System, playing the song "Sidi H 'Bibi" and others, but as DJ, participating only with metals and keyboards.
continued his solo career, always committed with political and social issues, immigration, ghetto
s, and injustice
, sometimes releasing albums completely in Spanish, and others in French. His Clandestino
album aimed at featuring groups from diverse backgrounds, such as Mexican Tijuana No!
, Brazilian Skank
, and Argentinian Todos Tus Muertos
. The goal was to replicate the sound of street music and bar scenes from a variety of cultures. The album was a major success in Latin America, and though not an instant success in Europe, it eventually earned the Best World Music Album award in 1999's Victoires de la Musique
awards. It sold in excess of 5 million copies. This success was followed by Próxima Estación: Esperanza ("Next station: Hope"), released in 2001, with similar Latin, Caribbean, and ska
sounds. Two years later, Chao returned to his French roots, with the French-only album Sibérie m'était contée ("Siberia could talk").
Though Chao is quite well known in Europe and Latin America, he has not had the same success in the English-speaking world. Tours in the United States with Mano Negra were not as successful as elsewhere, and Chao seems inclined to focus his efforts in the places where his musical style finds its roots. Though his live performances in the U.S. are infrequent, Chao played a handful of dates there in 2006, including a headlining show at Lollapalooza
2006 in Chicago, IL, "Celebrate Brooklyn" in 2007, and at Merriweather Post Pavilion
in Columbia, Maryland
to a sellout crowd on June 23, 2007. He was one of the headlining acts at the 2008 Austin City Limits Music Festival
(Texas) and the Outside Lands Music Festival in Golden Gate Park
(San Francisco, CA).
Manu Chao
Manu Chao , is a French singer of Spanish roots . He sings in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Galician, Arabic and Portuguese and occasionally in other languages...
.
The band, founded in 1987 by Chao, his brother Antoine, and his cousin Santiago Casariego in Paris, France, was very influential in Europe during the early 1990s. Although it reached mainstream success in countries including the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Italy, they failed to penetrate the Anglo
Anglo
Anglo is a prefix indicating a relation to the Angles, England or the English people, as in the terms Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-American, Anglo-Celtic, Anglo-African and Anglo-Indian. It is often used alone, somewhat loosely, to refer to people of British Isles descent in The Americas, Australia and...
. By 1992 the band got involved in different projects in Latin America that now are considered epic adventures: Cargo 92, where the band traveled to several countries by ship and the "Train of Ice and Fire" that involved traveling to the deep and savage countryside of Colombia by train. The band split up around 1995, although many members had already left by 1992. Some follow-up albums and videos were released after the band had split and formed other bands.
Mano Negra mixed a number of styles: punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
, ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
, raï
Raï
Raï is a form of folk music that originated in Oran, Algeria from Bedouin shepherds, mixed with Spanish, French, African and Arabic musical forms, which dates back to the 1930s....
, salsa
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
and African rhythms. The band, which is still popular on three continents, had been among the pioneers of world music fusion
Fusion (music)
A fusion genre is music that combines two or more styles. For example, rock and roll originally developed as a fusion of blues, gospel and country music. The main characteristics of fusion genres are variations in tempo, rhythm, i a sometimes the use of long musical "journeys" that can be divided...
and are a direct influence on countless bands in Europe and South America. The mix of African, Latin and other rhythms is often called mestizo or patchanka (which is the name of one of their albums). Mano Negra is now considered a cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
band and still spreads their spirit to multiple bands around the world.
After the split, Manu Chao embarked on to a solo career that earned more commercial success, due to smoothing his former style into a more friendly and chill sound, very much based on reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
rhythms.
Name
The name "La Mano NegraLa Mano Negra
La Mano Negra was a supposed secret and violent Anarchist organization that was founded in Andalucia, Spain at the end of the 19th century....
" (English: "The Black Hand") was a supposed secret and violent anarchist organization that was founded in Andalusia, Spain, at the end of the 19th century. The Spanish National Police accused most of the Spanish anarchist
Anarchism in Spain
Anarchism has historically gained more support and influence in Spain than anywhere else, especially before Francisco Franco's victory in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939....
s of being part of the organization. In the 1880s, Andalusia had experienced a severe economic crisis. Due to the resulting misery and famine, farm workers revolted, burning and looting bakeries and numerous orchards. This led to the authorities' carrying out mass arrests and public executions. Despite the debates that took place, for years, about the existence of this organization, it is now widely recognized in academic circles that it was a type of "false flag" invention, by the Sagasta government, in order to suppress peasant revolts in the south of Spain. Chao's parents were political exiles from Spain who moved to France, escaping persecution from the dictatorship of Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
.
"La Mano Negra" is also a common expression in Spanish to say, "Aquí hubo mano negra" ("There was a black hand here") to say that someone with authority, in a particular event, manipulated things illegally for its benefit. The expression is also used sometimes as a name for illegal employment.
However, it was in reading a comic Dominique Rousseau that the idea came to the group. "Mano Negro" was the name of a band of guerrillas in South America, and the band liked the black-hand symbol.
Origins
In the mid-1980s, alternative rock bands such as Bérurier NoirBérurier Noir
Bérurier noir is a French punk band formed in Paris in 1983 by Loran , François and Dédé . They called themselves "noir" for the color of mourning and for anarchy and "Bérurier" after the character from the novels of Frédéric Dard...
, Noir Désir
Noir Désir
Noir Désir was a French rock band from Bordeaux. They were active during the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, and have had two albums certified double platinum in France and three certified gold. They have been an influence on numerous French musicians including Cali, Louise Attaque and Miossec...
, or Los Carayos were leading the local scene. It is in this context that the musician Manu Chao, with the intention of recording some songs written that did not fit into the groups of which he had been a part, decided to start a band with his brother, trumpeter Antoine Chao, and his cousin, drummer Santi Cassariego. Needing more musicians, they called the group "Dirty District" and recorded in 1987 EP Takin' it up (Boucherie Productions).
After this recording, the group was diluted almost sporadically, with three members participating in other projects: Manu in Les Casse Pieds, Antoine with The Kingsnakes Carayos and with Santi. However, the following year, they recorded the first LP of the group, Patchanka
Patchanka
Patchanka is the debut album of the multiracial band Mano Negra, released in 1988.-Track listing:#"Mano Negra" – 1:44#"Ronde De Nuit" – 2:55#"Baby You're Mine" – 2:55#"Indios De Barcelona" – 2:34#"Rock Island Line" – 3:03...
. That album had songs which Manu had written before and which Dirty District again participated with other musicians from Les Casse Pieds, urban group, holiday, folk and gifts to improvise, Hot Pants and Los Carayos, to accompany the three members of the group. Patchanka is an album that sounds like the time period, made on a budget and with imagination, and Manu Chao allowed recording several songs as unedited renditions: "Mala Vida", "Indios de Barcelona" and "Ronde de Nuit", among others.
The laborious search for the Patchanka sound did not stop there, as Manu continued to collaborate with other groups, while Patchanka continued to accumulate good reviews. Daniel Jamet (lead guitar), Jo Dahan (bass) and Philippe Teboul (drums), as 3 musicians from Les Casse Pieds, decided to join the project Mano Negra, and later would be joined by keyboardist Tomas Darnal. The group toured in France and drew media attention, getting a contract signed with major label Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
France, which brought them criticism from France's alternative scene, but otherwise let them pay for their travel.
Success
In 1989 the band started recording their second LP, Puta's FeverPuta's Fever
Puta's Fever is an album by Mano Negra, released on September 1, 1989.-Track listing:# "Mano Negra" – 0:57# "Rock'N' Roll Band" – 2:33# "King Kong Five" – 1:56# "Soledad" – 2:34...
("Slut's Fever"), a title that reflects the contempt with which other groups were treated for their signing with Virgin Records. Pierre Gauthe, trombone, joined as the eighth member of the group, and they went on tour to Latin America, choosing countries like Peru or Ecuador, unaccustomed to receiving foreign rock bands, causing a sensation in the audience to perform free concerts in auditoriums and public places. Recording concluded on Puta's Fever
Puta's Fever
Puta's Fever is an album by Mano Negra, released on September 1, 1989.-Track listing:# "Mano Negra" – 0:57# "Rock'N' Roll Band" – 2:33# "King Kong Five" – 1:56# "Soledad" – 2:34...
, considered one of the best albums of the group, which mixes Tex-Mex ("Patchuko Hop"), Arabic songs ("Sidi H'Bibi"), flamenco, etc. Enriched with the Latin American experience and tucked behind the success of the new job in France and other European countries, they began a world tour in 1990, leading them to visit more than fifteen countries, including: Japan, Holland, Germany and the United States, where they opened for Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
. However, the U.S. tour was not a good experience, and the band decided not to pursue the Anglo market since they don't identify themselves with their style of performing.
During 1991, while the group continued to tour the European continent, its members began to show signs of disunity. However, they began recording in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
(Germany) which would be their third LP, King of Bongo
King of Bongo
King of Bongo is an album by Mano Negra, released on April 1, 1991. The album tries to break the American auditorium, as most of the songs are in English language.-Track listing:# "Bring The Fire" – 3:27...
. The album, which was not well-received by critics, included more lyrics in English, fewer Latin rhythms but more rock and hardcore sounds. Some English songs are "Mad Man's Dead", "Out of Time Man" or "Bring the Fire". Later, the group performed what would be its last concert in Paris with all its members, in the plaza of La Défense
La Défense
La Défense is a major business district of the Paris aire urbaine. With a population of 20,000, it is centered in an orbital motorway straddling the Hauts-de-Seine département municipalities of Nanterre, Courbevoie and Puteaux...
, with attempts to cancel the show by the municipality.
Worldwide tours
Later that same year, 1991, during one of its Japanese tours, they decided to record the only live album of the group, In the Hell of PatchinkoIn the Hell of Patchinko
In the Hell of Patchinko is a live album by Mano Negra, it was recorded November 2, 1991 in Chitta Club, Kawasaki, Japan with mobile studio "Sound Creaters" and released November 9, 1992.-Track listing:# "Mano Negra "# "Magic Dice"# "Country Line"...
, recorded during two concerts at the city of Kawasaki
Kawasaki, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, between Tokyo and Yokohama. It is the 9th most populated city in Japan and one of the main cities forming the Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area....
(Japan). The work captures, in essence, the energy of live band, as Mano Negra was a band of performance, which owed much of its success to its eccentric performances and travel. Precisely in this year, they started the Cargo 92 project, embarking from the city of Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
in the cargo ship
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
Melquiades with the theater company Royal de Luxe
Royal de luxe
Royal de Luxe is a French mechanical marionette street theatre company. They were founded in 1979 by Jean Luc Courcoult. Based in Nantes, the company has performed in France, Belgium, England, Germany, Iceland, Chile, Australia and Mexico.- Gigantic puppets :...
, in order to start a boat trip to South America, subsidized by the French government. The tour, which lasted nearly five months and visited countries such as Colombia, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Cuba, Ecuador, Brazil, Uruguay or Argentina, giving free performances in public places, witnessed the weakening of the group. After four months, without a break, in unfavorable economic conditions, the rebellious spirit of the group showed signs of unwillingness to continue. It is not until July 1992, in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
(Argentina), that Mano Negra gave its last concert with all original members, preceded by an incident in the program TV Attacks, when the keyboard player broke a monitor. That same year, they published the compilation album Amerika Perdida
Amerika Perdida
Amerika Perdida is an album by Mano Negra, released on October 28, 1991.- Track listing :# – 1:44 [Patchanka]# "Mala Vida" – 2:53 [Patchanka]# "Amerika Perdida" – 2:58...
("Lost America").
Upon returning from South America, the tension between group members continued to grow and trumpeter Antoine left the band. The rest of the band, especially Manu, gave form to what would become its next album, Casa Babylon
Casa Babylon
Casa Babylon is the fifth record album by Mano Negra, released in the month of May of 1994.-Track listing:-Group Line-Up: Manu Chao'Antoine Chao'Santiago Casariego'Philippe Teboul'Daniel Jamet'Olivier Dahan'Thomas Darnal'Pierre "Krøpöl" Gauthé'Fidel Nadal : Lead Vocals & Guitar: Trompet &...
("Babylon House"), an album like King of Bongo, unrelated to their previous albums. At the same time, the group published a biographical book collection that includes a picture disc
Picture disc
Picture discs are gramophone records that show images on their playing surface, rather than being of plain black or coloured vinyl.-Development:...
Bande Originale Du Livre
Bande Originale Du Livre
Bande Originale Du Livre is an album by Mano Negra released in 1994.-Side one:#"Intro" – 0:41#"The Monkey" – 2:40#"Retour A La Civilisation" – 3:00#"Blood And Fire" – 2:55-Side two:...
with new songs, some included later in the album Casa Babylon
Casa Babylon
Casa Babylon is the fifth record album by Mano Negra, released in the month of May of 1994.-Track listing:-Group Line-Up: Manu Chao'Antoine Chao'Santiago Casariego'Philippe Teboul'Daniel Jamet'Olivier Dahan'Thomas Darnal'Pierre "Krøpöl" Gauthé'Fidel Nadal : Lead Vocals & Guitar: Trompet &...
. During the recording sessions, Jo Dahan and Daniel Jamet also left the group, letting new members enter, which were not welcomed by some former members. One of them was Fidel Nadal, Argentine vocalist from Todos Tus Muertos
Todos Tus Muertos
Todos Tus Muertos is a punk and reggae band from Argentina created in 1985.-Members:* Felix Gutiérrez - bass and backing vocals * Pablo Molina - vocals, percussion * Christian Fabrizio - drums...
and Gambeat bass player from Manu's new band, French Lovers. The result of the recordings was the only concept album of the group; piece by piece, it becomes a party of Latin rhythms mixed with rock and hardcore shoots.
The group, as such, did not interpret the themes of Casa Babylon
Casa Babylon
Casa Babylon is the fifth record album by Mano Negra, released in the month of May of 1994.-Track listing:-Group Line-Up: Manu Chao'Antoine Chao'Santiago Casariego'Philippe Teboul'Daniel Jamet'Olivier Dahan'Thomas Darnal'Pierre "Krøpöl" Gauthé'Fidel Nadal : Lead Vocals & Guitar: Trompet &...
, although several of its members made some presentations in Spain with different names, such as Larchuma FC or Radio Bemba, and offered some collaborations with other groups, especially with Negu Gorriak
Negu Gorriak
Negu Gorriak were an underground Basque Crossover group. Their musical style combines various styles of rock music such as hardcore punk, hip-hop, ska, and reggae, although it is impossible to separate the band from its political ideology and its identification with the Basque Country and its...
, from the Basque Country.
End
In late 1993, several members of the group decided to make a train trip to Colombia to which are added some members from Royal de Lux and group French Lovers. After two weeks of travel, and after the last of its two concerts, in Santa MartaSanta Marta
Santa Marta is the capital city of the Colombian department of Magdalena in the Caribbean Region. It was founded in July 29, 1525 by the Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas, which makes it the oldest remaining city in Colombia...
and Aracataca
Aracataca
Aracataca is a municipality located in the Department of Magdalena, in Colombia's Caribbean Region. Aracataca is a river town founded in 1885. The town stands beside the river of the same name, the Aracataca river that flows from the nearby Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range into the...
, all other members of the group, except Manu and Thomas decided to return to Paris. It was the end of an era, which Ramon Chao described in the book The Train of Ice and Fire: Mano Negra in Colombia.
However, in 1994 the details are finalized for the start of album Casa Babylon, which will not do either U.S. or England. The music video of the song "Señor Matanza" (Mr. Slaughter) began to give more publicity to the band in Latin America, which had come so far, but unfortunately when the band was already dissolved, a fact ignored by many of its admirers. Meanwhile, among the old members there were two positions for membership: a commitment to continuity of the band, giving freedom to enter for other participants, while leaving the door open for the original members to return anytime. On the other hand, some members wanted Mano Negra to cease to exist, at least to not use that name. This second approach would be imposed.
In 1995, Manu Chao and other members of the band, whose desire was to continue to offer concerts in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, but due to the restriction on the use of the former name of the group, do so as "Radio Bemba", the final project that also dissolved. In 1998, the compilation album Best of Mano Negra
Best Of (Mano Negra)
Best Of Mano Negra is an compilation album by Mano Negra, released in 1998. It included their greatest hits from 1988 to 1994.-Track listing:# "Mano Negra" – 0:58#* From In the Hell of Patchinko...
was released, including 22 hits and two previously unreleased tracks. The album was well received, although it was criticized for the fact it was released just as the LP Clandestino
Clandestino
Clandestino is the first full-length solo album by Manu Chao, released in 1998. The album contains many soundbites throughout, two of which are bits of a speech by Subcomandante Marcos.-Track listing:...
, Manu Chao's solo album was having some success.
In 2005, there was a planned release of a double DVD (video) of the group, with six hours of concerts, documentaries, and rare images in the history of the band. Manu Chao was not involved in the production, but six members, Jo, Tom, Phillipe, Daniel, Antoine and Pierre, offered interviews to promote the work. In a presentation to Radio France
Radio France
Radio France is a French public service radio broadcaster.-Mission:Radio France's two principal missions are:* To create and expand the programming on all of their stations; and...
in the program,Fou du Roi, they perform three themes: "Jamie Jamie" plus "Sidi H 'Bibi" and a version of "Jesus Reviens" (Jesus Return) that they title "Manu Reviens", calling the former leader of the group to his return. In December 2005, the same members participated in a festival like Mano Negra Sound System, playing the song "Sidi H 'Bibi" and others, but as DJ, participating only with metals and keyboards.
Manu Chao solo
After the band split, Manu ChaoManu Chao
Manu Chao , is a French singer of Spanish roots . He sings in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Galician, Arabic and Portuguese and occasionally in other languages...
continued his solo career, always committed with political and social issues, immigration, ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
s, and injustice
Injustice
Injustice is the lack of or opposition to justice, either in reference to a particular event or act, or as a larger status quo. The term generally refers to misuse, abuse, neglect, or malfeasance that is uncorrected or else sanctioned by a legal system. Misuse and abuse with regard to a particular...
, sometimes releasing albums completely in Spanish, and others in French. His Clandestino
Clandestino
Clandestino is the first full-length solo album by Manu Chao, released in 1998. The album contains many soundbites throughout, two of which are bits of a speech by Subcomandante Marcos.-Track listing:...
album aimed at featuring groups from diverse backgrounds, such as Mexican Tijuana No!
Tijuana No!
Tijuana No! is a Mexican ska, rock and punk band, from Tijuana BC, México. In the beginning their name was Radio Chantaje , and later they became No, but upon the knowledge of another band called the same, they changed their name to No de Tijuana , to later just shorten it to Tijuana No!...
, Brazilian Skank
Skank (band)
Skank is a Brazilian rock/reggae band, begun in 1991, in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. , they had sold approximately 5,200,000 copies of their albums...
, and Argentinian Todos Tus Muertos
Todos Tus Muertos
Todos Tus Muertos is a punk and reggae band from Argentina created in 1985.-Members:* Felix Gutiérrez - bass and backing vocals * Pablo Molina - vocals, percussion * Christian Fabrizio - drums...
. The goal was to replicate the sound of street music and bar scenes from a variety of cultures. The album was a major success in Latin America, and though not an instant success in Europe, it eventually earned the Best World Music Album award in 1999's Victoires de la Musique
Victoires de la Musique
Victoires de la musique , is an annual French award ceremony that recognizes the best musical artists of the year.- Male artist of the year :*1985 : Michel Jonasz*1986 : Jean-Jacques Goldman*1987 : Johnny Hallyday...
awards. It sold in excess of 5 million copies. This success was followed by Próxima Estación: Esperanza ("Next station: Hope"), released in 2001, with similar Latin, Caribbean, and ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
sounds. Two years later, Chao returned to his French roots, with the French-only album Sibérie m'était contée ("Siberia could talk").
Though Chao is quite well known in Europe and Latin America, he has not had the same success in the English-speaking world. Tours in the United States with Mano Negra were not as successful as elsewhere, and Chao seems inclined to focus his efforts in the places where his musical style finds its roots. Though his live performances in the U.S. are infrequent, Chao played a handful of dates there in 2006, including a headlining show at Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
2006 in Chicago, IL, "Celebrate Brooklyn" in 2007, and at Merriweather Post Pavilion
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Merriweather Post Pavilion is an outdoor concert venue located within Symphony Woods, a 40-acre lot of preserved land in the heart of the planned community of Columbia, Maryland. It was named for the American Post Foods heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post...
in Columbia, Maryland
Columbia, Maryland
Columbia is a planned community that consists of ten self-contained villages, located in Howard County, Maryland, United States. It began with the idea that a city could enhance its residents' quality of life. Creator and developer James W. Rouse saw the new community in terms of human values, not...
to a sellout crowd on June 23, 2007. He was one of the headlining acts at the 2008 Austin City Limits Music Festival
Austin City Limits Music Festival
The Austin City Limits Music Festival is an annual three-day American music festival that takes place in Austin, Texas at the city's central public park, Zilker Park...
(Texas) and the Outside Lands Music Festival in Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. Configured as a rectangle, it is similar in shape but 20% larger than Central Park in New York, to which it is often compared. It is over three miles long east to west, and about half a...
(San Francisco, CA).
Band members
- Manu ChaoManu ChaoManu Chao , is a French singer of Spanish roots . He sings in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Galician, Arabic and Portuguese and occasionally in other languages...
(Oscar Tramor) – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1987–1995) - Antoine Chao (Tonio Del Borño) – trumpets, vocals (1987–1992)
- Santiago Casariego (Santi El Águila) – drums, vocals (1987–1993)
- Philippe Teboul (Garbancito) – percussion, vocals (1989–1993)
- Daniel Jamet (Roger Cageot) – lead guitar, vocals (1989–1992)
- Joseph Dahan (Jo) – bass, vocals (1989–1993)
- Thomas Darnal (Helmut Krumar) – keyboards, vocals (1989–1995)
- Pierre Gauthé (Krøpöl 1er) – trombone, vocals (1989–1993)
Studio albums
- 1988: PatchankaPatchankaPatchanka is the debut album of the multiracial band Mano Negra, released in 1988.-Track listing:#"Mano Negra" – 1:44#"Ronde De Nuit" – 2:55#"Baby You're Mine" – 2:55#"Indios De Barcelona" – 2:34#"Rock Island Line" – 3:03...
- 1989: Puta's FeverPuta's FeverPuta's Fever is an album by Mano Negra, released on September 1, 1989.-Track listing:# "Mano Negra" – 0:57# "Rock'N' Roll Band" – 2:33# "King Kong Five" – 1:56# "Soledad" – 2:34...
- 1991: King of BongoKing of BongoKing of Bongo is an album by Mano Negra, released on April 1, 1991. The album tries to break the American auditorium, as most of the songs are in English language.-Track listing:# "Bring The Fire" – 3:27...
- 1994: Casa BabylonCasa BabylonCasa Babylon is the fifth record album by Mano Negra, released in the month of May of 1994.-Track listing:-Group Line-Up: Manu Chao'Antoine Chao'Santiago Casariego'Philippe Teboul'Daniel Jamet'Olivier Dahan'Thomas Darnal'Pierre "Krøpöl" Gauthé'Fidel Nadal : Lead Vocals & Guitar: Trompet &...
Compilations
- 1991: Amerika PerdidaAmerika PerdidaAmerika Perdida is an album by Mano Negra, released on October 28, 1991.- Track listing :# – 1:44 [Patchanka]# "Mala Vida" – 2:53 [Patchanka]# "Amerika Perdida" – 2:58...
(Lost America) - 1998: Best ofBest Of (Mano Negra)Best Of Mano Negra is an compilation album by Mano Negra, released in 1998. It included their greatest hits from 1988 to 1994.-Track listing:# "Mano Negra" – 0:58#* From In the Hell of Patchinko...
- 2004: L'EssentielL'Essentiel-Track listing:-Band Line-Up :...
(The Essential)
Other releases
- 1994: Bande Originale Du LivreBande Originale Du LivreBande Originale Du Livre is an album by Mano Negra released in 1994.-Side one:#"Intro" – 0:41#"The Monkey" – 2:40#"Retour A La Civilisation" – 3:00#"Blood And Fire" – 2:55-Side two:...
(picture discPicture discPicture discs are gramophone records that show images on their playing surface, rather than being of plain black or coloured vinyl.-Development:...
) - 2001: Mano Negra IllegalMano Negra IllegalMano Negra Illegal is a tribute album to the French world/punk band Mano Negra, released in 2001 on the Big Mama label .-Track listing:#Ska-P - "Señor Matanza" – 3:35...
(tribute album) - 2005: Out of Time (DVD)
Further reading
- Chao, Ramón. Mano Negra en Colombia. Un tren de hielo y fuego (originally Un train de glace et de feu), 1994. A chronicle of Mano Negra's 1993 tour on Colombia's decrepit railway through small, rural villages, written by Manu's father, Ramón ChaoRamón ChaoRamón Luís Chao Rego is a Spanish journalist and writer. He won the Premio de Virtuosismo for Piano in . The same year he moved to Paris, France to study music with Nadia Boulanger and Lazare Lèvy. In began his collaboration with the RTF's Iberian languages Service. He was Head of this service ...
. The name of the train, "Expresso de Hielo," was inspired by the opening line of Gabriel García MárquezGabriel García MárquezGabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez is a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo throughout Latin America. He is considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in...
's novel One Hundred Years of SolitudeOne Hundred Years of SolitudeOne Hundred Years of Solitude , by Gabriel García Márquez, is a novel which tells the multi-generational story of the Buendía family, whose patriarch, José Arcadio Buendía, founds the town of Macondo, the metaphoric Colombia...
.