Manu Chao Spanish Singer Born 1961 in Paris

Early life

Manu Chao was born José Manuel Tomás Arturo Chao Ortega on 21 June 1961 in Paris. His parents were Spanish emigrants: his father, the writer and journalist Ramón Chao, came from Galicia, and his mother, Felisa Ortega, came from Bilbao. The family left Spain to escape the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, and soon after Manu's birth they settled in the suburbs of Paris. He spent most of his childhood in Boulogne-Billancourt and Sèvres, in a household visited by many of his father's artistic and intellectual acquaintances. In later interviews he has pointed to those years as a source for several of his songs.

Career

Chao started out in Paris by busking and playing in small groups, among them Hot Pants and Los Carayos, which combined several languages and styles. In 1987 he founded the band Mano Negra with his brother Antoine Chao and their cousin Santiago Casariego. The group began by playing in the Paris metro, an experience Chao has described as a school in performing for listeners from many backgrounds. After a reworked version of the Hot Pants song "Mala Vida" became a hit in France in 1988, the band moved to Virgin Records and released its first album, Patchanka, the following year. Mano Negra became successful in continental Europe and toured widely, including a 1992 series of shows in South American port cities and a rail tour of Colombia. The band released its final album, Casa Babylon, in 1994 and broke up in 1995 after disputes with former members.

Chao then moved to Madrid and formed Radio Bemba Sound System with former bandmates and musicians from several countries. He spent several years travelling through South and Central America, recording as he went. The resulting songs were released under his own name as Clandestino in 1998. It gained a steady audience in France, produced the songs "Bongo Bong" and "Clandestino", and sold more than five million copies. His second solo album, Próxima Estación: Esperanza, came out in 2001. Its single "Me Gustas Tú" reached number one in several European and Latin American countries. A live album, Radio Bemba Sound System, followed in 2002, and in 2004 he released Sibérie m'était contéee, an album sung in French and accompanied by a book of lyrics and illustrations by Jacek Woźniak.

La Radiolina was released on 17 September 2007, and Chao's later releases include Estacion Mexico (2008) and Baionarena (2009). His most recent studio album, Viva Tu, came out on 20 September 2024. In 2025 he appeared on the single "A me mi piace" by the Italian singer Alfa, whose chorus draws on the melody and part of the words of "Me Gustas Tú"; it reached the top of the Italian singles chart.

Chao also works as a producer and guest musician. In 2003 he approached the Malian duo Amadou and Mariam and produced their 2004 album Dimanche à Bamako. His song "Me llaman Calle", written for the 2005 Spanish film Princesas, won a Goya Award for best original song. He appeared on the album True Love by Toots and the Maytals, which won the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. His music has been used on screen, including the theme for the comedy series Drew Carey's Green Screen Show in 2004, and he is credited in Gogol Bordello Non-Stop (2008).

He sings in many languages, often mixing several in one song, and cites influences ranging from punk and rock to French chanson, salsa, reggae, ska and raï. He has said that most of his recordings were made on a laptop he carries with him.

Recognition

In 2007 Chao won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Alternative Song. His album Clandestino received the award for the best traditional or world music album at the French Victoires de la Musique in 1999, and Próxima Estación: Esperanza won the same category in 2002. He also took the MTV Europe Music Award for Best French Act in 2001.

Public roles

Chao is a founding member of the anti-globalisation association ATTAC and has long been associated with left-wing and alter-globalisation movements. His lyrics often address immigration, life in poor neighbourhoods and social inequality. Since 1991 he has worked with La Colifata, a group of current and former patients of a psychiatric hospital in Buenos Aires that runs a radio project.

Personal life

Chao has one child.