In recent years, Manu Chao has been called “Desaparecido”, the missing one – an allusion to the catchy song of the same name in which he sang in 1998, “Me llaman el desaparecido” (They call me the missing one). His last album, “La Radiolina”, was released in 2007. Now he is back with “Viva Tu” – in his unmistakable style, which has won him numerous awards.
Musically, the 63-year-old follows the so-called Mestizo style, which he has perfected since his million-selling album “Clandestino” (1998) – a mixture of rock, reggae, ska and traditional Latin American sounds, which is also known as world music.
The album, with 13 songs, is sung in several languages, including Spanish, French, English and Portuguese – another way the musician expresses his polyglot worldview.
New sounds
But there are also new sounds. In “Tu Te Vas”, a duet with the young French rapper Laeti, Spanish folklore and modern rap elements merge into a dynamic and emotionally charged song about a painful breakup. Laeti’s rap parts give the song intensity and topicality.
Another highlight is the guest appearance by country legend Willie Nelson, who is characterized by his distinctive voice and guitar solos. In “Heaven’s Bad Day,” Manu Chao shares the microphone with the 91-year-old in a duet about the ominous heaven that no one should visit.
As committed as ever
Thematically, Manu Chao remains true to his humanistic and combative attitude. His songs reflect the living conditions of people in the world. They deal with grievances, as in “River Why”, in which he criticizes neoliberalism. But also with love, as in the emotional ballad “Tu Te Vas”.
The single “São Paulo Motoboy”, released in June, was the album’s forerunner. The track is reggae-heavy and is accompanied by Chao’s characteristic acoustic guitar and catchy rhythms. It pays tribute to the couriers in São Paulo who risk their lives every day on the streets of the metropolis. Chao knows this struggle from his own experience – before his breakthrough he himself worked as a courier in Paris.
“Viva Tu” is only the fifth studio album by the former co-founder of the band Mano Negra in over 25 years of solo career. But his songs, including “Bongo Bong” and “Je ne t’aime plus”, are still considered classic summer hits. “Viva Tu” also has some songs with catchy potential, such as “Tu Te Vas”.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240920-930-237828/1
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