Manu Chao - Radio Bemba Sound System 2LP (Bonus CD, Gatefold)
Pickup currently unavailable at 2235 Fern Street
Manu Chao - Radio Bemba Sound System 2LP (Bonus CD, Gatefold)
2235 Fern Street
Pickup currently unavailable
2235 Fern Street
San Diego CA 92104
United States
a 74 minute live album of pure energy recorded at the grande halles de la villette in paris. anyone who's caught manu chao and his band radio bemba sound system at one of their live gigs will testify that the parisian troubadour sure knows how to throw a party. this live album draws on reggae, salsa and latin pop classics from chao's first two excellent solo albums ('clandestino' and 'proxima estacion : esperanza') and joyous gems from his time leading the more punk tinged mano negra. while the styles vary as often as the languages (chao flits from spanish to english to french as he translates his life as a global nomad into his music), the common thread is a sense of vitality and hope. from the uplifting reggae of 'bienvenida a tijuana' to the african pop and salsa of 'casa babylon', chao is the pied piper of multiculturalism, leading his crowd on a (literally) merry dance. and it's the crowd that really makes these 29 tracks come into their own. you can almost picture the mob waving, cheering, blowing whistles, shouting into megaphones and generally having the wildest time this side of rio mardi gras. this is a great flashback for those harking after chao live and a perfect introduction to his excellence for recent converts.