Manu Chao is a French musician who sings in many different languages, including French, English, Italian, Arabic, Catalan, Portuguese and Greek. Chao began his career busking on the streets of Paris and playing with groups such as Hot Pants and Los Carayos. He co-founded his first band back in 1987 with his brother Antoine – they were called Mano Negra and they achieved much success around Europe, although less so in the UK. He became a solo artist in 1995 and has been touring since then.
“Bloody Bloody Border” is Chao’s first new music for 12 years. It is part of a re-release of his debut album “Clandestino” but also includes 3 new tracks, including this one. “Clandestino” was a landmark release at the time with many different languages used across the album – as well as different genres. It’s hard to tie down Chao to a particular genre as he transcends many throughout his back catalogue of work.
Chao wrote the lyrics to “Bloody Bloody Border” while passing through Arizona on a tour in 2011, reflecting on the inhumane conditions reported from migrant camps across the USA and Mexico border. Lyrics such as “We want freedom to cross” and “Cross the border line / Freedom is not crime / Lets peaceful river flow / Let the people come and go”, just highlights how strongly he feels about this subject.
Although there has been the 12 year gap since his last release, “Bloody Bloody Border” stands alongside the classic material from Chao. Listening to the whole album, it is difficult to tell which are the new tracks and which ones are from the original album – this is very much a compliment to how Chao’s music has stood the test of time and is still relevant today. A very talented and much underrated performer in many parts of the world.
Reviewer - John Fish
on - 1/7/19
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