Manu Chao
Manu Chao (⋆ 21 June 1961 in Paris, France) is a French/Spanish rock, reggae, punk and ska artist; well-known in the Paris alternative music scene before his international success with the band Mano Negra (active 1988-95). Well-known songs are 'Me Gustas Tu', 'Bongo Bong', 'Clandestino', 'Mr Bobby', and 'Je Ne'taime Plus'. Manu is one of the world's largest selling artists, but is less known in the English-speaking world. Much of his lyrics are about global political and social issues, but also about love, world's lifestyles, and music. Read Full BioManu Chao (⋆ 21 June 1961 in Paris, France) is a French/Spanish rock, reggae, punk and ska artist; well-known in the Paris alternative music scene before his international success with the band Mano Negra (active 1988-95). Well-known songs are 'Me Gustas Tu', 'Bongo Bong', 'Clandestino', 'Mr Bobby', and 'Je Ne'taime Plus'. Manu is one of the world's largest selling artists, but is less known in the English-speaking world. Much of his lyrics are about global political and social issues, but also about love, world's lifestyles, and music.
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Manu Chao (born José-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao on 21 June 1961 in Paris, France) is a singer of French and Spanish (Basque, Galician) origin.
Heavily influenced by the UK rock scene, particularly The Clash, The Jam and Dr. Feelgood, Chao and other musicians formed the Spanish/English rockabilly group Hot Pants in the mid-1980s. The group released a demo entitled "Mala Vida" in 1984, which received plenty of local critical praise but otherwise gained them little attention. By the time the group released their first album in 1986 the Parisian alternative music scene had taken flight, and Manu, his brother Antoine Chao, and friends such as Alain from Les Wampas formed Los Carayos to incorporate this sound with the rockabilly and punk styles of Hot Pants. Los Carayos remained a side project of the artists for eight years, releasing three albums in the first two years followed by a final album in 1994.
Manu Chao had been a well-known member of the Parisian alternative music scene, in bands such as Hot Pants and Los Carayos. In 1987, Chao, his brother Antoine Chao and their cousin Santiago Casariego founded the band Mano Negra, which met with success in France first with the hit single Mala Vida and then Mexico, Central and South America, where the band toured. The band split in 1995.
Chao sings in French, Spanish, Arabic, Galician, Portuguese, English, Italian, and Wolof, sometimes mixing them in the same song. He is one of the world's largest selling artists, but is less known in the English-speaking world.
Chao's music has many influences: rock, French chanson, Spanish-American Salsa, Reggae, Ska and Algerian rai. These influences were obtained from immigrants in France, his Iberian roots and his travels in Latin America following the disbanding of Mano Negra. Many of Chao's lyrics are about political issues (e.g., immigration, global social justice, conflict, and a strongly leftist critique of exploitative economic globalization) but they are also about love, lifestyles in different parts of the world, and music itself, which is hopeful for the future and at the same time dramatic. Chao is openly critical of the Bush administration in the US. He has many followers among the European left and the anti-globalization movement.
The influence of Manu Chao in Latin Rock or "Rock en Español" was crucial not only for the development and rise of new Latin bands that tried to emulate his eclectic style, but also for the self-knowledge of Latin America as a united culture. After the Latin America tour and travels, Manu Chao lyrics were more often written in Spanish than were the Mano Negra lyrics. His songs also took the lyrics or chords of some popular tunes like "El preso" from "Fruko y Sus Tesos" (in "Desaparecido") or "La Verdolaga" a traditional Colombian cumbia (in "Por el Suelo").
Manu Chao's music does not follow a logical textual narrative, but in its eclectic construction it invokes a deeper understanding of its subject than any literal form could. He sings songs about the people of the streets, the outer provinces, and the marginalised; he sings with the forgotten and uncounted billions, the underclass, and in so doing, he speaks about the fragility of human kind. His music is a bridge, exploring the common ground and means of mutual understanding that are available to us, exponating the idea that beyond superfluous differences in cultural identity, we are all the same.
- - -
Manu Chao (born José-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao on 21 June 1961 in Paris, France) is a singer of French and Spanish (Basque, Galician) origin.
Heavily influenced by the UK rock scene, particularly The Clash, The Jam and Dr. Feelgood, Chao and other musicians formed the Spanish/English rockabilly group Hot Pants in the mid-1980s. The group released a demo entitled "Mala Vida" in 1984, which received plenty of local critical praise but otherwise gained them little attention. By the time the group released their first album in 1986 the Parisian alternative music scene had taken flight, and Manu, his brother Antoine Chao, and friends such as Alain from Les Wampas formed Los Carayos to incorporate this sound with the rockabilly and punk styles of Hot Pants. Los Carayos remained a side project of the artists for eight years, releasing three albums in the first two years followed by a final album in 1994.
Manu Chao had been a well-known member of the Parisian alternative music scene, in bands such as Hot Pants and Los Carayos. In 1987, Chao, his brother Antoine Chao and their cousin Santiago Casariego founded the band Mano Negra, which met with success in France first with the hit single Mala Vida and then Mexico, Central and South America, where the band toured. The band split in 1995.
Chao sings in French, Spanish, Arabic, Galician, Portuguese, English, Italian, and Wolof, sometimes mixing them in the same song. He is one of the world's largest selling artists, but is less known in the English-speaking world.
Chao's music has many influences: rock, French chanson, Spanish-American Salsa, Reggae, Ska and Algerian rai. These influences were obtained from immigrants in France, his Iberian roots and his travels in Latin America following the disbanding of Mano Negra. Many of Chao's lyrics are about political issues (e.g., immigration, global social justice, conflict, and a strongly leftist critique of exploitative economic globalization) but they are also about love, lifestyles in different parts of the world, and music itself, which is hopeful for the future and at the same time dramatic. Chao is openly critical of the Bush administration in the US. He has many followers among the European left and the anti-globalization movement.
The influence of Manu Chao in Latin Rock or "Rock en Español" was crucial not only for the development and rise of new Latin bands that tried to emulate his eclectic style, but also for the self-knowledge of Latin America as a united culture. After the Latin America tour and travels, Manu Chao lyrics were more often written in Spanish than were the Mano Negra lyrics. His songs also took the lyrics or chords of some popular tunes like "El preso" from "Fruko y Sus Tesos" (in "Desaparecido") or "La Verdolaga" a traditional Colombian cumbia (in "Por el Suelo").
Manu Chao's music does not follow a logical textual narrative, but in its eclectic construction it invokes a deeper understanding of its subject than any literal form could. He sings songs about the people of the streets, the outer provinces, and the marginalised; he sings with the forgotten and uncounted billions, the underclass, and in so doing, he speaks about the fragility of human kind. His music is a bridge, exploring the common ground and means of mutual understanding that are available to us, exponating the idea that beyond superfluous differences in cultural identity, we are all the same.
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Bongo Bong
Manu Chao Lyrics
Mama was queen of the mambo
Papa was king of the Congo
Deep down in the jungle
I started bangin' my first bongo
Every monkey like to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause I'm the king of bongo, baby
I'm the king of bongo bong
I went to the big town
Where there is a lot of sound
From the jungle to the city
Looking for a bigger crown
So I play my boogie
For the people of big city
But they don't go crazy
When I'm bangin' in my boogie
I'm the "king of the bongo, king of the bongo bong"
Hear me when I come, baby
King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong
Nobody like to be in my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy when I'm bangin' on my boogie
I'm a king without a crown
Hanging loose in a big town
But I'm the king of bongo, baby
I'm the king of bongo bong
(King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong)
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong)
Hear me when I come
They say that I'm a clown
Making too much dirty sound
They say there is no place for little monkey in this town
Nobody'd like to be in my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy when I'm bangin' on my boogie
I'm the
(King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong)
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong)
Hear me when I come
Bangin' on my bongo all that swing belongs to me
I'm so happy there's nobody in my place instead of me
I'm a king without a crown
Hanging loose in a big town
I'm the king of bongo, baby
I'm the king of bongo bong
(King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong)
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong)
Hear me when I come
Mama was queen of the mambo
Papa was king of the Congo
Deep down in the jungle
I start bangin' my first bongo
Every monkey like to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause I'm the king of bongo, baby
I'm the king of bongo bong
Hear me when I come
Hear me when I come, baby
Hear me when I come
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Manuel Chao
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
Leon Bravo
La letra de la segunda canción del vídeoclip
Je ne t'aime plus
Mon amour
Je ne t'aime plus
Tous les jours
Parfois j'aimerais mourir
Tellement j'ai youlu croire
Parfois j'aimerais mourir
Pour ne plus rien avoir
Parfois j'aimerais mourir
Pour plus jamais te voir
Je ne j'aime plus
Mon amour
Je ne t'aime plus
Tous les jours
Parfois j'aimerais mourir
Tellement y'a plus d'espoir
Parfois j'aimerais mourir
Pour plus jamais te revoir
Parfois j’aimerais mourir
Pour ne plus rien savoir
Je ne t'aime plus
Mon amour
Je ne t'aime plus
Tous les jours
Tony RG
😍😘😘😘
🙏Infinitas Gracias MANU🙏
X Todos estos años, regalándonos sentimientos y sensaciones a través de Tu música.
Qué capacidad para Erizar el vello y muuuucho +++, con solo saber qué...vas a cantar 🤗
Ahora tocaría la deee...
Todo es Mentira en este Mundo,
Todo es mentira porque será...
Ooo...
O día Luna día Pena
🙋🏼♂️😘😘😘
Готовим Вкусно
Эххх 20 лет прошло ... Бонго Бонго !
L B
Первый раз в одном из баров Нью Йорка посчастливилось услышать. Заставила бармена узнать кто это и записать на салфетке. Помню как сейчас 20 лет спустя.😍
W. Wert
Вот и я про тоже!............
ТоляН
Тоже слушаю, но только в ремиксе. А так,песня зацепила с момента выхода.
Restax
летит время, летит... в беспамятство.
MM Tecno
não concordo, nem discordo, muito pelo contrário
UnoQualunque
FINALLY FOUND IT !!!!!! I've been looking for this song for YEARS, and it just casually popped up on related videos. WOW
Susan Zoeckler
I know! Talk about an earworm.... I could only remember a snippet of the lyrics, & it was driving me, well.... bongos. I finally asked my 34-year-old son, & got some musical relief.🤪
Beto Perro
Congratulations!!
Kira Sergenian
I love this story.