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.
- - -
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
Seba cg
Español;
Como este artista junta gente de todos lados, es impresionante. Al fin y cabo somos todos humanos, somos iguales no importa raza religión ni plata. Somos humanos y la gente que escucha a estos artistas mucho más.
English ;
How this artist gathers people from all over the place, it is impressive. At the end of the day we are all human, we are the same no matter race, religion or money. We are human and the people who listen to these artists much more.
français,
Comment cet artiste rassemble des gens de partout, c'est impressionnant. En fin de compte, nous sommes tous humains, nous sommes les mêmes, peu importe la race, la religion ou l'argent. Nous sommes humains et les gens qui écoutent ces artistes beaucoup plus.
Português;
Como esse artista reúne pessoas de todos os lugares, é impressionante. Afinal, somos todos humanos, somos os mesmos, não importa raça, religião ou dinheiro. Somos humanos e as pessoas que ouvem muito mais esses artistas.
Loufy
Mama was queen of the mambo
Papa was king of the Congo
Deep down in a jungle
I started banging 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 banging all my boogie
I'm the
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Nobody likes to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy
When I'm banging 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
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Hear me when I come
They said that I'm a clown
Making too much dirty sound
They said there is no place
For little monkey in this town
Nobody liked to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy
When I'm banging on my boogie
I'm the
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Hear me when I come
Banging 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 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 a jungle
I started banging 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
(King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong)
Hear me when I come
Traduire en français
Toño G. A.
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
Hear me…
Haze Sol
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'd 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' 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"
Nobody'd 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 started bangin' my first bongo
Every monkey'd 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
"King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong"
Hear me when I come.
Je ne t'aime plus mon amour
Je ne t'aime plus tous les jours (2x)
Je ne t'aime plus mon amour
Je ne t'aime plus tous les jours
parfois j'aimerais mourir tellement j'ai voulu croire
parfois j'aimerais mourir pour ne plus rien n'avoir
parfois j'aimerais mourir pour plus jamais te voir
Je ne t'aime plus mon amour
Je ne t'aime plus tous les jours
Je ne t'aime plus mon amour
Je ne t'aime plus tous les jours
Parfois j'aimerais mourir tellement (il n')y a plus d'espoir
Parfois j'aimerais mourir pour plus jamais te revoir
Parfois j'aimerais mourir pour ne plus jamais savoir
Je ne t'aime plus mon amour
Je ne t'aime plus mon amour
Je ne t'aime plus tous les jours
Je ne t'aime plus mon amour
Je ne t'aime plus tous les jours
Je ne t'aime plus mon amour
Je ne t'aime plus tous les jours
Je ne t'aime plus mon amour
Je ne t'aime plus mon amour...
A Brdly
Lyrics:
Mama was queen of the mambo
Papa was king of the Congo
Deep down in a jungle
I started banging 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 banging all my boogie
I'm the
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Nobody likes to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy
When I'm banging 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
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of…
Alphons
Mama was queen of the mambo
Papa was king of the Congo
Deep down in a jungle
I started banging 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 banging all my boogie
I'm the
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Nobody likes to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy
When I'm banging 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
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Hear me when I come
They said that I'm a clown
Making too much dirty sound
They said there is no place
For little monkey in this town
Nobody liked to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy
When I'm banging on my boogie
I'm the
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Hear me when I come
Banging 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 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 a jungle
I started banging 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
(King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong)
Hear me when I come
Je ne t'aime plus
Mon amour
Je ne t'aime plus
Tous les jours
Parfois j'aimerais mourir
Tellement j'ai voulu 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'aimeris mourir
Pour ne plus rien savoir
Je ne t'aime plus
Mon amour
Je ne t'aime plus
Tous les jours...
Vicente morales
Je ne t’aime plus mon amour
Je ne t’aime plus tous les jours
Je ne t’aime plus mon amour
Je ne t’aime plus tous les jours
Parfois j’aimerais mourir, tellement j’ai voulu croire
Parfois j’aimerais mourir, pour ne plus rien avoir
Parfois j’aimerais mourir, pour plus jamais te voir
Je ne t’aime plus mon amour
Je ne t’aime plus tous les jours
Je ne t’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 mon amour
Je ne t’aime plus tous les jours
Je ne t’aime plus mon amour
Je ne t’aime plus tous les jours
Cristian Mannarino
Mama was queen of the mambo
Papa was king of the Congo
Deep down in a jungle
I started banging 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 banging all my boogie
I'm the
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Nobody likes to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy
When I'm banging 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
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Hear me when I come
They said that I'm a clown
Making too much dirty sound
They said there is no place
For little monkey in this town
Nobody liked to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy
When I'm banging on my boogie
I'm the
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Hear me when I come
Banging 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 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 a jungle
I started banging 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
(King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong)
Hear me when I come
Gabriele Porru
Mama was queen of the mambo
Papa was king of the Congo
Deep down in a jungle
I started banging 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 banging all my boogie
I'm the
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Nobody likes to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy
When I'm banging 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
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Hear me when I come
They said that I'm a clown
Making too much dirty sound
They said there is no place
For little monkey in this town
Nobody liked to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy
When I'm banging on my boogie
I'm the
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Hear me when I come
Banging 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 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 a jungle
I started banging 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
(King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong)
Hear me when I come
Þórr
I love how for some reason this song fills people with nostalgic memories, and it's not different for me, I remember my dad used to listen to this while I'd follow him around the house fixing things, those times when my parents were still there and I was just a little sh!t, it's so bittersweet to remember these things
Chris Vultaggio
Wow the memories I have of this song. I was in Rome, Italy in '99 and the underground club scene were playing a lot of Manu Chau. That's where I first heard Bongo Bong, high on Moroccan gold hashish
Jenny Hay
My son was conceived to this.. 🙏🤗😁🙏☺️ In 99'!! 😊
Joni Mossop
Memories forever, so cool!
Keraunos
I'm from Rome 🇮🇹
Jakestravellife
Sounds epic 🤙
maria holl
omg this is gold your history too <3
Lucie Fix
I've been diagnosed with schizophrenia two years ago. I thought it was normal for people to hear voices and see things that nobody else would see. I've entered hospital yesterday. I'm all alone in a room full of my thoughts. All I have is this song which reminds me of the new friends I made myself on the beach before I enter the hospital. They are everything I could have dreamt of. I know I'm not alone, and I know I have to go through this to get better. I don't care about how hard this can be, I only think about the final exit, where I'll be able to think by myself and enjoy life as it really is. :) I'm so grateful for this song to make me feel better. Please, don't stop listening to music. It is, according to me, the only way to feel surrounded. Life isn't easy, being seen as crazy isn't easy either. Sometimes you have to go through your worst phase to find your inner peace. Please don't give up. Let's try to enjoy life together.
Halo Willby
sending love to your mental health! check out tash sultana jungle, her style is similar
Zyra Pici
How are u?