1. A Moroccan female Po… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two artists named Manal:
1. A Moroccan female Pop/R&B/hip-hop vocalist, originally from Kalaat Sraghna, Manal grew up in Marrakesh where she studied business and finance. Having always wanted to be a musical artist, she posted covers on YouTube and was discovered by Hamza Ait Khali, the partner of Moroccan producer DJ Van.
After a short stint with DJ Van's label Magic Castle Entertainment and the release of her debut single Denia, which earned her the 'Best Female Artist in Northern Africa' award at the Africa Music Awards in 2015, she switched management to Tarik Azzougarh, better known as Cilvaringz, producer and conceptualizer of the world's most expensive musical work ever sold, Wu-Tang Clan's Once Upon A Time in Shaolin.
Manal followed up her debut single with her song Koulchi Ban, the last song she would do with DJ Van. The release of Koulchi Ban received critical acclaim from fans and sparked the interest of Sony Music Middle East. In October 2017, Manal became one of the first Moroccan artists to sign to a major label in the Arab world.
In February 2018, Manal released her third single Taj (Crown). Due to its music video and a significant departure from Manal's signature sound, Taj started a buzz and garnered millions of views quickly. It is one of the most viewed Arabic rap songs performed by a female artist. After Taj, Manal released the song Nah featuring Moroccan rap duo Shayfeen and then had one of her biggest singles to date, Slay, in collaboration with ElGrandeToto.
In November 2019, Manal signed a distribution deal with RCA Records, a division of Sony Music France, through her record company Bench & Guess Entertainment.
Currently, she is under an exclusive license agreement with the same label, and under a music publishing agreement with Universal Music Publishing.
Manal's current management team includes Anissa Jalab, former manager of Belgian rapper Damso, head of Wagram Belgium, and also manager of ElGrandeToto.
In May 2021, Manal released her first album entitled 360, which included the hit single Niya.
Deprived of the stage during the COVID-19 pandemic, she launched, with the help of her husband Moncef Guessous, a streetwear brand called Bari & Soch.
In November 2021, Manal earned the 'Best Female Artist in Northern Africa' award at the 2021 All Africa Music Awards for the second time in her career.
In May 2022, Manal performed "3ARI" for COLORS. In October 2022, she was chosen to feature in Light The Sky, a song for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, collaborating with artists, RedOne, Balqees, Rahma Riad and Nora Fatehi.
2. Manal was a blues band from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Formed in 1968 by Javier Martínez (drums and vocals), Claudio Gabis (guitar) and Alejandro Medina (bass), the band is considered a fundamental pillar in the birth of Argentine rock.
Avellaneda Blues
Manal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
calle con asfalto siempre destrozado.
Tren de carga,
el humo y el hollín están por todos lados.
Hoy llovió y todavía está nublado.
Sur y aceite,
barriles en el barro,
Charco sucio,
el agua va pudriendo un zapato olvidado.
Un camión interrumpe el triste descampado.
Luz que muere,
la fábrica parece un duende de hormigón
y la grúa, su lágrima de carga
inclina sobre el dock.
Un amigo duerme cerca
de un barco español.
Amanece,
la avenida desierta pronto se agitará.
Y los obreros,
fumando impacientes,
a su trabajo van.
Sur, un trozo de este siglo,
barrio industrial.
The song "Avellaneda Blues" by Manal is about the Avellaneda neighborhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which was known for its industrial factories and working-class residents. The lyrics paint a picture of an area in decline, where the streets are always in disrepair, the air is polluted with smoke and soot from the freight trains, and abandoned warehouses and barrels litter the landscape. Even when it rains, the sky remains cloudy and grey.
The imagery continues with descriptions of a murky puddle slowly rotting a forgotten shoe, a truck interrupting the desolate wasteland, and a factory that looks like a "concrete ghost" with a crane leaning over the dock, casting a shadow like a tear. The singer also mentions a friend who sleeps near a Spanish ship. Despite the bleakness of the area, the final verse hints at hope for the future. The avenue that is currently deserted will soon come alive with workers eager to smoke and get to their jobs, representing the resilience of the people who live there.
The song captures the essence of a neighborhood that has struggled with environmental and economic challenges. The lyrics reflect both the sadness and the strength of the residents who have survived in Avellaneda. The song is an ode to the working-class culture of Argentina, and a symbol of the perseverance of those who endure despite life's difficulties.
Line by Line Meaning
Vía muerta,
A dead track, abandoned and ruined asphalt on the road.
calle con asfalto siempre destrozado.
The street with always damaged asphalt.
Tren de carga,
Freight train traversing.
el humo y el hollín están por todos lados.
Smoke and soot everywhere.
Hoy llovió y todavía está nublado.
It rained today, and it's still cloudy.
Sur y aceite,
South and oil barrels
barriles en el barro,
Barrels in the mud.
galpón abandonado.
Abandoned warehouse.
Charco sucio,
Dirty puddle.
el agua va pudriendo un zapato olvidado.
The water rotting a forgotten shoe.
Un camión interrumpe el triste descampado.
A truck interrupts the sad wasteland.
Luz que muere,
Dying light,
la fábrica parece un duende de hormigón
The factory appears like a concrete ghost.
y la grúa, su lágrima de carga
And the crane, its tear of load,
inclina sobre el dock.
Leans over the dock.
Un amigo duerme cerca
A friend sleeps nearby.
de un barco español.
On a Spanish ship.
Amanece,
Dawn,
la avenida desierta pronto se agitará.
The deserted avenue will soon come to life.
Y los obreros,
And the workers,
fumando impacientes,
Smoking impatiently,
a su trabajo van.
Head to work.
Sur, un trozo de este siglo,
South, a piece of this century,
barrio industrial.
Industrial neighborhood.
Contributed by Isaiah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Pablo Diaz
Arreglamos la bandeja con un amplificador audinac a válvulas, y mi viejo sacó los vinilos. Dark Side of the moon, jackson five, discos de tango... y entre esos apareció la Bomba, amarilla, increible. Y el viejo me dijo: "Esto es Blues". Yo tenía 14 años, allá por el '89. El Blues te toca el alma, y no se te va nunca más del corazón. Gracias viejo...
Jorge Zilli
Muy bueno
Ale Alex
Tremenda anécdota!!! " la bomba amarilla "... Infinitas gracias por compartir!!!
alberto de simone
Tal cual sabio tu viejo.
Ariel Verosto
Uno de los mejores solos de viola del rock nacional. Vivo en Italia desde hace años y cada vez que escucho este tema se me pianta un lagrimón como si estuviera escuchando un tango.
Juan Blanco
Gabis el mejor violero argentino
notnew2dis
Yo vine a E.E.U.U. en el '68, cuando tenia diez, y me enchufe enseguida en el Rock Ingles y Americano. En el '71 fui a visitar a Bs.As. y mis primos me tocaron este disco. Yo tenia trece, y me cambio la vida. Me he pasado los ultimos 43 anos amando el Rock Argentino desde la distancia. Todavia me sacude el alma escucharlos a ustedes, tanto como a Rivero, O los Fronterizos, o Larralde. Que lindo es tener esto en el corazon!
daniel merlo
Soy de Avellaneda y obrero metalurgico a mucha honra 💪💪💪 gracias Javier por este poema
Gustavo sanchez
Nací y viví en Avellaneda hasta mis 23 años...y creo que describe a Avellaneda de manera increíble!!! 👍
GABISPACE de Claudio Gabis
Gracias Bellodiablo. Muy gratificante tu comentario. Es, realmente, una bella canción (la que más me gusta de las que tocábamos con Manal) y el video es muy bueno. Fuerte abrazo. Claudio