Mano Negra was a French/Spanish/Portuguese band fronted by Manu Chao, born … Read Full Bio ↴Mano Negra was a French/Spanish/Portuguese band fronted by Manu Chao, born in Paris, France to Spanish parents. The band was founded in 1987 by Manu, his brother Antoine, and his cousin Santiago Casiriego. It split circa 1995, but many members had already left in 1992.

The band was formed from the fusion of 2 smallers bands, the Hot Pants and the Casse-pieds.

Mano Negra mixed a number of styles: straight rock (with a lead guitar), latin music (with a brass section), punk (influenced by The Clash). Their songs often mixed French, Spanish and English lyrics.

Frontman Manu Chao later reappeared as as the lead in Radio Bemba Sound System to record their eponymous 2002 live album. He has also released four solo albums, Clandestino and Proxima Estacion: Esperanza in 1998 and 2002,Siberie M'Etait Conteee in 2005 and La Radiolina in 2007.

Former band member Tom Darnal was one of the founders of the band P18

About name

La Mano Negra ("The Black Hand") was a supposed anarchist organization in Andalucía, Spain, accused of many terrorist acts. Although, in latter studies, its existence was found unlikely and was probably an excuse used by the government under Sagasta to oppress anarchist activity in southern Spain.

El alakran
Mano Negra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Moy trancile? Casa
Mano Negra?

Si, la mar estд podrida, Conchita de alkitran
Cuando hace mucho calor huele a muerte mi amor
Murieron los cangrejos ya llego el Alakran
En la guagua de pendejos que vienen y se van
Si, la mar esta podrida, Conchita de alkitran

Yo no soy marinero, yo soy el Alakran
Ya llego el Alakran
Ya llego el hurakan
Yo no soy marinero
Yo soy el Alakran
Si, la mar estд podrida, Conchita de alkitran
Cuando hace mucho calor huele a muerte mi amor
Murieron los cangrejos ya llego el Alakran
En la guagua de pendejos que vienen y se van
Si, la mar esta podrida, Conchita de alkitran
Yo no soy marinero, yo soy el Alakran
Esperando la esperandola ultima ola
Yo no soy marinero
Yo soy el Alakran
Esperando la esperandola ultima ola
Yo no soy marinero
Yo soy el Alakran
Esperando la esperandola ultima ola
Yo soy un hombre sincero
De donde crece la palma
Y antes de morirme quiero
Popular international

Popular international
Familia
Yo no soy marinero, soy capitan
Yo no soy marinero, soy capitan
Familia
Musica, presente familila
Fiлsta
Moy bien
Yo no soy marinero
No soy capitan?
Popular international

Familia

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Mano Negra's song El Alakran tell a story of a polluted ocean and the arrival of the Alakran, which is Spanish for scorpion. The opening lines of the song are a conversation between two people, where one person asks if the song is by Mano Negra, to which the other person responds in affirmation. The chorus, which repeats multiple times, talks about the stench of death that arises from the polluted ocean and how the cangrejos, or crabs, have died, and the Alakran has arrived. The "guagua de pendejos" refers to the bus of fools who come and go without realizing the gravity of the situation.

The Alakran is a metaphor for the corrupt system that is responsible for the pollution of the ocean. The singer in the song proclaims that he is not a sailor; instead, he is the Alakran, which represents the corrupt officials and businesspeople who have ruined the environment. The line "esperando la esperandola ultima ola" means waiting for the last wave, which could either be interpreted as waiting for the end or waiting for a change in the situation.

The song is a commentary on environmental degradation, capitalism, and the corrupt government. The lyrics are a call to action, urging people to take responsibility for the environment and hold responsible those who are polluting it. The music video shows images of pollution, trash, and wildlife destruction, making a powerful statement against environmental destruction.

Line by Line Meaning

Si, la mar estд podrida, Conchita de alkitran
The sea is polluted, like tar Conchita, due to human activities

Cuando hace mucho calor huele a muerte mi amor
The extreme heat exacerbates the already terrible smell of pollution

Murieron los cangrejos ya llego el Alakran
The pollution has killed off the crabs and welcomed in the scorpion

En la guagua de pendejos que vienen y se van
In the bus of fools that come and go without realizing the harm they cause

Yo no soy marinero, yo soy el Alakran
I am not a sailor, I am the scorpion bringing destruction to the polluted sea

Ya llego el Alakran
The scorpion has arrived

Ya llego el hurakan
The hurricane has also arrived, adding to the destruction

Esperando la esperandola ultima ola
Waiting for the last wave to bring the inevitable end to the sea and all its inhabitants

Yo soy un hombre sincero De donde crece la palma Y antes de morirme quiero Popular international
I am a sincere man from the land of palm trees, and before I die I want to see my music become popular internationally

Yo no soy marinero, soy capitan
I am not a sailor, I am a captain leading this destruction

Musica, presente familila Fiлsta
Music is present in my family and we celebrate with a party

Moy bien
Very good

Contributed by Noah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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