Ask anyone who saw Manu Chao at Fuji Rock this year, and they'll tell you it was the best show of the festival. Volunteering to perform a pre-event set on the day they arrived, Chao and his band, Radio Bemba Sound System, blew the roof off the site's Red Marquee Stage with their Latin-tinged punk rock that mixes elements of ska, world beat and even a bit of hip-hop. The resulting amalgam was delivered with such fervor that for their scheduled performance the following day, the crowd size had tripled.
For those who missed the spectacle, or for fans who want to remember it, the new live album is your ticket. Recorded in Paris' Grande Halle de La Villette in September 2001, this 64-minute fireball blazes through a staggering 29 tracks. Along with the guitars, keys, accordion and timbales, the additional horn section not present at Fuji adds extra punch to their knockout performance.
The staunchly political Chao is difficult to pin down stylistically. The French-born son of Spanish immigrants formed Mano Negra (known to many as the French Clash) in Paris in 1986. He then toured extensively in Latin America, traveling by river barges and playing at any port that would have him. He quickly attracted a circus-like entourage, replete with trapeze artists and magicians. After the tour, Mano Negra disbanded. Chao then formed Radio Bemba and returned to South and Central America, roaming nomadically while recording on a four-track stashed in his rucksack. Chao even bought an old train in order to play gigs in remote jungle villages. This trek resulted in his first solo album, "Clandestino," which eschewed the full-on mosh mode for a breezy, lounge feel.