Manu Chao was in town before Christmas and he has left alot in his wake. First of all there were the two gigs at the Forum in Kentish Town, one of which I was lucky enough to attend. It was a high energy affair as ever with a big Euro following in the crowd. My friend Dave took up with a bunch of Czech and Slovak punks ostentatiously drinking on the tube on the way there. And on the night we went we were blest with the presence of Amadou et Mariam on the encore.
Then last week there has been a BBC radio special and a launch of the English speaking version of the book his father wrote about Manu's anarchic train trip round Columbia in the 90s that brought his band Mano Negra to an end.
The thing the press constantly asks however is, will Manu Chao make it big in the UK? It is a depressing fact that however interesting and exciting a band you are, if you don't sing in English, you'll have trouble breaking out of the patronisingly named ghetto that is 'world music'.
On the other hand, who cares? Manu Chao is a global superstar in the French and Spanish speaking world and I can get tickets to concerts in London that are off the scale on energy and friendliness.
is 'blest' an attempt to introduce youf culture to your readership?
Posted by: Justin Adie | January 16, 2009 at 03:02 PM
...and 'ow is my leetle virtual spell checker?
Posted by: Mark Gordon | January 16, 2009 at 04:12 PM
accurate...
Posted by: Justin Adie | January 19, 2009 at 09:22 AM