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French/Spanish/Latin American/just about everywhere musical sensation Manu Chao, is converting thousands to his uplifting reggae/punk/jazz/salsa/ska/just about everything style of music. Selling out the Brixton Academy for a three night run is testament to his growing following, who have been eagerly anticipating the release of Manu's third solo album ‘La Radiolina’. He showcases this tonight and has clearly returned to his more rockabilly roots, and even begins one new track with techno bassline, strobes, and plenty of guts, but quickly transforms it back into a salsa beat and choreographed steps. But Manu isn't just here to demonstrate where his colourful sound is heading, no he’s here to prove why he is one of the most successful acts in the world, and cannot resist old favourites like ‘Desaparacido’ from spellbinding debut ‘Clandestino’, and ‘La Primavera’ from the worldly successful ‘Proxima Estacion: Esperanza.’
Manu's upbringing has taught him the ways of the world and he veers wildly from singing in Spanish, English, Portugese, French and Galician. Often lazily labelled as 'world music' Manu Chao offers so much more than any one word can portray. True he is one of the most respected artists in the non English speaking world, but false can you cover his music with anything less than a paragraph of adjectives. I'll start with just a few. Inspirational, soulful, energetic, ethical, spiritual, the list is endless. The performance unfortunately wasn't. Not for a lack of trying mind you, both from the mesmerised audience and the band, who played with utter commitment and boundless energy for two hours, barely taking breath. Each song rolled into the next, with set highlights comprising of ‘Infinita Tristeza’ and ‘Bienvenida A Tijuana’ merging into a ten minute reggae collective, topped off with short lived cover ‘Renegade Master.’
By curtain call, the crowd couldn’t give any more love and appreciation to the collective on stage if they tried. Hands were blistering from clapping, feet sore from jumping, and voices hoarse from screaming. And yet the band played on with opening song enthusiasm. After no less than five encores and two bows, the band finally existed stage left, but the loudest applause of the night went to Radio Bemba Sound System's phenomenal lead guitarist, whose excitement fizzed throughout the jumping Academy and performed as if a tightly coiled spring that had just been released from his box. He led the crowd in countless jump offs and hand claps, and by the end of their storming set, there wasn't a single pair of hands that weren't stinging. And a single person that hadn't been converted to the inspiration that is Manu Chao. Just don't call him world music.
