Chao, Manu

Radio Bemba Sound System (2lp + Cd)

Originally released in 2002. "Radio Bemba Sound System captures a 2001 live performance featuring songs from Esperanza, Clandestino, and the albums of Mano Negra. The recording, a blend of two performances, never lets up, packing all or part of 29 songs into an hour, and I think it captures the inclusive spirit of Chao's music even better than his studio work. The cheers at the end of 'Bienvenida a Tijuana' -- when the final line offers a ringing endorsement of sex and marijuana -- are amazing, and the transformation of punky Mano Negra songs such as 'Peligro,' 'The Monkey,' 'Mala Vida,' and 'Machine Gun' into multi-genred beasts is something to hear... Chao's 10-piece band is extremely versatile, augmenting a standard rock set-up with horns, accordion, and extra percussion. They leap from reggae to funky merengue to punk to flamenco with flourishes of surf, blues, North African rai, Central African rumba, mariachi, and rock'n'roll while also switching languages, sometimes in mid-song. Esperanza's subdued reggae track 'Mr. Bobby' is much funkier live, with a great psychedelic guitar solo and second, dancehall-ish vocal from Bidji. Because it samples two shows, a few songs appear twice but that feels like an appropriate side effect of the collage approach." --Pitchfork; Comes with a CD copy of the album.

Price

Genre

LATIN

Format

LP - 2 disk

Release

25-10-2013

Label

Because Music

Item-nr

902672

EAN