Manu Chao

Manu Chao has gained quite some international popularity, since he burst on the scene in the mid-1980s, first with his band Mano Negra (meaning “Black Hand”). Born José Manuel Chao Ortega in Paris in 1961, to Spanish, anti-fascist parents, he grew up bilingually, explaining his many Spanish lyrics, as well as helping his popularity in Latin America.

Musically, he was widely influenced by different Punk and World / tropical genres, often at the same time connected to Left-wing social movements. He even stated that the “social messages” in Reggae influenced him, as he developed his own peculiar mix and “pastiche” of music styles. This was also shaped by his musical experiences in multicultural Paris and French street music.

While Reggae was on occasion a part of this mix – also with his band Mano Negra – in some songs, and even more Reggae’s musical “echoes” (even on some of his bigger international hits, like the nice Desaparecido and Me Gustas Tu), a “straight-forward” Reggae album as such did not really appear yet by Manu Chao. This quite recent, 2022 one seems one, in collaboration with Barcelona (Spain)-based Reggae/Dub producer Chalart58. Manu Chao recently also settled in the Catalan capital.

Chalart58

Chalart58, born Gerard Casajus Guaita in 1978, is younger than Manu, but has gained quite a name in Spain’s and Barcelona’s Reggae and Dub scene, as musician, producer, and DJ, having also an own label called La Panchita Records. A bit “rawer” and more experimental than his more Roots-focussed Spanish compatriot producer Roberto Sánchez, of A-Lone Ark fame, who is based elsewhere in Spain (Santander).

Still, despite both Manu’s and Chalart58’s “experimental” fame, this album can be deemed stylistically as Reggae throughout, with one “old-time” Ska-like song. The Ska song, Promiscuity, is a ska-ified remake of an older song by Manu, by the way.

The musicianship is tight and nice, with often live drumming by Roger Villanueva, increasing an authentic Reggae vibe. More than if it would be digitally programmed as some other European-based “Dub steppers” Reggae. A few songs on this album have more a “digital” steppers vibe, but mostly it has a live band sound. There are further interesting collabs on this album, Inna Reggae Style, with Barcelona and Spain-based artists like Sr. Wilson, Matah, and High Paw, hornsman Josep Blanes, but also with Reggae veteran Cedric Myton, of Congos fame. The toaster Sr. Wilson seems influenced by Dennis Alcapone’s style.

Light And Upbeat

While – as mentioned – the other Spanish Reggae producer Roberto Sánchez with his A-Lone Ark label, tends to go deeper into Jamaican Roots – and works also more with Jamaican artists -, Chalart58 – as in his earlier work – prefers instead on this album a “lighter” tone, or maybe also Manu Chao, who used to have simple and “happy” songs that nevertheless appealed to many people. Perhaps due to that “light”, feel-good vibe. Some love songs are on this album.

Chalart58, but certainly Manu Chao, is however not someone to eschew deeper “social” themes, and addresses on this album topics like (police) violence, migration, and poverty, from a Left-wing, anarchist perspective (as often in his earlier work), on some songs. Even those songs are kept kind of “light” and merry, though, with neither so much lyrics. sometimes a few repeated, catchy phrases, and simple melodies.

The musicianship is okay, with interesting horn additions and echoes at times, but could be a bit more creative and “groovy”. The drumming is however tight enough to ensure some danceability.

Do not expect elaborately “composed” songs like classic Jamaican Reggae songs, such as – to give just some examples – Bunny Wailer’s Battering Down Sentence, Ijahman Levi’s Are We A Warrior, or the Viceroys’ Rise In The Strength Of Jah, i.e. “full” songs with verses, bridge, chorus, several chord shifts, and a built-up dramatic development.

That high level of course resulted in beautiful musical art in classic Jamaican Reggae, but this album from the Barcelona scene is kept simpler, regarding melodies and variation. Some with added toasting (by Sr. Wilson). No extensive lyrics neither, although some (also socially conscious) nice phrases are repeated to catchy effect, fitting well with the upbeat yet mellow type of reggae.

SONGS

A La Par De Amor, the opener, is such a simple and merry song, with a catchiness. It’s about “siding with love”, so a positive message. Equally upbeat and mellow (and positive) is La Vecina Del Patio, about a nice female neighbour. Both have added toasting by Sr. Wilson, sounding nice, and mixed-in well rhythmically. Both songs are okay, though somewhat simple, even for Manu Chao’s standards, who had more complex songs, on other albums.

More “social” and “conscious” themes are discussed in e.g. the in themselves nice, catchy songs Palabras De Verdad (words of truth), and, in English, Bloody Border, Fire Inna Streets, and, in Spanish, Algundiavacaer (meaning One Day Will Fall). Fire Inna Streets features Spanish female singer High Paw (from Vigo, Galicia) – singing peculiarly operatic, but blending well in the music, making it intriguing, therefore appealing. High Paw’s vocals sound a bit influenced by Jamaican singers like Lila Iké or Koffee. Sr. Wilson, in turn, also toasts nice on Bloody Border.

Algundiavacaer and some other songs add “extra”, often echoed “samples” and vocal bits (as Manu Chao also in earlier songs) – often from other songs on the same album -, but – interestingly mixed in well, as kind of rhythmic counterpoints. This gives a nice, dubby “call-and-response” vibe here and there.

Creativity is also there in added percussion – upon closer listening -, rendering a full and lively sound, somewhat compensating the perhaps a bit too basic bass-drum base, that could have had a more “groovy” edge (in my opinion), but is still not “bad”, for non-Jamaican Reggae… The last song, Free The People, with Cedric Myton (of Congos fame), contributing good vocals, is good and appealing, with however the same mellow, yet slightly experimental vibe, as on the rest of the album. A “dreamy” vibe in this case, and a nice one at that.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the album has – as said – some simple songs, if quite experimentally mixed, and has a “mellow” vibe. It sometimes borders being “boring”, when viewed from a (“hardcore”) Reggae purist/fan perspective, but as songs they all have a nice, lively, and “joyous” vibe, with some catchy, melodic lines, and some dubby rhythmic elements adding originality. Perhaps only the song Fire Inna Streets – due to High Paw’s intriguing vocals – has an original “edge”.

No, this album does overall not sound spectacular or overwhelmingly good as one takes the “real thing” (i.e. Jamaican Reggae) as norm, but it is quite nice and enough “real Reggae” from a technical-musical perspective, with tight riddims.

It is in fact overall in a style fitting more or less with Manu Chao’s upbeat, yet mellow and experimental vibe, many of his earlier songs and albums also had, but only in this case – as the album is called… – Inna Reggae Style.