File:Manu_Chau_45.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Manu Chao
Sign in to saveAlso known as José Manuel Tomás Arturo Chao, José-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao, José Manuel Tomás Arturo Chao Ortega, Oscar Tramor
Spanish musician
OverviewAI-generated
Manu Chao is a male singer, composer, guitarist, and street artist born in Paris, France, on June 21, 1961. He holds citizenship in France and Spain and currently resides in Spain. His musical career began in 1980, and he is recognized as a solo artist and a singer in the group Mano Negra.
Chao performs in the genres of reggae, ska, world music, and music of Latin America. He sings in Portuguese, Spanish, French, and English, playing the guitar and using his voice. His work has been released through Virgin Records and is associated with alternative latin styles. He cites influences including Chuck Berry, Camarón de la Isla, Bob Marley, and Georges Brassens. His father is Ramón Chao Rego.
Synthesized by Vinony from 27 facts across 5 sources: Wikidata, MusicBrainz, Last.fm, TMDb, Europeana Sparql. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.
Film & TV
Paris, France
Singer in Mano Negra and solo artist.
Known for
- Manu Chao et Radio Bemba Sound System — Self2025
- Le rock alternatif (une brève période de médiatisation du punk français 1986-1989) — Self2021
- 70 Years of Youth Revolt — Self (archive footage)2020
- Sons of the Clouds: The Last Colony — Self2012
- Marcelo Yuka: Follow the Signs — Self2011
- Manu Chao & Radio Bemba Baionarena — Self2009
- 50 años de... Canciones — Self (archive footage)2009
- Maradona by Kusturica — Self2008
- Sunday in Bamako — Self2008
- The Henry Rollins Show2006
via TMDB
Music · MusicBrainz
- Type
- Person
- Gender
- Male
- Origin
- France
- Active from
- 1961
Discography
via MusicBrainz · CC0
Listeners · Last.fm
- Listeners
- 2,045,309
- Total plays
- 62,102,929
Tags
Manu Chao, born José-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao on June 21, 1961, in Paris, France, is a multifaceted musician celebrated for his eclectic musical style and socially conscious lyrics. Chao's musical journey began in the vibrant Parisian music scene, where he immersed himself in diverse influences ranging from punk and rock to reggae and salsa. Co-founding the band Mano Negra in 1987, Chao showcased his knack for blending genres, resulting in international acclaim with albums like "Patchanka" (198
Key facts
- Also known as
- Oscar Tramor
- Born
- José Manuel Tomás Arturo Chao Ortega , ( 1961-06-21 ) 21 June 1961 (age 64) , Paris, France
- Genres
- Latin alternative reggae worldbeat ska
- Occupations
- Musician singer composer record producer
- Instruments
- Vocals guitar
- Years active
- 1984–present
- Labels
- Nacional Because Virgin
- Website
- manuchao .net
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- Spain
- Place of birth
- Paris
- Father
- Ramón Chao Rego
- Occupation
- street artist
- Languages spoken
- Galician
- Instrument
- voice
- Record label
- Virgin Records
- Official website
- www.manuchao.net
- Image
- Manu Chao Live at Princep Ghat 02 (cropped).jpg
- Residence
- Spain
Show 7 more facts
- Commons category
- Manu Chao
- date of birth
- 1961-06-21
- Commons gallery
- Manu Chao
- name in native language
- Manu Chao
- start of work period
- 1980-00-00
- social media followers
- 1330000
- influenced by
- Chuck Berry
via Wikidata · CC0
Works in European collections
2 objects attributed to Manu Chao, held across European museums, libraries & archives · via Europeana
~19 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Manu Chao ( Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmanu ˈtʃao]; born José Manuel Tomás Arturo Chao Ortega on 21 June 1961) is a French-Spanish musician. He sings in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Arabic, Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, Greek, and occasionally in other languages. Chao began his musical career in Paris, busking and playing with groups such as Hot Pants and Los Carayos, which combined a variety of languages and musical styles. With friends and his brother Antoine Chao, he founded the band Mano Negra in 1987, achieving considerable success, particularly in Europe. He became a solo artist after its breakup in 1995 and since then has toured regularly with his live band, Radio Bemba Sound System.
Early life
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Manu Chao” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.