Manu Chao and Radio Bemba Sound System

MUSIC CONCERT Que paso, que paso? (In case you don’t know, you have to scream real loud when you sing that.) Try again: QUE PASO, QUE PASO?
That’s how it’s done with singer-guitarist Manu Chao and his Radio Bemba Sound System band, who rocked the house at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia tonight. When the six man group took the stage, the drummer, bassist and lead guitarist were shirtless anticipating the workout they would get from their jumping, bouncing and high-energy music cranked out during the non-stop 2 ½ hour show. The audience who had no problem invading others’ personal space mirrored the intense motion on stage throughout the night.
Manu Chao is huge in Europe and Latin America so I was excited to hear he was touring around the US and a little surprised at the full house. Most of the songs, sung in Spanish, French and English, came from his two solo albums, 1998’s Clandestino and my favorite, 2001's Proxima stación: Esperanza (translates to "next station: Hope"), with none from his forthcoming third solo disc, La Radiolina, due in September. While Clandestino has a moderate reggae-influenced tempo and Proxima stación: Esperanza features a heavier Caribbean influence, the live versions of the songs are fierce fever-pitched salsa-flavored rock.
A lot of Chao’s music is political so it resonated whenever he sang the lyrics: "que hora son en Washington?" from "Me Gustas Tu." Many songs blend into one another and included "Mr. Bobby," "Clandestino," "Desaparecido," "Bongo Bong," "La Primavera," and the party anthem "Welcome to Tijuana" (tequila, sex or marijuana?) There was no stopping Chao and Radio Bemba as the audience cheered them back for what seemed like five or six encores.
If you appreciate world music and want to experience Manu Chao but can’t get to a live concert, pick up the Babylonia en Guagua DVD so you won’t have to ask "que paso?"

Preview the new song "Rainin in Paradize," available for download at the official website: http://www.manuchao.net/