Manu Chao inspires Cologne: music that opens hearts to peace!

Manu Chao inspires Cologne: music that opens hearts to peace!

On Sunday evening, Manu Chao captivated around 5,000 people with his concert at the Südbrücke in Cologne. The French-Spanish musician, known for his multicultural influences and social commitment, opened the evening with the cheerful title “La vida es una tómbola” and followed with an ode to the legendary Diego Maradona. Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger reports that the chorus of this song was repeated for almost 20 minutes, which energetically carried the audience away.

The atmosphere was relaxed and characterized by old shipping containers and trees. Many of the visitors had grown up with Chao's music and celebrated him with great enthusiasm. With his guitarist Matu Mati and percussionist Miguel Rumbao, Chao brought some of his best-known hits to the stage, including “Clandestino” and “Bongo Bongo”. He addressed loss and injustice, especially for refugees, which gave his music a profound message. Peace for Palestine was also a central theme that Chao addressed and for which he received loud applause.

A musical all-rounder

Manu Chao was born José Manuel Tomás Arturo Chao Ortega on June 21, 1961 in Paris. His parents, Spanish refugees from Galicia and the Basque Country, influenced him in an intellectual and artistic environment. Chao made his first musical steps as a street musician in Paris in the 1980s. He soon formed the band Mano Negra with his brother and cousin, which became known for their unique style. Musiknerd describes that Mano Negra shaped the mixture of punk, ska and Latin American rhythms and Chao thus made an important contribution to the Latin alternative movement.

His solo debut, Clandestino, released in 1998, sold millions of copies and cemented his status as an influential artist. Chao, who sings in various languages ​​- including Spanish, French and Arabic - is known for his multilingualism and recycling of musical ideas. His latest works, such as the album “Viva tu” (2024), show his commitment to social issues and his diversity as an artist.

Criticism and concert feeling

During the concert in Cologne, there was criticism that there was a lack of small soundbites and ideas that usually enrich the typical charm of Chao's music. Nevertheless, the audience's enthusiasm could not be curbed. Interestingly, no marijuana was confiscated during the concert, even though it is legal in Germany. This shows that the relaxed approach to dealing with such topics has found its way into Cologne's concert culture.

In summary, Manu Chao impressively proved in Cologne that his music is more than just entertainment. It is a springboard for social issues and criticism of globalization, as Deutschlandfunk Kultur states. His created sense of lightness and profound messages make him a unique artist in today's music landscape, on the road on his "Ultra Acoustic Tour".