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

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

On Sunday evening, Manu Chao captivated around 5000 people willing to celebrate with his concert at the southern bridge in Cologne. The French-Spanish musician, known for his multicultural influences and social engagement, opened the evening with the happy title "La Vida Es Una Tómbola" and followed an ode on the legendary Diego Maradona. [Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger] (https://www.ksta.de/koeln/manu-cchao-in-koeln-die-die- after-the-leichtkeit-desseins-1041270) reports that the chorus of this song was repeated for almost 20 minutes, which the audience is energetically co-tin.

The atmosphere was exuberant and characterized by old ship containers and trees. Many of the visitors grew 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, including "Clandestino" and "Bongo Bongo". Here he addressed lost and injustice, especially for refugees, which gave his music a profound message. The peace for Palestine was also a central topic that Chao addressed and for which he received loud applause.

a musical all -rounder

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

his solo debut "Clandestino", published in 1998, was sold millions of times and consolidated his status as an influential artist. Chao, who sings in different languages ​​- including Spanish, French and Arabic - is known for its multilingualism and recycling musical ideas. His latest works, such as the album "Viva Tu" (2024), show his commitment to social issues and its diversity as an artist.

criticism and concert feeling

During the concert in Cologne, it was criticized that there was no small sound bites and ideas that normally enrich the typical charm of Chao’s music. Nevertheless, the enthusiasm of the audience could not be broken. Interestingly, no marijuana was confiscated during the concert, although it is legal in Germany. This shows that the looseness in dealing with such topics in Cologne concert culture has found its way into.