Uncut - September 2007
EXodus -Style Crossover From World Music Superstar (5 out of 5 Stars)
Album Description
La Radiolina is the hotly anticipated album new album from legendary French-Spanish performer and songwriter Manu Chao. His first new studio album in six years, it is the follow-up to Chao's three million-selling `Próxima Estación: Esperanza' in 2001 and his break through debut solo album `Clandestino' on 1998. Cited by the late Joe Strummer as one of his favourite artists, Manu Chao recorded La Radiolina in Barcelona. The new album was written and produced by Chao with the help of mixers Mario Caldato Jr. (Beastie Boys and Jack Johnson) and Andrew Scheps (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mars Volta). La Radiolina has already been called "a kaleidoscope of brilliant ideas and global musics, full of passionate conviction, nostalgia and celebration, and as such is a more than worthy successor to `Clandestino" and it has already received a rave 5/5 star review in UNCUT Magazine.
About the Artist
Chao, the son of exiles from Franco's Spain, grew up in Paris. He came to fame as lead singer of the anarchic genre-bending band Mano Negra (the Black Hand). After several albums in France the band split in 1995 and Manu travelled the world before recording his first solo album.`Clandestino' was a landmark in global Latin fusion and went on to be one of the best-selling albums in French music history, clocking up sales of over three million copies around the world. The follow-up, `Próxima Estación: Esperanza' (Next Station: Hope). remained at the number one spot in Europe's Top 100 Albums for several weeks.In addition to his own work, Chao also produced the Malian duo Amadou & Mariam's `Dimanche à Bamako', one of the most celebrated albums in African music history.
