Clandestino

Manu Chao

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 7, 2000)
• Original Release Date: October 6, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ark 21
• ASIN: B00000C2MI
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (128 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #53,157 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
As one of the driving forces in the French-Spanish ethno-punk band Mano Negra, songwriter-guitarist Chao delivers a surprising solo endeavor. Centered around a simple editorial writing style and an acoustic guitar, this album chronicles his political and personal travels around the world, studying the foibles of life in Latin America and the Caribbean, through Africa and back to Europe. He quotes but never actually plays salsa, son, reggae, Latin pop, and African folk music, all to the service of his songs (written and sung in English, French, and Spanish). The backing is a deceptive hodgepodge of guest artists and collected sounds he has pasted together to service the simple songs he sings. There is a circuslike feel to the whole project, a childlike sense of wonder coupled with a cynical and sometimes sly glance at the "real world." This is a single piece of work, each song bleeding into the next without stopping, a train ride that slows at each station along the way but never stops. It has charm, wit, and depth--a rare and potent combination of virtues for a pop musician. --Louis Gibson

Product Description
The first solo album released by the former frontman of Mano Negra, 'Clandestino' (released in 1998) is an enchanting trip through Latin-flavored world-beat rock, reliant on a potpourri of musical styles from traditional Latin & salsa to dub to rock & roll to French pop to experimental rock to techno. 16 tracks. Virgin. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars espesrando la ultima ola..., January 25, 2000

By	LaDiva (Boston/Frankfurt/Zuerich/Paris/Belfast) - See all my reviews

This CD... it is such a masterpiece a la fois full of spirit, energy, tristesse, love... too many emotions to list, and the strangest thing is you discover more upon successive listenings. As a musician, Manu is energetic and impeccable; as a songwriter and lyricist he can be inspired, profound, light-hearted or revealing, and the producing is seamless (often literally, as one track slides into the next). This isn't Pop Music though it's doing well on the charts in Europe, it's only 'Ethnic' Music if you don't speak Spanish or French (get a frend to translate for you! Of course, it grooves so hard you can simply smoke to it, but you'd be missing out...) but I wouldn't say it defies classification: This is International music at it's best... They say that 'language is the only homeland', and that 'Music is the earth's only true language'... In both cases it's obvious that Manu Chao has proven himself a Citizen of the Earth at his best and brightest, taking 3 languages, even more music traditions and whipping them up into something we can all understand with simply the ears and the heart.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Candy for the Ears and Mind, May 19, 2000

By	Enrique Torres "Rico" (San Diegotitlan, Califas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

If you speak Spanish or French this album is truly a treat. The title track " Clandestino" sets the tone for this international star. This is his first effort since "Mano Negra" broke up their legendary band. In the opening track he brags of his exploits as he travels the world. Chao has a nasal voice that is very entertaining and fits quite nicely with the acoustic guitar work. This troubador has an amazing set of stories to relate to his audience that are highly political and controversial as he deals with subjects that people many times try to avoid. There are lighter topics such as "Bongo Bong"(in English and French) that is about a person who starts "bangin on my bongo" in the jungle and eventualy migrates to "the big town" to become the "King of Bongo". This song is so catchy and cool that you will play it over and over and it will be ringing in your brain hours later. All the songs are superb, the production quality is elegant, complete with added narrative and interesting effects. The songs have little interruption between them and they flow beaufifully. Reggae is the dominant style of various musical generes explored and performed with professionalism. This is a tri-lingual treat that is truly international. This is a CD that will become a part of you and you will get much play out of it. I've yet to tire of it from it's original release. It has an international revolutionary feel to it. "Mentira" is a haunting track that deals with one of mans deceptive tools, lies, lies about everything including the truth. There is a beautiful chorus sung by a woman in this song where she breaks out with "LA Llorana" and continues as though speaking through a megaphone with her message. " Welcome to Tijuana" is a hipnotic song where there is "Tekila, Sexo y Marihuana" but the real message is the political manifesto contained within. This is an album to not be missed as it is one of the finest to be released in recent years. 16 tracks of music that should be in everyones library. Do not miss this CD. Que Viva Zapata! Viva Manu Chao y su musica!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hypnotizing mixture of music, February 5, 2000

By	Jorge (Germany) - See all my reviews

This is one of the greatest CDs I've ever heard! I had been a fan of Mano Negra since the early 90s because their incredible mixture of French and Spanish music. After they split up I was quite curious to see what Mano Chao would do. My first impression was not the best, I thought the album was very strange and in some way repeating itself without having fast rock songs like the Mano had. But then I noticed that I was playing the CD again and again even singing the lyrics at work: this record is like hypnotizing you, the mixture of latin sounds is terrific and also the melancolic texts of Manu are full of meanings. My favorites: Desaparecido, Mentira and La despedida.