Manu Chao - La Radiolina (Because)

There’s something intoxicating about Manu Chao’s seemingly effortless internationalism. A poly-lingual perpetual motion machine – both live and on record – no one seems to have, or stir up, so much fun while being on the right side of bringing public attention to so many global wrongs. As a performer-activist he’s got Michael Franti beat, if only because Chao sings can address a broader spectrum of the oppressed in their mother tongues. Sonically, thematically and in the titles of his records Manu Chao has created the simulacrum of a pirate radio satellite gathering and bouncing signals as he circles the planet – a 24/7 antidote to Voice of America. My only complaint is that La Radiolina (Italian for portable radio) clings a little too fondly to the formula of his earlier records Clandestino and Proxima Estacion: Esperanza. Blessedly he has retired the PacMan-like ‘ping’ sample that permeated these two records, but in most other respects there is little to distinguish La Radiolina from his previous work. However, if you are looking for something refreshing check out the radio player at manuchao.net – predictably lots of Manu, but interspersed in a pretty glorious global mix.