Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Manu Chao

Role / Field:

French-Spanish polyglot musician known for blending global sounds and languages.

Born:

1961-06-21

Century / Era:

1961s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Manu Chao (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmanu ˈtʃao]; born José Manuel Tomás Arturo Chao Ortega on 21 June 1961) is a French-Spanish musician. He sings in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Arabic, Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, Greek and occasionally in other languages. Chao began his musical career in Paris, busking and playing with groups such as Hot Pants and Los Carayos, which combined a variety of languages and musical styles. With friends and his brother Antoine Chao, he founded the band Mano Negra in 1987, achieving considerable success, particularly in Europe.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He became a solo artist after its breakup in 1995 and since then has toured regularly with his live band, Radio Bemba Sound System. Chao is of Spanish and Spanish-Cuban origins. Chao's mother, Felisa Ortega, is from Bilbao, Basque Country, and his father, writer and journalist Ramón Chao, is from Vilalba, Galicia. They emigrated to Paris to avoid Francisco Franco's dictatorship—Manu's grandfather had been sentenced to death. Shortly after Manu's birth, the Chao family moved to the outskirts of Paris, and Manu spent most of his childhood in Boulogne-Billancourt and Sèvres.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

As he grew up he was surrounded by...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aaron Sorkin — Contemporary (Born in 1961) (1961): Master of fast-paced dialogue, known for 'walk and talk' storytelling.
• Abderrahmane Sissako — Contemporary (Born in 1961) (1961): Mauritanian-born Malian film director known for themes of globalization and exile.
• Abhijit Banerjee — Contemporary (Born in 1961) (1961): Pioneering economist known for using scientific evidence to combat global poverty.
• Abd El-Razzak El-Sanhuri — Shared historical date (06-21 · Died) (1971): Pioneering Egyptian jurist, celebrated for authoring the revised Civil Code of 1948.
• Aloysius Gonzaga — Shared historical date (06-21 · Died) (1591): Italian Jesuit seminarian and saint, known for his aristocratic background and early death.
• Alexander Vovin — Historical peer (Born in 1961) (1961): Pioneering Russian-American linguist specializing in East Asian languages, particularly Japanese.
• Alfonso Cuarón — Historical peer (Born in 1961) (1961): Esteemed Mexican filmmaker known for genre-bending, visually stunning cinema.
• Aaron Carter — Historical peer (Born in 1987) (1987): American singer and rapper known for teen pop stardom and enduring musical career.
• Afrojack — Historical peer (Born in 1987) (1987): Dutch DJ and record producer, known professionally as Afrojack.
• Adolfo Pedernera — Historical peer (Died in 1995) (1995): Argentine football legend, nicknamed 'El Maestro,' pivotal in the 1940s.
• 1961 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1961
• June 21 (06-21) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on June 21

Frequently Asked Questions about Manu Chao