Editing Manu Chao (section)

==Musical style and influences==
[[File:Manu Chao, Paris.jpg|thumb|Manu Chao performs in Paris (2008)]]

Manu Chao sings in Spanish, French, English, [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[Galician language|Galician]], [[Arabic language|Arabic]] and [[Wolof language|Wolof]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/21/AR2007062100690.html|newspaper=Washington Post|title=Seeing the World Through Manu Chao's Eyes|author=Richard Harrington|date=June 22, 2007}}</ref> often mixing several languages in the same song. His music has many influences, such as [[punk rock|punk]], [[rock music|rock]], French ''[[chanson]]'', Iberoamerican [[salsa (music)|salsa]], [[reggae]], [[ska]], and Algerian [[raï]]. These influences were obtained from immigrants in France, his [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberian]] connections, and foremost his travels in [[Mesoamerica]] as a [[nomad]] following the disbanding of Mano Negra. While Mano Negra called their style ''patchanka'' (literally "patchwork"), Manu Chao speaks of ''música [[mestizo|mestiza]]'' ([[:de:Mestizo-Musik]]), a musical style which may also incorporate elements of [[rap]], [[flamenco]], [[Afro-Cuban music]], [[samba]] and [[cumbia]].

In many of his pieces he layers lyrics, music, and sound recordings over each other.<ref name="Gräbner">{{Cite journal|title = Four Paths Five Destinations: Constructing Imaginaries of AlterGlobalization Through Literary Texts|last = Gräbner|first = Cornelia|date = 2010|journal = The Journal of Natural and Social Philosophy}}</ref> In the short documentary film ''Infinita tristeza'' (essentially a video travelogue of Chao's 2001 tour of [[South America]]), included within the bonus section of his 2002 live DVD release ''Babylonia en Guagua'', Chao explained that his only recording tool is a small IBM [[ThinkPad]] laptop computer, which he carries with him wherever he goes; he has occasionally used conventional recording studios, such as Europa Sonor in Paris, to [[Overdubbing|overdub]] instruments such as drums, electric guitars and [[Brass instrument|brass]], but the vast majority of his material (including all sorts of spoken-word samples from radio stations, TV, films, old [[Phonograph record|vinyl records]] and, on ''[[Próxima Estación: Esperanza]]'', announcements from the [[Madrid Metro]]) has been recorded by Chao himself exclusively on his laptop. The Spanish credit ''Grabado en el Estudio Clandestino'' ("Recorded in Studio Clandestino/Clandestine Studio"), which appears on all of his solo album starting from 1998's ''[[Clandestino]]'', actually refers to the laptop.

[[File:Manu Chao La Ventura - 2013, Budapest Park (14).JPG|thumb|left|Manu at Budapest Park, 2013]]
Chao also has a tendency to reuse music or lyrics from previous songs to form new songs. The contemporary hit single in France "[[Bongo Bong]]", takes its lyrics from the earlier Mano Negra hit "King of Bongo", which bears a similar style to that of [[The Clash]]. The musical backdrop for "Bongo Bong", in turn, was used in several other Chao songs, including "Je Ne T'Aime Plus" from the same album and "[[Mr. Bobby]]" and "Homens" from ''[[Próxima Estación: Esperanza]]''. (According to a statement by Chao himself in the ''Próxima Estación'' CD booklet, "Homens" is the song which the backdrop was originally written and recorded for, and all the others came later.) Also, the tune of "La Primavera", a track from that same album, is used in several other songs featured on the LP, while lyrics for a few songs on ''[[Sibérie m'était contéee]]'' are repeated several times with different music, leading the lyrics to be interpreted in various ways depending on the mood of the track. Several musical themes and clips from that album also appear on Amadou & Mariam's Chao-produced ''Dimanche à Bamako'', which were being produced at approximately the same time.

Though his live performances in the U.S. are infrequent, Chao played a handful of dates there in 2006, including a headlining show at [[Lollapalooza|Lollapalooza 2006]] in Chicago.<ref name=tap>{{cite journal |last=Flores |first=Antonio |title=Thievery Corporation/Manu Chao to play Merriweather |journal=On Tap Magazine |url=http://www.ontaponline.com/view_article.php?article_id=10675 |access-date=2008-03-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070724084209/http://www.ontaponline.com/view_article.php?article_id=10675 |archive-date=July 24, 2007 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> He was one of the headlining acts at the 2008 [[Austin City Limits Music Festival]] and the Outside Lands Music Festival in [[Golden Gate Park]]. In January 2012 he was the headline act at the opening night of [[Sydney Festival]], marking his first concert in Australia.