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By Tyler Hammer
Manu Chao & Kinky :: 07.28.06 :: Greek Theatre :: Berkeley, CA
Manu Chao |
There was certainly a lot of hoop-la surrounding Manu Chao's announcement this summer that he was to play a show at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley. When announced back in June, my email inbox was inundated with a flurry of notes, each emphatically expressing their glee at the announcement. At the time, I simply sighed, dismissed it as just another show, and thought yet again how rich one must be to actually go to all the amazing shows in the Bay Area.
But the more I kept hearing about the show, the more interested I became. Manu Chao hasn't played a show in The States since 2001, and Berkeley was to be the first stop on his U.S. tour. I even read about one girl who cancelled her trip to South America just so she could go to the show!
Just what is it about this guy that has so many people from all over the world going gaga over his music? What has made him the international superstar that is Manu Chao? I thought it best to find out for myself. So I called up my friend who sent me one of the emails and told her I was in.
Kinky by Brett Saul |
The evening started on the highest of notes with Kinky - a self-proclaimed "Latino dance funk band." This five-piece group hails from Monterey, Mexico and knows how get a party started. Little known (so far) in The States, Kinky has blazed a trail of success since forming in 2000. They bring with them an air of rock stardom fit for a band ten times as big. Bassist Cesar Pliego and singer Gilberto Cerezo demand much of the spotlight, carrying the majority of the ego that all big bands need. Pliego sports a cowboy hat and seems to get off by riding his bass as he gallops back and forth across the stage – all with a half-smoked cigarette dangling from his lips. As Pliego abuses his bass, Cerezo controls the microphone, adding his own punk/rock style to the music.
The vibe started out pretty tame, as the crowd was more concerned with getting settled for the main event. But by the third song, Kinky had everyone on board with the deep, truncated bass line of "Mirando de Lado" from their self-titled debut album.
Kinky by Brett Saul |
Yet the cool air of another foggy night by the Bay was only beginning to heat up as Kinky then showcased a few songs from their upcoming album - Reina - due out in September. Sticking with their roots in electro-pop, Kinky sounded the sirens with a house-style beat in "Coqueta" that could just as easily have been played in a late-night dance club in San Francisco." The crowd happily lapped it up, and hardly a person was standing still. A few more smokin' songs, and then the set came to an end with "Mas." An anthem of sorts for Kinky, this hit song, as well as the rest of the set, had everyone yelling for mas.
Kinky has found huge support in Europe and has brought home not one, not two, but three Grammy Awards. They first came onto my own personal radar in the summer of 2005 when they played a late-night show at the High Sierra Music Festival. I came away from that show with a new favorite band. Not a jamband, not strictly electronic, Latin, rock, or funk, Kinky seems comfortable as a genre-bending band. With their unique combination of sounds and just enough Latin twang to constantly remind the listener that these cats are most certainly not from America, Kinky is sure to be making a lot more noise in the near future.
Manu Chao |
After the spectacle of Kinky, the crowd was teeming with anticipation. Each member of Manu Chao's back-up band, Radio Bemba Sound System, came out on stage one at a time, picked up his or her instrument, and slowly built the musical momentum. Coming out last, Manu Chao jumped on stage, and the Greek seemed to explode. The energy was infectious. That overweight Latino guy standing next to me who barely blinked during the opening Kinky set was now going nuts, hopping around like a 15-year-old girl at a New Kids concert. I gave in to the good vibrations and jumped right along with my new friend.
In that opening song, Manu Chao concocted a rhythmic cocktail of beats, styles, and lyrics that had my head swirling like I was in the middle of an absinthe binge. I didn't quite know what to make of my surroundings and I can't quite piece it all together, but I have to admit it was fun.
Manu Chao |
A few songs later during "Clandestino," I happened to gaze across the sea of people in the Greek and realized that more than any other show I've been to, this was truly an international affair. I saw a colorful array of Mexican, Brazilian, Spanish, French, Cuban, and American flags proudly waving in the marijuana-soaked air. Like all great performers, Manu Chao has the ability to bring people from every background, culture, and race together to share in that sublimely joyous occasion of a live show.
Of-course this hodge-podge ensemble of people is not without its reasons. Just as Manu Chao's music draws from a wide range of influences, including reggae, punk, ska, salsa and rock, so too do his lyrics. Touching on a variety of issues, from the mundane and silly to love, poverty, and world politics, Chao sings in a medley of seven languages, including French, Spanish, Portuguese, Galician, English, Arabic, and Wolof – often seamlessly weaving them into the same song. The whole aura surrounding Manu Chao, his music, and his fans oozes with eclecticism.
It was during "Me Gustas Tu" – and after nearly an hour of non-stop dancing, jumping, and arm-waving – that I realized the band hadn't taken even a one-moment break in their playing. The music was relentlessly fast-paced, in-your-face fun. It almost seemed to be daring me to stand still. For the most part, I couldn't.
Manu Chao |
Yet after the novelty of that first hour and a half, the set seemed to lose much of its magic for me. Manu Chao and his band were certainly having a lot of fun and relishing the crowd's energy. The problem was they became too enamored with the crowd.
After apparently ending the show with a solid encore, Chao came back out for another encore, and another, and another (I think I counted five in all). What should have been a great moment with 45 minutes of additional music unfortunately turned repetitive. Each song seemed to bleed into the next, not really exploring any new territory. Manu Chao and his band relied on the same beats that dominated each song before it. Even songs played in the beginning of the show were repeated. Instead of going out with a bang, Manu Chao and the Radio Bemba Sound System went out with little more than a pop.
Nevertheless, it was clear why Manu Chao has become the international superstar that he is. For a 45-year-old man, he seems to be on track to give Mick Jagger a run for his money in stage presence and energy level. Nor has he lost any of his youthful opposition to big government and injustice. At one point during the show he exclaimed, "They [referring to the Bush administration] say we must fight violence with violence. I say we fight violence with education." And perhaps most importantly, his music boasts the stylistic muscle of someone who has certainly been around the block – and the world. This has made him, his music, and his message truly cross-cultural in its worldly appeal.
JamBase | Berkeley
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