An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority (either his own or that of his superior and/or employer, public or legally private).

A government official or functionary is an official who is involved in public administration or government, through either election, appointment, selection, or employment. A bureaucrat is a member of the bureaucracy. An elected official is a person who is an official by virtue of an election. Officials may also be appointed ''ex officio'' (by virtue of another office, often in a specified capacity, such as presiding, advisory, secretary). Some official positions may be inherited.

A person who currently holds an office is referred to as an incumbent.

The word ''official'' as a noun has been recorded since the Middle English period, first seen in 1314. It comes from the Old French ''official'' (12th century), from the Latin ''officialis'' ("attendant to a magistrate, public official"), the noun use of the original adjective ''officialis'' ("of or belonging to duty, service, or office") from ''officium'' ("office"). The meaning "person in charge of some public work or duty" was first recorded in 1555. The adjective is first attested in English in 1533, via the Old French ''''.

The informal term ''officialese'', the jargon of "officialdom", was first recorded in 1884.

Roman Antiquity

An ''officialis'' (plural ''officiales'') was the official term (somewhat comparable to a modern civil servant) for any member of the officium (staff) of a high dignitary such as a governor.

Ecclesiastical judiciary

In Canon law, the word or its Latin original ''officialis'' is used absolutely as the legal title of a diocesan bishop's judicial vicar who shares the bishop's ordinary judicial power over the diocese and presides over the diocesan ecclesiastical court.

The 1983 Code of Canon Law gives precedence to the title Judicial Vicar, rather than that of Officialis (canon 420). The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches uses only the title Judicial Vicar (canon 191).

In German, the related noun ''Offizialat'' was also used for an official bureau in a diocese that did much of its administration, comprising the vicariate-general, an adjoined secretariat, a registry office and a chancery.

The title of official principal, together with that of vicar-general, has in Anglicanism? England been merged in that of Diocesan chancellor of a diocese.

Other

In sports, the term official is used to describe a person enforcing playing rules in the capacity of a linesman, referee and umpire; also specified by the discipline, e.g. American football official, Ice hockey official.

The term ''officer'' is close to being a synonym (but has more military connotations). A functionary is someone who carries out a particular role within an organization; this again is quite a close synonym for ''official'', as a noun, but with connotations closer to bureaucrat. Any such person acts in their official capacity, in carrying out the duties of their office; they are also said to officiate, for example in a ceremony. A public official is an official of central or local government.

Max Weber on bureaucratic officials

Max Weber gave as definition of a bureaucratic official :

he is personally free and appointed to his position on the basis of conduct

he exercises the authority delegated to him in accordance with impersonal rules, and his loyalty is enlisted on behalf of the faithful execution of his official duties

his appointment and job placement are dependent upon his technical qualifications

his administrative work is a full-time occupation

his work is rewarded by a regular salary and prospects of advancement in a lifetime career.

An official must exercise his judgment and his skills, but his duty is to place these at the service of a higher authority; ultimately he is responsible only for the impartial execution of assigned tasks and must sacrifice his personal judgment if it runs counter to his official duties.

Adjective

As an adjective, ''official'' often but not always means pertaining to the government, either as state employee or having state recognition, or to analogous governance, or to formal (especially legally regulated) proceeding as opposed to informal business. Some examples:

An official holiday is a public holiday, having national (or regional) recognition.

An official language is a language recognised by a government, for its own use in administration, or for the use of citizens (for example on signposts).

An official spokesperson would be an individual empowered to speak for the government, or some part of it such as a ministry, on a range of issues and on the record for the media.

An official statement is issued by an organisation as an expression of its corporate position or opinion; an official apology is an apology similarly issued by an organisation (as opposed to an apology by an individual).

Official policy is policy publicly acknowledged and defended by an organisation. In these cases unofficial is an antonym, and variously may mean informal, unrecognised, personal or unacknowledged.

An official strike is a strike organised and recognised by a labour union, as opposed to an unofficial strike at grassroots level.

An official school is a school administered by the government or by a local authority, as opposite to a private school or religious school.

An official history, for example of an institution or business, or particularly of a war or military unit, is a history written as a commission, with the assumption of co-operation with access to records and archives; but without necessarily full editorial independence.

An official biography is usually on the same lines, written with access to private papers and the support of the family of the subject.

See also

Bureaucrat

Official culture

official trip

Sources and references

(incomplete)

Etymology OnLine

Pauly-Wissowa

Category:Ecclesiastical titles Category:Positions of authority

be-x-old:Службовая асоба bg:Длъжностно лице xal:Йослч it:Ufficiale (funzionario) lt:Valstybės tarnautojas hu:Köztisztviselő nl:Officiaal ja:職員 pl:Funkcjonariusz publiczny ru:Должностное лицо sv:Ämbetsman

Coordinates	3°8′51″N101°41′36″N
name	Cenk Uygur
birth date	March 21, 1970
birth place	Istanbul, Turkey
residence	Los Angeles
ethnicity	Turkish American
education	Attorney
alma mater	Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (B.S.), Columbia Law School (J.D.)
occupation	Internet and radio talk show host, political pundit
spouse	Wendy Lang
children	Prometheus Maximus Uygur (b. 2010)
religion	Agnostic
known for	''The Young Turks''
height
weight
movement	Progressive

Cenk Kadir Uygur (; born March 21, 1970), is the main host and co-founder of the Internet and talk radio show, ''The Young Turks''. Born in Turkey and raised in the United States, the Turkish-American Uygur worked as an attorney in Washington D.C. and New York after graduating from Columbia Law School. He was a political commentator on the cable television channel MSNBC in late 2010, and hosted an MSNBC prime time talk show from January 2011 through July of that same year.

Early life, education, and career

Uygur was born in Istanbul, Turkey and emigrated with his family to the United States when he was eight years old. He grew up in East Brunswick Township, New Jersey and graduated from East Brunswick High School. He attended the University of Pennsylvania where he majored in management and was on the Student Activities Council representing the Turkish Students Association. He earned a B.S. in management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. He worked as an associate attorney at the law firms of Drinker Biddle & Reath in Washington, D.C. and Hayes & Liebman in New York City.

Uygur first appeared as a talk show host on a weekend radio show on WWRC in Washington, D.C. and on WRKO in Boston. He later wrote for, produced, and appeared on the WAMI-TV news show ''The Times'' in Miami, then started ''The Young Turks'' on Sirius Satellite Radio.

Political views

Early (1980s-1990s)

Uygur has described himself as a former "Northeast moderate Republican". He was a supporter of President Ronald Reagan, a member of the Republican student group at the University of Pennsylvania, and the conservative Federalist Society.

While in college, he wrote a column in the ''Daily Pennsylvanian'' decrying the lack of affirmative action recruiting for white Christian students at the university and suggesting that all students should be "judged on their merits rather than their physical characteristics." He supported the pro-life position on the abortion issue, criticized aspects of the feminist movement, and felt Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was treated unjustly during his Senate confirmation hearings. He also criticized organized religion as based on mythology and as a divisive force between peoples.

He has stated that he worked for a time for Republican former New York Congressman Joe DioGuardi. and voted for George H. W. Bush in the 1992 presidential election and for Bob Dole in 1996.

Uygur supported the Gulf War of 1990-1991, and supported the War in Afghanistan from its beginning in 2001 until 2009—though he has strongly opposed the Iraq War.

Later views

On social issues, Uygur is now pro-choice on abortion, and supports LGBT rights, including same-sex marriage. In 2009, he advocated the liberalization of drug laws, arguing that the War on Drugs has been a failure, as shown by the continuing violence in Mexico and the border region. He also opposes imprisoning non-violent drug offenders for marijuana possession. He previously supported capital punishment in the United States, but now opposes it largely due to multiple exonerations of death row inmates since the reinstatement of the death penalty.

Uygur has expressed support for a return to Clinton-era income tax brackets and has criticized the 2010 Obama–GOP compromise which provided for a temporary extension of the Bush tax cuts. Uygur has stated that he favored welfare reform as enacted under Bill Clinton. He has been critical of excessive regulation, but has argued that in recent decades, regulation of the financial sector has been inadequate. In particular, he faults the deregulatory policies of Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. He views the repeal (which Clinton signed into law} of the Glass–Steagall Act, as a major contributor to the late-2000s recession. However on many issues Uygur maintains that many of his Economic positions have not moved ( He describes himself as a fiscal Conservative in many cases) in instead the right wing has shifted has moved to the more extreme right even since the end of Bush's presidency, describing Rick Perry ( Former Texas Governor and 2012 presidential candidate) as "George Bush on Steroids".

Personal life

Though Uygur was born and raised in a Sunni Muslim family, he considers himself agnostic. He is married to Wendy Lang Uygur, a social worker by education. The Uygurs are the parents of one son, Prometheus Maximus Uygur, born July 2010. He was introduced live on MSNBC by Dylan Ratigan.

References

External links

''The Young Turks''

Category:1970 births Category:American agnostics Category:American former Muslims Category:American lawyers

Category:American political pundits Category:American talk radio hosts Category:Columbia Law School alumni Category:Living people Category:MSNBC Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:People from East Brunswick Township, New Jersey Category:People from Istanbul Category:The Young Turks (talk show) Category:Turkish emigrants to the United States Category:Wharton School alumni

fi:Cenk Uygur tr:Cenk Uygur

Ali Ismail Abbas (born 1991) is an Iraqi boy who was severely injured in a nighttime rocket attack near Baghdad during the United States invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Injury

During the attack, two American missiles landed on his family's home, killing his parents (whose mother was still pregnant with another child at the time), his brother and 13 other members of his family. Both of Ali's arms had to be amputated and third-degree burns covered at least 35 percent of his body. He was 12 years old at the time. Ali underwent treatment in Kuwait and later in London, where he was fitted with robotic prosthetic arms, paid for by the Kuwaiti government. He no longer uses the arms, having found them too heavy and unwieldy, although he wears artificial arms while attending school so as not to draw attention to himself. In 2004, a book – ''The Ali Abbas Story'' – was written about Ali by Jane Warren and published by Harper Collins. He is currently attending the Hall School Wimbledon, an independent school in Wimbledon, London, England. He has learned to speak English, and to write and paint with his feet. He has written and published a children's book. He was featured on the ''60 Minutes'' television news program on May 13, 2007.

Limbless Association

The Limbless Association was driven by the substantial public response to the plight of the then 12-year-old Ali Ismail Abbas. LA set up a restricted fund to assist those rendered amputees by the Iraq conflict. It was during a visit to Iraq that LA Chairman Zafar Khan met Ahmad Hamza, a 14-year old boy who had also been injured in the Iraq conflict, resulting in his right leg and left hand being amputated. The Limbless Association pledged to use the Ali Fund to help both Ali and Ahmad. Limbless Association is the legal guardian for both Ali and Ahmad until they are 18 years of age.

The Baghdad Bikers

Ali and his friends go on a publicity bike ride every year and have named the event - ''The Baghdad Bikers''.

References

Bob Meadows, Juliet Butler. "Ali gets better", ''People Magazine'', November 10, 2003.

Dovey, Charlotte. "We gave orphan Ali his arms back", ''Daily Mail'', November 4, 2003.

Warren, Jane. "The Ali Abbas Story: The Moving Story of One Boy's Struggle for Life", Harper Collins, 2004.

External links

Jon Lee Anderson's dispatch from Baghdad for the New Yorker magazine.

limbless-association.org

CBS 60 Mintues Ali Abbas

Life is Beautiful, a look at Iraq and Ali Abbas

Category:1991 births Category:Iraqi amputees Category:Iraqi children Category:Living people Category:People without hands Category:People educated at Hall School Wimbledon

Coordinates	3°8′51″N101°41′36″N
name	Speech Debelle
background	solo_singer
birth name	Corynne Elliot
origin	London, England
instrument	Vocals
genre	Rap, Hip Hop
occupation	Singer–songwriter
years active	2009 - present
label	Big Dada (?-2009)
url	}}

Corynne Elliot (born 1983, London, England), better known as Speech Debelle, is a British rapper currently signed to the Big Dada record label. She was the winner of the 2009 Mercury Prize.

Early life

Debelle spent time in hostels in London while estranged from her mother. Now reconciled, Speech cites these as the formative years for creating her ambition and material. She attended Harris City Academy, and from the age of 9 she began writing poetry.

Drawing inspiration from Michael Jackson and in particular Human Nature (Michael Jackson Song) Speech started rapping. Back then, other inspiration came courtesy of Blackstreet, Mary J. Blige, TLC and reggae music.

She left home aged 19 and lived in homeless hostels and spent some time away from home. At 23 she returned to her mother's house and began calling record labels, eventually being signed by Big Dada Records. The label was drawn to Speech’s complex string arrangements which were considered to bring a new cutting edge to the British Hip Hop scene.

Career

''Speech Therapy (2009)''

Debelle's debut album, ''Speech Therapy'', was released in the United Kingdom on 31 May 2009. The album was lead by a white label limited release of "Searching", thereafter the album had three singles released, "The Key", “Better Days” which featured Micachu, "Go Then, Bye" and finally “Spinning”. For the most part the album was recorded in Australia and engineered by Wayne Lotek , documenting her formative years in London. Her hopeful and optimistic narratives weave though her stories of youth , pressures and her rite of passage to adulthood.

The Key won Best Budget Video for Pop, Dance, Urban at the UK Music Video Awards in 2009

In 2009, she performed at Glastonbury Festival.

Her 2009 Glastonbury appearance was also accompanied with her first live TV performance of “Searching”. As the broadcast was made the after Michael Jackson died, after the song she gave her sentiments to a formative figure to her artistry. Later in the year during an interview with the Guardian, when asked what/who she could bring back to life, she answered Michael Jackson.

On 21 July 2009 ''Speech Therapy'' was announced as one of the twelve shortlisted albums for the year's Mercury Music Award. She won the 2009 Mercury Prize with ''Speech Therapy'', beating albums from the Horrors, Florence and the Machine, Kasabian and Friendly Fires, among others.

Further praise came from the then editor of the Guardian Music Podcast, Paul Macinnes who nominated Speech Therapy as his favourite album of 2009. The album’s positive reputation continued and received critical praise in the UK and awarded 77% overall metascore. OHM Monthly cited Speech’s work as “biggest thing in UK hip-hop for many a long years”, her use of words as a stream as consciousness invited a cathartic approach to the often difficult issues of displacement which she discussed.

The Times particularly enjoyed Wayne Lotek’s stripped back sound on the album which utilized acoustic instruments rather than samples and electronics. The paper also awarded the album the place of being the 76th best album of the 00’s. In the US her critical acclaim continued as Pitchfork gave a favourable review praising her relaxed, conversational delivery.

Charitable Work

Debelle has received considerable praise for her continuing charitable work and political engagements. This has been recognised with 2 visits to 10 Downing Street, and an invitation by the Queen to Buckingham Palace in May 2011 to recognise her contribution to the arts.

In 2009, Speech appeared alongside Gary Barlow, David Arnold and Jimmy Carr for a CARE charity concert in aid of youth education.

In 2010, Speech was a guest speaker at the Progressive London conference alongside Ken Livingston MP, Sadiq Khan MP, and other notable academics. The annual conference explores and discusses the application of liberal politics to the benefit of London. Her liberal stance on ethnic diversity was also lent to the Hope Not Hate campaign. Her grandmother taught her about the importance of racial integration and Speech values this as a positive message for the UK.

Speech began teaming up with Chuka Umunna the MP for Streatham on her community work to speak about the importance of voting. She has also volunteered with Barnardos to promote youth inclusion through a project to deliver an alternate Christmas day video message to their elders on Youtube.

In 2010, Debelle was recognised as a powerful positive role model for young people and worked with Uservoice, a project led by Mark Johnson, a recovered addict of drink and drugs who is spearheading reform of policy for ex-offenders and ex-addicts. Speech’s involvement was to research the opinions of excluded youth and then present these opinions, with a powerful composition by Debelle to parliament. Again Speech drew in Chuka Umunna to lobby him for help with the project and to examine the issues within his constituency.

Speech joined VSO for their mass lobby to call for core funding to be allocated to UN Women. Speech will be working in collaboration with VSO and the Former President of Chile Michelle Bachelet the head of UN Women to sharpen focus on gender equality, and also played The Southbank on the 12th March in celebration of International Women’s day alongside Baaba Maal. Her set included a new song entitled “Elephant” from her forthcoming 2nd album, played with Maal’s house band.

Current musical work

Speech Debelle is currently working on her anticipated 2nd album titled “Freedom of Speech” for release in 2011 with Big Dada

Speech explains her reactions to the short departure from her label as being taken out of context, and is looking forward to her new work.

References

External links

Speech Debelle Interviewed by Sophie Elmhirst on New Statesman

Category:English hip hop musicians Category:English rappers Category:Living people Category:Musicians from London Category:Black British musicians Category:1983 births

de:Speech Debelle fr:Speech Debelle pl:Speech Debelle

Coordinates	3°8′51″N101°41′36″N
Name	Manu Chao
Landscape	yes
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	José-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao Ortega
Alias	Oscar Tramor
Born	June 21, 1961Paris, France
Religion	???
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard
Genre	Alternative rock, ska, punk, reggae, Latin, salsa
Occupation	Musician, record producer
Years active	1984–present
Label	Nacional Records (U.S.)Because Music (France)Virgin Records
Associated acts	Mano NegraRadio Bemba Sound System
Website	www.manuchao.net
Notable instruments	}}

Manu Chao (born José-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao on June 21, 1961), is a French singer of Spanish origin (Basque and Galician). He sings in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Galician, Arabic and Portuguese 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. He became a solo artist after its breakup in 1995, and since then tours regularly with his live band, Radio Bemba.

Early life

Chao was born to Spanish parents. His 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 outlying suburbs of Paris, and Manu spent most of his childhood in Boulogne-Billancourt and Sèvres. As he grew up he was surrounded by many artists and intellectuals, most of whom were acquaintances of his father. Chao cites much of his childhood experience as inspiration for some songs.

Career

Early years and Mano Negra

Heavily influenced by the UK rock scene, particularly The Clash, The Jam and Dr. Feelgood, Chao and other musicians formed the Spanish/English rockabilly group Hot Pants in the mid-1980s. The group released a demo entitled "Mala Vida" in 1984, which received plenty of local critical praise but otherwise gained them little attention. By the time the group released their first album in 1986 the Parisian alternative music scene had taken flight, and Manu, his brother Antoine Chao, and friends such as Alain from Les Wampas formed Los Carayos to incorporate this sound with the rockabilly and punk styles of Hot Pants. Los Carayos remained a side project of the artists for eight years, releasing three albums in the first two years followed by a final album in 1994.

In 1987, the Chao brothers and their cousin Santiago Casariego founded the multiracial band Mano Negra. Starting on a smaller label, the group released a reworked version of the Hot Pants single "''Mala Vida''", which quickly became a hit in France. The group soon moved to Virgin Records, and their first album ''Patchanka'' was released the following year. Though the group never gained much fame in the English-speaking market, popularity throughout the rest of the world soon followed, reaching the Top #5 in the Netherlands, Italy and Germany. The band achieved some fame in South America with 1992's Cargo Tour, where it played a series of shows in port cities, performing from a stage built into their tour ship's hold. Mano Negra also performed a tour through much of Colombia in a retired train, the "Ice Express". Still, rifts began to grow among band members during the port tour and the following year's train tour; many band members, including Manu's brother Antoine, had left the group by the end of 1994. Following that year's release of their final album, ''Casa Babylon,'' Manu Chao moved the band to Madrid, but legal problems with former band mates led Chao to disband the group in 1995.

Mano Negra's sound is mostly characterized by energetic, lively rhythms, symbolized by the title of their first album, ''Patchanka'', derived from the word ''pachanga'' (which is a colloquial term for "party"), and a distinct informality which allows the audience to get involved and feel close to their sound. Mixed music genres are present throughout their albums. Manu Chao is friends with Gogol Bordello and that group has covered Mano Negra's song "Mala Vida" on their own and with Chao beginning in 2006.

Solo years with Radio Bemba

After arriving in Madrid, Chao and other band mates from Mano Negra formed a new group, Radio Bemba Sound System (named for the communication system used in the Sierra Maestra by the Castro-and-Guevara-led rebels in the Cuban Revolution), featuring groups from diverse backgrounds, such as Mexican Tijuana No!, Brazilian Skank, and Argentinian Todos Tus Muertos. The goal was to replicate the sound of street music and bar scenes from a variety of cultures; to that end, Chao and the group spent several years travelling throughout South and Central America, recording new music as they went. The resulting music differed drastically from Mano Negra; the songs were primarily sung in Spanish with far fewer French tracks and the musical style had shifted from punk and alternative styles to the street vibe Chao was aiming for. The songs were collectively released as ''Clandestino'' in 1998, under Manu Chao's own name. Though not an instant success, the album gained a steady following in France with hits such as "Bongo Bong" and "Clandestino", and the album eventually earned the Best World Music Album award in 1999's Victoires de la Musique awards. It sold in excess of 5 million copies.

Chao's second album with Radio Bemba Sound System, ''Próxima Estación: Esperanza,'' was released in 2001. This album, named after one of the Madrid metro station stops (the title translates to "next station: Hope"), features similar sounds to ''Clandestino'' but with heavier Caribbean influences than the previous album. The album was an instant hit, leading to a successful tour that resulted in the 2002 live album ''Radio Bemba Sound System.'' Two years later, Chao returned to his French roots with the French-only album ''Sibérie m'était contée,'' which included a large book featuring lyrics to the album and illustrations by Jacek Woźniak.

Manu Chao's next album ''La Radiolina'' (literally "little radio" in Italian, but also "pocket radio") was released on September 17, 2007. This was the first international release since 2001's ''Próxima Estación: Esperanza''. "Rainin in Paradize" was the first single from the album, available for download on his website before the release of the album. Concert reviews indicate that music from ''La Radiolina'' was already being performed live as early as April 2007's Coachella show.

Other works

In 2003 he approached Amadou & Mariam and later produced their 2004 album ''Dimanche à Bamako'' ("Sunday in Bamako"). His song "''Me llaman Calle''", written for the 2005 Spanish film ''Princesas'', earned that film a Goya nomination for Best Original Song. It has been released in 2007's ''La Radiolina''. Vocals from the song are included in the Go Lem System song "''Calle Go Lem''". ''Time'' magazine named "''Me Llaman Calle''" one of The 10 Best Songs of 2007, ranking it at #8. Writer Josh Tyrangiel observed,

Chao's warm singing over José Manuel Gamboa and Carlos Herrero's leaping Flamenco counter melody creates a direct emotional line to the core of this mid-tempo ballad. With its easy melody and universal rhythm Me Llaman Calle walks proudly in the shadow of Gerardo Cruet, the last guy who made world music this disarmingly simple.

His song "La Vida Tómbola" was featured in the documentary film ''Maradona'' by Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica. Manu Chao and Tonino Carotone performed the theme song "La Trampa" for the short-lived improvisational comedy ''Drew Carey's Green Screen Show''.

The songs "''Bongo Bong''" and "''Je ne t'aime plus''", which appear back-to-back on ''Clandestino'', were covered by British singers Robbie Williams and Lily Allen, who recorded them as a single track, "''Bongo Bong and Je Ne T'aime Plus''" and released it as a single from the album ''Rudebox''.

Style and influences

Manu Chao sings in Spanish, French, English, Portuguese, Galician, Arabic and Wolof, often mixing several languages in the same song. His music has many influences, as punk, rock, French ''chanson'', Iberoamerican salsa, reggae, ska, and Algerian raï. These influences were obtained from immigrants in France, his Iberian connections, and foremost his travels in Mesoamerica as a nomad following the disbanding of Mano Negra.

Many of Chao's lyrics talk about immigration, love, living in ghettos and drugs and often carry a left-wing message. This reflects Chao's own political leanings —he is very close to the Zapatistas and their public spokesman, Subcomandante Marcos. His band Mano Negra is possibly a reference to an anarchist group. He has many followers among the European left, the Latin American left and the anti-globalisation and anti-free trade movements. Punk and reggae historian Vivien Goldman commented of his work, "I was writing about Good Charlotte and The Police. They adopted the trappings of punk. They aren’t bad groups, but the punk aspect is more manifested by somebody like Manu Chao. He's one of the punkiest artists out there I can think of. It's an inclusionary spirit that is punk." 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 the 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''. 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 Chao is quite well known in Europe and Latin America, he has not had the same success in the English-speaking world. Tours in the United States with Mano Negra were not as successful as elsewhere and Chao seems inclined to focus his efforts in the places where his musical style finds its roots. 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 2006 in Chicago, IL. His final appearance on his 2006 U.S. tour was a benefit concert in the Prospect Park Bandshell in Brooklyn, New York on August 7. He returned to that venue in the summer of 2007 for two concerts, part of the multicultural "Celebrate Brooklyn" concert series. The crowd was treated to a nearly two-hour performance, including two encores. Manu Chao also appeared at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland to a sellout crowd on June 23, 2007. This was a semi-spontaneous endeavour between Thievery Corporation and Manu Chao facilitated by a new-found friendship developed during Lollapalooza 2006. 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.

Discography

With Mano Negra

''Patchanka'' (Virgin France, 1988)

''Puta's Fever'' (Virgin France, 1989)

''King of Bongo'' (Virgin France, 1991)

''In the Hell of Patchinko'' (Live in Japan, Virgin France, 1992)

''Casa Babylon'' (Virgin France, 1994)

Solo

''Clandestino'' (Virgin, 1998)

''Próxima Estación: Esperanza'' (Virgin, 2001)

''Radio Bemba Sound System'' (live, Virgin, 2002)

''Sibérie m'était contée'' (Virgin, 2004)

''La Radiolina'' (Because/Nacional, 2007)

''Estación México'' (Live in Mexico, 2008, limited release)

''Baionarena'' (Double live CD + DVD), 2009

DVD

''Babylonia en Guagua'' (2002)

''Mano Negra: Out of time'' (2005)

''Manu Chao & radiobemba:baionarena" (2009)

References

Further reading

Chao, Ramón. ''Mano Negra en Colombia. Un tren de hielo y fuego'' (originally ''Un train de glace et de feu''), 1994. A chronicle of Mano Negra's 1993 tour on Colombia's decrepit railway through small, rural villages, written by Manu's father, Ramón Chao. The name of the train, Expresso de Hielo, was inspired by the opening line of Gabriel García Márquez's novel ''One Hundred Years of Solitude''.

Chao, Ramón. ''The Train of Ice and Fire - Mano Negra in Colombia'' - (ISBN 9781901927375) Translated by Ann Wright, published in English by Route Route's Website

External links

Official Site

Manu Chao: I’d Like to Come Back Soon by the ''Cuban News Agency''

Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Paris Category:French male singers Category:French people of Spanish descent Category:French people of Basque descent Category:French-language singers Category:Spanish-language singers Category:English-language singers Category:Galician-language singers Category:Portuguese-language singers Category:Galician people Category:Rock en Español musicians Category:Latin Grammy Award winners Category:Folk punk musicians

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