Manu Chao

José-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao (known as Manu Chao or Oscar Tramor) is a French singer born in 1961 whose musical style encompasses elements of reggae, punk, and world music and is sung in any one of several languages. Though he is one of the world's best selling artists, he is less well known in the English-speaking world.

Chao was heavily influenced by the punk scene and, in his early years, was a member of Hot Pants and Los Carayos. The latter was more successful, releasing four albums in the years leading up to 1994. At the same time as his involvement in Los Carayos, Chao formed Mano Negra and the band swiftly gained prominence in Europe. The members of the band began to fight and by 1995, Chao disbanded Mano Negra. He formed another new band, Radio Bemba Sound System, and they too, did well. When an album, Clandestino (1998), was released with Radio Bemba music it was credited as a Mano Chao effort. He followed it in 2001 with Próxima Estación: Esperanza which had a heavier reggae feel. The album was successful, reaching the top ten in several European countries, and he embarked on a tour to promote it. For his next release, Sibérie m'était contéee (2004) he returned to his French roots. His most recent release is 2007's La Radiolina which charted well across Europe.

Several of his songs have been covered by other artists, including "Bongo Bong" and "Je Ne T'Aime Plus" (by Lily Allen and Robbie Williams), and "Mala Vida" (by Gogol Bordello).