Manu Chao is back after 17 years since his last studio effort.Jamie xx took nine years to follow up his stunning debut ‘In Colour’.Katy Perry releases her seventh album after the critical and commercial flop of ‘Smile’ in 2020.
All are on the hunt for a comeback. Who succeeds? It’s been nearly two decades since the former frontman of the band Mano Negra released a studio album. The last one was ‘La Radiolina’ in 2007, and during his 17-year ‘sabbatical’, the worldly troubadour hasn’t been idle.
He’s continued to perform in the four corners of the world with his live band Radio Bemba. His new album ‘Viva Tu’ is inspired by his travels, and bares all the hallmarks of what made Manu Chao such a beloved presence on the airwaves. The way he effortlessly merges Latin rhythms and Caribbean grooves with Western folk music; his occasional sampling and smooth percussions; the minimalist lyrics sung in Spanish, French, Portuguese and English.
It’s all there. However, the now 63-year-old has slowed things down a bit. The acoustic guitars take the lead and there’s a more gentle vibe to ‘Viva Tu’, which lacks some of the street energy and punkish effervescence some of his previous records had.
Not that that’s a bad thing. 'Viva Tu' may not have the vibrancy of his first two albums 'Clandestino' and 'Próxima Estación: Esperanza'; nor does it have the inventiveness of his undervalued effort, 2004’s concept LP 'Sibérie m’était contéee’ – hi.