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Manu Chao (born José-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao on June 21, 1961 in Paris, France) is a French singer and political activist of Spanish (Galician-Basque) origin. He sings mainly in Spanish, French, English and Portuguese and occasionally in a number of other languages.

Chao began his musical career with Hot Pants, a French band that combined several musical styles and languages. The musician then founded the band Mano Negra with several friends in 1987, becoming a solo artist after it disbanded. Chao's mother was from Bilbao, in the Basque region of Biscay, Spain; his father, writer and journalist Ramón Chao, was from Galicia. They moved to Paris to escape 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. While growing up he was around many artists and intellectuals, most of whom were his father's acquaintances. Chao cites much of his childhood experience as inspiration for some songs.
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.
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.
Discography
* Clandestino (Virgin, 1998)
* Próxima Estación: Esperanza (Virgin, 2001)
* Sibérie m'était contéee (Virgin, 2004)
* La Radiolina (Because/Nacional, 2007)
* Estación México (Live in Mexico,2008; Sell only MEX )