Musician Manu Chao’s tunes don’t fit easily into one musical category, although they do often share a common thematic thread: hints of some kind of journey woven in at various levels.
Sometimes, as in the track “El Viento,” it’s an explicit reference to “la carretera” (“the road”); in the plodding “Mentira …,” it’s more of a feeling, a meter that mimics the ambling gait of a horse. In still others, it’s an overall vibe, the product of the music maker’s eclectic influences, extensive world travels and expanse of genres from which he draws.
In the artist’s work and life, music and travel are not only symbiotic, but practically inseparable. Music has taken him around the world; the world has, in turn, inspired his music; and his music makes listeners feel as if they’re getting a round-the-world ticket.
“I’ve never been to university because I decided to make music,” the songwriter says during a break from his current U.S. tour, “but music gives me the best education.” A Parisian-born musician of Spanish lineage (who now calls Barcelona home), Mr. Chao fronted the French rock band Mano Negra before gaining massive popularity as a solo artist in the last decade.
Albums spanning from his debut, 1998’s “Clandestino,” to his 2004 French-language project, “Siberie M’etait Conteee,” have revealed his fluency with styles from French chanson to Algerian rai and languages from Galician to Portuguese — although his typical sound relies most heavily on rock, reggae, salsa, sampled sounds and street culture. His unique blend can be heard seeping through “Dimanche a Bamako,” the feted album from Malian couple Amadou & Mariam that he produced in 2005.
Mr. Chao’s records aren’t readily available on ITunes or at the bigger chain record stores, although he’s earned fans in many parts of the world thanks to all-but-ceaseless touring — many times to spots that more dollar-driven artists would bypass, like the small South American towns in which he recorded “Clandestino.”
This focus echoes the strong political views (leftist and strongly anti-globalization) that he works into his plan and projects.
“I live in this world that I’m not happy with, and there are things I don’t like,” he says. “Surely it’s reflected in my songs.”
He is, however, wary of turning off would-be listeners with the message before they give his music a chance. “If you get too serious, sometimes the message doesn’t go too far,” he says, adding that he likes to start songs with a foundation of “positive energy and adrenaline,” then stir his opinions into the pot.
So far, he’s operated without a real map for his career path, instead letting the music lead the way. “My only goal is to live day by day and try to live my life like an honorable man,” he says. “If one day my music career stops, it’s not going to be something negative; it’ll be something positive. It’s going to give me time to do the things I want to do that aren’t music.”
Currently, he and his band, Radio Bemba Sound System, are on their most extensive North American tour to date. Building on the momentum of a smaller-scale stateside outing last summer, this series of dates kicked off with a co-headlining performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., and includes stops at Celebrate Brooklyn in New York City and the Montreal Jazz Fest before concluding in early July.
As expected, the frontman is thrilled to be able to discover some new cities this go-around. He played Portland, Ore., on May 28 and describes the experience as “amazing.” “We’ve never been there before and people knew all the songs,” he says. “I felt so thankful.”
Between his notoriously high-energy shows, he’ll continue toiling away at “La Radiolina,” his first studio album in six years, due out Sept. 4. (A sample single, “Rainin in Paradize,” is available now on his Web site, www.manuchao.net.) “Every time I’m inspired, I’m recording,” he says. “You never know when you’re going to write a song.”
Manu Chao and his band play Columbia’s Merriweather Post Pavilion (www.mppmusic.com) on Saturday, along with Thievery Corporation, Bebel Gilberto and other acts. Gates open at 4 p.m.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.