Photos: Manu Chao Live on KCRW

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Manu Chao Plays for KCRW by Salvador Farfan
Manu Chao Plays for KCRW by Salvador Farfan (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

Manu Chao Plays for KCRW by Salvador Farfan
Manu Chao Plays for KCRW by Salvador Farfan (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
Manu Chao Plays for KCRW by Salvador Farfan
Manu Chao Plays for KCRW by Salvador Farfan (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

There is no doubt Manu Chao is an international music star — he so easily crisscrosses genres that he’s pretty much created his own brand of revolutionary rock, with a good helping of reggae and dash of rap. He speaks at least four languages and sings in all of them. But, most importantly, he sings about topics of great importance.

As he told Tom Schnabel last night in a short interview between music sets, once he visits somewhere in the world where everything is good, maybe then he will start writing love songs. He said that the problem with politics is that it’s everywhere, “whenever you open your fridge,” so that’s what he writes songs about.

KCRW Dj Tom Schnabel interviews Manu by Salvador Farfan
KCRW Dj Tom Schnabel interviews Manu by Salvador Farfan (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

Manu performed a fiery set of music last night with a trio, stripped down from his 8-piece Radio Bemba, at legendary producer Bob Clearmountain’s Apogee’s Berkeley Street Studio in Santa Monica.as part of KCRW’s intimate music series Berkeley Street Sessions.

He started the show with the intense “Politik Kills” and moved through some slower songs like “Siberia,” “Mi Vida,” “Mr. Bobby,” before singing a couple beautiful songs in French. He stormed through the high-energy second set with a  bunch of medleys merging his songs into one extended jam. The crowd really went wild when he inserted the rap of “Bongo Bongo” — a crowd of 150 people on their feet, exhilarated and inspired by the man who some call a worthy successor to Bob Marley.

He was joined on stage by two other exceptional musicians Madjid Fahem on guitar and Philippe Treboul on drums. Check out the photos below and tune in on Wednesday, November 10 to hear/watch the session live on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.

RR

Manu Chao Plays for KCRW by Salvador Farfan
Manu Chao Plays for KCRW by Salvador Farfan (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

Manu Chao Plays for KCRW by Salvador Farfan
Manu Chao Plays for KCRW by Salvador Farfan (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

Manu and crowd at KCRW show by Salvador Farfan
Manu and crowd at KCRW show by Salvador Farfan (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
Madjid Fahem at KCRW show by Salvador Farfan
Madjid Fahem at KCRW show by Salvador Farfan (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
Philippe Treboul by Salvador Farfan
Philippe Treboul by Salvador Farfan (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
Manu Chao plays KCRW by Salvador Farfan
Manu Chao plays KCRW by Salvador Farfan (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

SET LIST

Set 1

politik kills

siberia

mi vida

mister bobby

te tromper

l automne est la

si loin de toi

neno pequenino

eu beije o sol

Set 2

el hoyo

expresso de hielo

senor matanza

amaluca de vida

tombola

giramundo

vivir sin ti

libertad

circo caliente

Encore

bienvenida a tijuana

la primavera

bongobong