MANU CHAO

Pula, Arena, 08.07.2008

One of the biggest international music stars played in Croatia for the second time, the first being in 2002 in Zagreb. This time the concert was taking place in Pula, in the beautiful Arena, which seemed the perfect place for this kind of manifestation.
Manu Chao, being born in France from Spanish parents, today lives in Barcelona and has travelled and played all over the world, which influenced his music. He is loved everywhere around the globe, but still most of all in Europe and South America.
He is famous for his energetic shows, and Pula prooved that he really is one of the most interesting artists around. All the multicultural influences that are combined in his music fit together very well, and what we get is a high-on-adrenaline emotional fiesta.
Manu himself wanted the ticket to cost 200 kunas (under 30 euros) so that people can afford it, and he took less money than the organizers offered to make that happen. 
The support for Manu Chao and his Radio Bemba Souns System ware our local party people/freak folk (after their latest album) band Gustafi.
Manu announced a show long at least two hours, and so it was. It was all crazy and energetic from the very first minute – many very well-known and much loved songs followed one after another – „Panik Panik“, „Politik Kills“, „Me Gustas Tu“, „Mr. Bobby“, „Merry Blues“, „Clandestino“, „Mentira“, „Desaparecido“, „Welcome To Tijuana“, „Rumba de Barcelona“, with „Radio Bemba“ „interrupting“ between the songs every now and then.
Manu was very friendly and at his best, as was the whole band, to be true. They all seemed to have as much fun as the crowd did – and the crowd was crazy, dancing and jumping the whole time.
According to the local newspaper, there was around 12,000 peopleat the concert. It was a wonderful scene as the Arena was full. Near the end of the concert they played last year's hit Rainin In Paradize” off the latest album “La Radiolina”. After an hour and a half, Manu shortly got off the stage, but returned in no time for an encore. It was time for “Bongo Bong”, the song that made him famous as a solo artist, and then for some Mano Negra songs – Mala Vida” and “Soledad”. Manu presented the members of Radio Bemba, they played some more and then he took his acoustic guitar and played some slower songs for the crowd, as the concert eas coming to its end.
All in all, it was a very special night and possibly the greatest concert of Pula's rich music season.
Now we can only hope that Manu's words promising him and the band to come back to Croatia whenever possible are true, because he and Radio Bemba definitely are one of those artists you cannot get enough of.

Report: Sara Profeta
Photo: muzika.hr