Mano Solo, cantante y compositor francés de éxito, falleció a los 46 años este Enero pasado por las complicaciones del SIDA que padecía desde hacía tiempo, un padecimiento sobre el que no tenía problemas en hablar abiertamente con provocación en canciones y declaraciones. Aunque en sus inicios musicales cantaba en una banda punk (Les Chihuahuas) la base de su discografía en solitario es la canción francesa y el rock pero matizado con otras músicas (rumba flamenca, jazz, tango, africana, jamaicana...), variando su sonido en cada disco. Y aunque yo apenas entiendo el francés (y menos cantado) es fácil intuir sobre lo que canta por su entonación furiosa, con letras airadas y simbólicas sobre problemas sociales, la vida en los barrios marginales de París, su enfermedad o su turbulenta vida amorosa que son un reflejo de su origen punk y anarquista, hijo de un conocido caricaturista político y una activista ecologista. A mí me gusta especialmente uno de sus discos más positivos y eclécticos, 'Dehors', editado en el 2000.
Mano Solo, successful French singer and composer, died at age of 46 this past January from complications of AIDS, an illness he suffered for a long time and he was quite outspoken about. At the beginning of his career he sang in a punk band (Les Chihuahuas) but the basis of his solo discography is French "chanson" although largely colored by sounds of rock and many other styles (rumba, jazz, tango, African, Jamaican...), the music varying widely on each of his albums. And though I hardly understand French it's easy to guess what he sings about by his furious intonation, lyrically raging against social problems, struggle in marginal quarters of Paris, his own illness or turbulent love life reflecting his punk and anarchist spirit, his father a political cartoonist in the anarchist press and his mother an ecologist activist. I prefer among all one of his most positive and exotic albums, called 'Dehors' and published in 2000.
EscuchaListen
▶Mano Solo·'Les Gitans'
Mano Solo, successful French singer and composer, died at age of 46 this past January from complications of AIDS, an illness he suffered for a long time and he was quite outspoken about. At the beginning of his career he sang in a punk band (Les Chihuahuas) but the basis of his solo discography is French "chanson" although largely colored by sounds of rock and many other styles (rumba, jazz, tango, African, Jamaican...), the music varying widely on each of his albums. And though I hardly understand French it's easy to guess what he sings about by his furious intonation, lyrically raging against social problems, struggle in marginal quarters of Paris, his own illness or turbulent love life reflecting his punk and anarchist spirit, his father a political cartoonist in the anarchist press and his mother an ecologist activist. I prefer among all one of his most positive and exotic albums, called 'Dehors' and published in 2000.
EscuchaListen
▶Mano Solo·'Les Gitans'
