Manu Chao (born José-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao on June 21, 1961 in Paris, France) is a singer of French and Spanish (Basque, Galician) origin. Manu Chao had been a well-known member of the Parisian alternative music scene, in bands such as Hot Pants and Los Carayos. In 1987, Chao, his brother Antoine Chao and their cousin Santiago Casariego founded the band Mano Negra, which met with success in France first with the hit single Mala Vida and then South America, where the band toured. The band split in 1995.
