Mano Negra
Out Of Time

Until a month ago, I used to say to myself: "What I would have given to attend a Mano Negra concert live!". And now, without announcements or any other kind of advertising (as they have always done), this double DVD is released, which succinctly encapsulates the incredible story of the polyethnic band, a story that at times seems truly novelistic. This latest work is divided into four essential parts: Pura Vida's, a 96-minute film that, by editing together unpublished documents dated more than twenty years ago, reconstructs the band's existence step by step with everything that followed, all spiced with interesting comments from the group members.

Manu and his companions talk about how the band was formed, born from the split of the best alternative French groups such as Joint de Culasse, Hot Pants, and Casse Piedes. The Mano Negra performed in front of a proletarian audience, repeatedly refusing to play at the Zenith, a very prominent venue in Paris. And so, suddenly, by releasing an album named Patchanka, they became known to the masses... and if you already find this incredible, I won't even tell you what happened next: watch the film, the images will speak for themselves. Rock 'n Roll Band (82') is a puzzle of all the best songs of Mano during their live shows around the world; here you can appreciate the best part of this historic group: the live performance. Pure energy unleashed by music alone, a rhythm that doesn't need committed lyrics or circus stunts with the instruments (for instance, Tonio, the band's trumpeter, admits to knowing how to play 3 notes), but it's music that relies on improvisation and an irresistible cadence. Tournée Générale (56') contains footage of the historic concert in the Pigalle district, the Parisian temple of sex. Magnificent performances of "Ronde de Nuit", "Sidi H'Bibi", and "Pas Assez de Toi", a concert, as usual, vitaminic and explosive, where the singers throw themselves into the audience and spectators freely climb onto the stage to dance and sing. "Puta's Fever" (50') is instead a film that illustrates the album of the same name, which serves as its soundtrack. A document where images and sounds are masterfully mixed (always produced by Manu's friend, Francois Bergeron). Additionally, there are music videos (very beautiful those of Sueno de Solentiname and Out of Time Man), unreleased tracks, and live images of songs performed by singer Manu Chao with other groups, among which "All Alone 'n Lonely" stands out, where the voice of Mano Negra gives its best.