Spin (p.101) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[H]is skilled spirited execution sets him apart from other peacenik troubadours."
Entertainment Weekly (p.78) - "Chao's music is so sonically vivid, so gloriously evocative, translation seems almost superfluous." -- Grade: A-
Uncut (p.92) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "It's all articulated in a musical Esperanto, from the galloping rockabilly-blues of opener '13 Dias' through the frenetic energy of 'Panic Panic'..."
Down Beat (p.88) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Musically, Chao knows how to lodge a hook into the memory....The album proves irresistible."
Vibe (p.98) - "[H]e can still surprise -- the bluegrass edge of 'Besoin de la Lune' and the touch of metal on 'Y Ahora Que?' are both inspiringly deft."
Personnel: Carlos Herrero, Jose Manuel Gamboa, Amadou Bagayoko (guitar); Cheik Tidiane (keyboards).
One of the most enigmatic and exciting figures in world music, Manu Chao makes each new release an event, via both his fiery, ever-expanding musical repertoire and his larger-than-life rebel persona. LA RADIOLINA is the singer's fourth solo album following the break-up of his Clash-inspired punk act Mano Negra, and it's as musically polyglot as the artist's multi-lingual tongue. Singing capably in Spanish, French, English, and Italian, among other languages, Chao brings a genuine worldliness to his music that goes far beyond mere multi-cultural lip service.
Not surprisingly, the highly political singer is no fan of George W. Bush, yet his activist pulse never interferes with his dazzling, multi-faceted music, which contains traces of everything from flamenco and griot to punk and ska. LA RADIOLINA is as much a distinct portrait of a singular artist, as it is a whirlwind tour of the global underground.