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.