(Jose-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao, On June, 21st 1961ã. In Paris) — the musician of the Spanish origin. It is known as the solo musician and as the leader of group Mano Negra. Its music can be characterized as an alloy of fate and the Latin American music. Texts of songs of Manu Chao in the French, Spanish, galician and English languages.

Manu Chao was born in Paris in a family of the Spaniards immigrating to France, disappearing from dictatorship Ex. His father - the known journalist and writer Ramon Chao. Manu Chao has grown in Paris, and lives in Brazil, Marseilles and Barcelona. With 1987 for 1995 was the leader of musical collective «Mano Negra», based Manu and his brother Antoine. Before participated in group «Le Hots Pants». Texts «Mano Negra» frequently had political character. In 1995 Manu has dismissed group and has begun activity under own name, accompanied by group «Radio Bemba Sound System». The commercial success in Europe and Severoj to America has come with a single exit «Bongo Bong» (1998). Themes of albums «Clandestino» and «Proxima Estacion: Esperanza», received the status platinum — political and social problems of developing countries, but as life and love subjects as a whole.

Among awards of Manu Chao: the best French executor of 2001 on «MTV Europe Music Awards», and "Goya" for the best song (2006, song Me llaman Calle to a film of "Princess"). It as is the composer to a film "Maradona" (2008) Emirs Kusturitsy.