environment | January 23, 2026

Manu Chao - Net Worth, Age, Height, Birthday, Bio, Wiki!

Explore Manu Chao net worth, age, height, bio, birthday, wiki, and salary! French-Spanish Latin rock singer, who has performed in seven different languages. He has performed with many acts, including Hot Pants. In this article, we will discover how old is Manu Chao? Who is Manu Chao dating now & how much money does Manu Chao have?

NameManu Chao
First NameManu
Last NameChao
OccupationWorld Music Singer
BirthdayJune 21
Birth Year1961
Place of BirthParis
Home TownÎle-de-France
Birth CountryFrance
Birth SignGemini
Full/Birth Name
ParentsRamón Chao, Felisa Ortega
SiblingsNot Available
SpouseNot Known
Children(s)Not Available

Manu Chao Biography

Manu Chao is one of the most popular and richest World Music Singer who was born on June 21, 1961 in Paris, Île-de-France, France. He sang “Me Gustas Tu”, the theme song for Johnny Depp’s 2003 film Once Upon A Time In Mexico.

Heavily influenced by the UK rock scene, particularly The Clash, The Jam and Dr. Feelgood, Chao and other musicians formed the Spanish/English rockabilly group Hot Pants in the mid-1980s. The group released a demo entitled “Mala Vida” in 1984, which received plenty of local critical praise but otherwise gained them little attention. By the time the group released their first album in 1986 the Parisian alternative music scene had taken flight, and Manu, his brother Antoine Chao, and friends such as Alain from Les Wampas formed Los Carayos to incorporate this sound with the rockabilly and punk styles of Hot Pants. Los Carayos remained a side project of the artists for eight years, releasing three albums in the first two years followed by a final album in 1994.

In 1987, the Chao brothers and their cousin Santiago Casariego founded the band Mano Negra. Manu Chao said in Alt.Latino in 2011, “Mano Negra started playing in a subway in Paris before the band started to be known and selling records. We started in a subway for a living. This is what made the musicians of Mano Negra. And so the people using the subway in Paris was very eclectic. There was people from a lot of different countries, different cultures. So we have to be able to play all kind of music to please all the people in a subway. So that was a perfect school to learn a lot of different styles of music.” Starting on a smaller label, the group released a reworked version of the Hot Pants single “Mala Vida” in 1988, which quickly became a hit in France. The group soon moved to Virgin Records, and their first album Patchanka was released the following year. Though the group never gained much fame in the English-speaking market, popularity throughout the rest of the world soon followed, reaching the Top 5 in the Netherlands, Italy and Germany. The band achieved some fame in South America with 1992’s Cargo Tour, where it played a series of shows in port cities, performing from a stage built into their tour ship’s hold. Mano Negra also performed a tour through much of Colombia in a retired train, the “Ice Express”. Still, rifts began to grow among band members during the port tour and the following year’s train tour; many band members, including Manu’s brother Antoine, had left the group by the end of 1994. Following that year’s release of their final album, Casa Babylon, Manu Chao moved the band to Madrid, but legal problems with former bandmates led Chao to disband the group in 1995.

Antonie Chao is his brother.

Two of his top ten albums on US Latin Charts are Proxima Estacion, Esperanza and La Radiolina.

Manu Chao (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmanu ˈtʃao] ; born José-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao, June 21, 1961) is a French musician of Spanish descent. He sings in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Arabic, Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, Greek and occasionally in other languages. Chao began his musical career in Paris, busking and playing with groups such as Hot Pants and Los Carayos, which combined a variety of languages and musical styles. With friends and his brother Antoine Chao, he founded the band Mano Negra in 1987, achieving considerable success, particularly in Europe. He became a solo artist after its breakup in 1995, and since then tours regularly with his live band, Radio Bemba.

Manu Chao Net Worth

Manu is one of the richest World Music Singer from France. According to our analysis, Wikipedia, Forbes & Business Insider, Manu Chao's net worth $8 Million. (Last Update: January 13, 2024)

In 1988, he began singing with Mano Negra. The band disbanded in 1995.

Net Worth$8 Million
SalaryUnder Review
Source of IncomeWorld Music Singer
CarsNot Available
HouseLiving in own house.

In many of his pieces he layers lyrics, music, and sound recordings over each other. In the short documentary film Infinita tristeza (essentially a video travelogue of Chao’s 2001 tour of South America), included within the bonus section of his 2002 live DVD release Babylonia en Guagua, Chao explained that his only recording tool is a small IBM (later Lenovo) ThinkPad laptop computer, which he carries with him wherever he goes; he has occasionally used conventional recording studios, such as Europa Sonor in Paris, to overdub instruments such as drums, electric guitars and brass, but the vast majority of his material (including all sorts of spoken-word samples from radio stations, TV, films, old vinyl records and, on Próxima Estación: Esperanza, announcements from the Madrid Metro) has been recorded by Chao himself exclusively on his laptop. The Spanish credit Grabado en el Estudio Clandestino (“Recorded in Studio Clandestino/Clandestine Studio”), which appears on all of his solo album starting from 1998’s Clandestino, actually refers to the laptop.

Chao’s second album with Radio Bemba Sound System, Próxima Estación: Esperanza, was released in 2001. This album, named after one of the Madrid metro station stops (the title translates to “next station: Hope”), features similar sounds to Clandestino but with heavier Caribbean influences than the previous album. The album was an instant hit, leading to a successful tour that resulted in the 2002 live album Radio Bemba Sound System. Two years later, Chao returned to his French roots with the French-only album Sibérie m’était contée, which included a large book featuring lyrics to the album and illustrations by Jacek Woźniak.

Ethnicity, religion & political views

Many peoples want to know what is Manu Chao ethnicity, nationality, Ancestry & Race? Let's check it out! As per public resource, IMDb & Wikipedia, Manu Chao's ethnicity is Not Known. We will update Manu Chao's religion & political views in this article. Please check the article again after few days.

After arriving in Madrid, Chao and other bandmates from Mano Negra formed a new group, Radio Bemba Sound System (named for the communication system used in the Sierra Maestra by the Castro-and-Guevara-led rebels in the Cuban Revolution), featuring groups from diverse backgrounds, such as Mexican Tijuana No!, Brazilian Skank, and Argentinian Todos Tus Muertos. The goal was to replicate the sound of street music and bar scenes from a variety of cultures; to that end, Chao and the group spent several years travelling throughout South and Central America, recording new music as they went. The resulting music differed drastically from Mano Negra; the songs were primarily sung in Spanish with far fewer French tracks and the musical style had shifted from punk and alternative styles to the street vibe Chao was aiming for. The songs were collectively released as Clandestino in 1998, under Manu Chao’s own name. Though not an instant success, the album gained a steady following in France with hits such as “Bongo Bong” and “Clandestino”, and the album eventually earned the Best World Music Album award in 1999’s Victoires de la Musique awards. It sold in excess of 5 million copies.

Who is Manu Chao Dating?

According to our records, Manu Chao is possibily single & has not been previously engaged. As of January 13, 2024, Manu Chao’s is not dating anyone.

Relationships Record: We have no records of past relationships for Manu Chao. You may help us to build the dating records for Manu Chao!

In 2003 he approached Amadou & Mariam and later produced their 2004 album Dimanche à Bamako (“Sunday in Bamako”). His song “Me llaman Calle”, written for the 2005 Spanish film Princesas, earned that film a Goya nomination for Best Original Song. It has been released in 2007’s La Radiolina. Vocals from the song are included in the Go Lem System song “Calle Go Lem”. Time magazine named “Me Llaman Calle” one of The 10 Best Songs of 2007, ranking it at No. 8. Writer Josh Tyrangiel observed,

Height, Weight & Body Measurements

Manu Chao height 5 ft 8 in Manu weight Not Known & body measurements will update soon.

Height5 ft 8 in
WeightNot Known
Body MeasurementsUnder Review
Eye ColorNot Available
Hair ColorNot Available
Feet/Shoe SizeNot Available

Since 1991, Chao has been working with La Colifata, which is an NGO made up of a group of patients and ex patients of Hospital Borda, a psychiatric hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Chao uses both a website and a Facebook account to show the work he does with these patients and ex patients. On their Facebook page he explains that the mission of this group is to diminish the stigma that people place on mental illness and to promote the use of services that are meant to help those with mental illnesses.

Manu Chao was featured on the album True Love by Toots and the Maytals, which won the Grammy Award in 2004 for Best Reggae Album, and showcased many notable musicians including Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Trey Anastasio, Gwen Stefani / No Doubt, Ben Harper, Bonnie Raitt, The Roots, Ryan Adams, Keith Richards, Toots Hibbert, Paul Douglas, Jackie Jackson, Ken Boothe, and The Skatalites.

Facts & Trivia

Manu Ranked on the list of most popular World Music Singer. Also ranked in the elit list of famous people born in France. Manu Chao celebrates birthday on June 21 of every year.

Mano Negra’s sound is mostly characterized by energetic, lively rhythms, symbolized by the title of their first album, Patchanka, derived from the word pachanga (which is a colloquial term for “party”), and a distinct informality which allows the audience to get involved and feel close to their sound. Mixed music genres are present throughout their albums. Manu Chao is friends with Gogol Bordello and that group has covered Mano Negra’s song “Mala Vida” on their own and with Chao beginning in 2006.

What happened to Manu Chao?

Manu Chao has returned. Ten years after the release of his last studio album, La Radiolina, the multilingual singer-songwriter has released three new songs; two of them, “No Solo En China Hay Futuro” (“Not Only China Has a Future”) and “Words of Truth” are credited to his name.

What race is Manu Chao?

Manu Chao (Galician pronunciation: [ˈmanu ˈtʃao]; born José-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao, 21 June 1961) is a French-Spanish singer.

Is Manu Chao rich?

Net Worth:$8 Million
Date of Birth:Jun 21, 1961 (60 years old)
Gender:Male
Height:5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Profession:Singer, Record producer, Musician, Film Score Composer, Singer-songwriter, Guitarist

How old is Manu Chao?

60 years (June 21, 1961)

When was Manu Chao born?

June 21, 1961 (age 60 years)

You may read full biography about Manu Chao from Wikipedia.