"Mala Vida" is the second single
by French rock group
Mano Negra, appearing on their 1988 debut album ''
Patchanka
''Patchanka'' is the debut studio album by Mano Negra, released in 1988. The French edition of ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Fra ...
''. Written by lead singer
Manu Chao, the song also appeared on a 1984 demo tape of the same name by
Hot Pants, a predecessor to Mano Negra. "Mala Vida" was an early hit for Mano Negra and became a staple of the band's live shows and has been covered by several artists. The song has also been performed by Chao as a solo artist; a live performance of the song by Chao was recorded for his 2002 album ''
Radio Bemba Sound System''. Boucherie Productions, who published ''Patchanka'', financed a
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for the song, which received airplay on national radio stations and TV channels in France.
Mano Negra's success with the release of "Mala Vida" led the band to a contract with
Virgin
Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
.
[
]
Cover versions
Notable cover versions of "Mala Vida" include:
* Yuri Buenaventura, on the 2001 tribute album ''Mano Negra Illegal
''Mano Negra Illegal'' is a tribute album to the French world/punk band Mano Negra, released in 2001 on the Big Mama label (see 2001 in music).
Track listing
#Ska-P - "Señor Matanza" (Manu Chao, Mano Negra) – 3:35
#Flor Del Fango + Arnaud ...
''
*Café Tacuba
Café Tacvba (Pronounced ''kaˈfe taˈkuβa'') is a band from Ciudad Satélite, Mexico. The group gained popularity in the early 1990s. They were founded in 1989, before they had the current lineup of Rubén Isaac Albarrán Ortega (lead vocals, ...
, on their 2005 live album ''Un Viaje (album)
''Un Viaje'' is the first live album by the rock band Café Tacvba. It was released in 2005 on Universal Music. The record is the band's seventh overall album, and consists of the songs played at the El Palacio de los Deportes concert. It was bun ...
''
*Gogol Bordello
Gogol Bordello is an American punk rock band from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, formed in 1999 by musicians from all over the world and known for theatrical stage shows and persistent touring. Much of the band's sound is inspired by Ro ...
, on their 2005 EP ''East Infection
''East Infection'' is currently the only EP by Gogol Bordello, released in 2005 by Rubric Records. Released prior to the album '' Gypsy Punks'', it consists of leftover tracks from that album's sessions.
The title track remains a live favourite. ...
''
* Nouvelle Vague featuring Olivia Ruiz
Olivia Blanc (born 1 January 1980), known as Olivia Ruiz, is a French pop singer of partial Spanish descent belonging to the nouvelle chanson genre. , on their 2010 album '' Couleurs Sur Paris''
* Элизиум (Elisium), on their 2014 album '' Cover Day''
* Belgian pop-punk band Janez Detd.
Janez Detd. (short for Janez Determined) is a Belgian pop punk band that formed in 1995.
Band members
*Nikolas Van der Veken (Bones, Bientjes) – lead guitar and lead vocals
*Bram Steemans (The Machine) – drums
*Joeri Van Vaerenbergh – ...
References
External links
*
{{authority control
1988 singles
1988 songs
Gogol Bordello songs
Spanish-language French songs