When the Playing For Change crew and I,
along with Manu Chao and Mermans Mosengo, when we all arrived in Angola,
we really didn't have much of an idea of where we were going to record or film.
We just started scouting and we found a little restaurant bar.
They were so inviting.
So the next thing you know, Manu Chao looked at me and he said, Mark,
this is our office.
And that way, when we would go scout and walk around the neighborhood,
there would be 20, 30 of us walking together.
Guigo showing the kids how to use the cameras.
And it just became a real family out of nowhere.
One day you don't know anyone.
The next day, you know, 50 people and you're so connected
because of our purpose and because of our intention to understand
who and what these people are, what they believe in,
and how can we connect deeper with them
and then take that soul and that spirit
with us around the world.
We are here in Marsal village, in Luanda, Angola.
We will record Manu Chao on his song “Mr.Bobby,”
starting a new Song Around The World project,
that we will take to other places soon.
♪ Tonight I say, ♪
♪ "One day!" ♪
♪ One day my dreams will be reality ♪
♪ Like Bobby said to me ♪
♪ Hey Bobby Marley ♪
♪ Sing something good to me ♪
♪ This world go crazy ♪
♪ It's an emergency ♪
Manu, he’s just like family, it's
loyalty.
He's such a humble person.
You know, he is a living legend.
And someone that has traveled all around the world sharing his music.
Since Los Carayos, Mano Negra, he was in France
but Manu is someone who could be from everywhere in this world,
and also commited with everything happening in different
villages, in different cities and different countries.
And then I realized in each stop we had in different airports,
always somebody knew Manu no matter which country.
So someone who travels the world, but also is committed to people,
committed to society.
Because we were traveling with Manu Chao,
which really made this one of the greatest experiences of my life.
Manu was one of the first musicians I met when we started Playing For Change,
recording him maybe 12, 13 years ago in Barcelona.
I remember when I first met him,
and all these musicians in Barcelona gathered under an umbrella
and Manu was there with his guitar, singing and playing,
and I couldn't find the space to set up my mic stands and microphones.
So I just took one of my microphones,
was a small microphone and I just taped it to a wine bottle.
And I would hold it
and point it towards whoever was, you know, being featured in the song.
So in the video, I just look like this drunk guy holding a wine bottle.
But for all practical purposes, it had a microphone
and I was recording the music.
And since we are working on some new songs together in Portuguese,
he agreed to come with us on this musical adventure to Angola.
Bravo Angola! I love you.
Oh please giramundo
And while we were there, Manu was always playing.
He was so incredible.
He had his little guitar.
And every time I would turn around, he would be strumming a song
or playing for kids and just creating this amazing energy
that all of the rest of our production was able to follow.
Everything he did, the kids were following him.
When he comes there, they all the kids
come and then surround him.
♪ No more crying ♪
♪ Girl, I thank you ♪
This travel to Angola with Manu was
amazing, you know, traveling with a friend,
but also traveling with a living legend, with a great character.
Always positive, always smiling, always happy.
Just music.
The music that comes out of him
is like, wow.
Just when he grabs an instrument and then starts to play, you're like, Wow!
And the vocals, his vocals are amazing!
He sings like a small baby.
His vocal is like he just started to sing yesterday.
Manu Chao is the best, man.
Mano and Manu!
So one day we put headphones on him and asked him to play one of our favorite
songs of his called "Mr. Bobby"
which is a song about Bob Marley,
and asked him if we could take this song around the world.
So now we have this incredible new version of "Mr. Bobby."
♪ Sometimes I feel so lonesome ♪
♪ Hey, Bobby Marley ♪
♪ Sing something good to me ♪
♪ This world go crazy ♪
♪ It's an emergency ♪
I can't stress enough how much this magic just happens
when you show up with a good intention and a good attitude, amazing things follow.
So, for example, as soon as Manu Chao finishes his song, "Mr. Bobby"
in this tiny little alleyway, we hear this young teenage boy
start rapping in Portuguese over the melody and over the track
of "Mr. Bobby."
I remember Manu and I looked at each other with this big smile like, Oh my God,
we found it.
These are the musicians we didn't even know we were looking for!
So the next thing we are able to do is put headphones
on two of these incredible young rappers and just film them right then and there.
Maybe 20 minutes later, we finished with Manu Chao.
We turn the cameras around and they rap over Manu Chao’s "Mr. Bobby."
So you'll get to see this,
and we're also going to show everybody the making of this song.
So make sure you come check it out.
Nice one! Manu de Marçal!
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Mofaya!