"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
Manu Chao (; born José Manuel Tomás Arturo Chao Ortega on 21 June 1961) is a French-Spanish musician. He sings in French language, French, Spanish language, Spanish, English language, English, Italian language, Italian, Arabic, Catalan language ...
, the song also appeared on a 1984 demo tape of the same name by
Hot Pants
Hotpants or hot pants are extremely short shorts. The term was first used by ''Women's Wear Daily'' in 1970 to describe shorts made in luxury fabrics such as velvet and satin for fashionable wear, rather than their more practical equivalents t ...
, 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
''Radio Bemba Sound System'' is a live album by Manu Chao that was released in 2002. It is the accompanying CD to the performer's live DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optica ...
''. Boucherie Productions, who published ''Patchanka'', financed a
music video
A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
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 a social construct that denotes the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. As it is not an objective term with an operational definition, social definitions of what constitutes virginity, or the lack thereof ...
.
[
]
Cover versions
Notable cover versions of "Mala Vida" include:
* Yuri Buenaventura, on the 2001 tribute album '' Mano Negra Illegal''
*Café Tacuba
Café Tacuba (), stylized as Café Tacvba, is a band from Naucalpan de Juárez, State of Mexico. The group gained popularity in the early 1990s. They were founded in 1989, before they had the current lineup of Rubén Albarrán, Rubén Isaac Albar ...
, 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 Roma ...
, 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
The New Wave (, ), also called the French New Wave, is a French art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s. The movement was characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favor of experimentation and a spirit of i ...
featuring Olivia Ruiz, on their 2010 album '' Couleurs Sur Paris''
* Элизиум (Elisium), on their 2014 album '' Cover Day''
* Belgian pop-punk band Janez Detd.
References
External links
*
{{authority control
1988 singles
1988 songs
Gogol Bordello songs
Spanish-language French songs