Radio Bemba Sound System

Radio Bemba Sound System
Live album by
Released17 September 2002
Recorded4–5 September 2001
GenreLatin, reggae, ska
Length1:04:24
LabelVirgin
ProducerRenaud Letang
Manu Chao chronology
Próxima Estación: Esperanza
(2001)
Radio Bemba Sound System
(2002)
Sibérie m'était contéee
(2004)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [1]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[2]
Pitchfork Media(8.0/10) [3]

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 Babylonia en Guagua, filmed over two nights (4–5 September) in 2001 during the tour for Proxima Estacion: Esperanza. Many of the songs found on Radio Bemba Sound System, such as "Machine Gun", "Peligro","Mala Vida","King Kong Five" and "The Monkey", are songs originally recorded by Manu Chao's previous band, Mano Negra. However the arrangements performed with Radio Bemba Sound System are more reggae-, ska-, and rock-oriented. The album is sequenced and edited in such a way that there is very little audience noise and cheering between the tracks, thus giving the impression of an all-night happy party - which calms down in the penultimate track ("Minha Galera") only to explode again in the last one ("Promiscuity"); the cheering at the end of "Promiscuity" is cut short by a very early fade.

  1. ^ Radio Bemba Sound System at AllMusic
  2. ^ Hermes, Will. "Music Review: Radio Bemba Sound System", Entertainment Weekly, 25 October 2002.
  3. ^ Pitchfork Media review