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Manu Chao will release ‘Viva Tu,’ first new album in 17 years

By Maeve Zeleniak

Latin alt and reggae musician Manu Chao is releasing his first studio album in 17 years. The French-Spanish singer-songwriter is following 2007’s La Radiolina with Viva Tu, out this fall. Following the release of “Viva Tu,” he dropped another single from the LP, “São Paulo Motoboy.”

Though Manu Chao’s sound is upbeat and beachy, he uses this single to bring awareness to couriers in cities like São Paulo and the dangers they face daily, from traffic to the weather. Chao himself was a courier in Paris for a time. In a translated statement, Chao said, “São Paulo is a living monster. And the couriers are the blood which comes and goes through its veins, allowing the city to function.”

Viva Tu drops September 20th and will include collaborations with Willie Nelson and French R&B singer Laeti. Watch the video for “São Paulo Motoboy” below.

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