Mano Negra - Worldwide Tours

Worldwide Tours

Later that same year, 1991, during one of its Japanese tours, they decided to record the only live album of the group, In the Hell of Patchinko, recorded during two concerts at the city of Kawasaki (Japan). The work captures, in essence, the energy of live band, as Mano Negra was a band of performance, which owed much of its success to its eccentric performances and travel. Precisely in this year, they started the Cargo 92 project, embarking from the city of Nantes in the cargo ship Melquiades with the theater company Royal de Luxe, in order to start a boat trip to South America, subsidized by the French government. The tour, which lasted nearly five months and visited countries such as Colombia, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Cuba, Ecuador, Brazil, Uruguay or Argentina, giving free performances in public places, witnessed the weakening of the group. After four months, without a break, in unfavorable economic conditions, the rebellious spirit of the group showed signs of unwillingness to continue. It is not until July 1992, in Buenos Aires (Argentina), that Mano Negra gave its last concert with all original members, preceded by an incident in the program TV Attacks, when the keyboard player broke a monitor. That same year, they published the compilation album Amerika Perdida ("Lost America").

Upon returning from South America, the tension between group members continued to grow and trumpeter Antoine left the band. The rest of the band, especially Manu, gave form to what would become its next album, Casa Babylon ("Babylon House"), an album like King of Bongo, unrelated to their previous albums. At the same time, the group published a biographical book collection that includes a picture disc Bande Originale Du Livre with new songs, some included later in the album Casa Babylon. During the recording sessions, Jo Dahan and Daniel Jamet also left the group, letting new members enter, which were not welcomed by some former members. One of them was Fidel Nadal, Argentine vocalist from Todos Tus Muertos and Gambeat bass player from Manu's new band, French Lovers. The result of the recordings was the only concept album of the group; piece by piece, it becomes a party of Latin rhythms mixed with rock and hardcore shoots.

The group, as such, did not interpret the themes of Casa Babylon, although several of its members made some presentations in Spain with different names, such as Larchuma FC or Radio Bemba, and offered some collaborations with other groups, especially with Negu Gorriak, from the Basque Country.

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