Che Sudaka (ES)

f you say Mano Negra or Manu Chao, everyone probably knows what you mean. And if we say Che Sudaka? It's almost the same: this Barcelona street band, largely made up of Argentine and Colombian immigrants, has been making its way to the top of the world music charts at a rapid pace. Ska, salsa, reggae, dub, punk, acoustic guitar and electronic gadgets, a wild joie de vivre, and lyrics that are sometimes ironic and sometimes bloody serious. Che Sudaka is a great example of what a fantastic place Barcelona has become in the last decade, and of how the Mano Negra musical tradition has not died out - in fact, it's more alive than ever.

Che Sudaka was formed at the turn of the millennium by unemployed immigrants loitering in Barcelona's old town. The street band's short-term goal was to make a living (or perhaps more accurately, to survive), but it quickly became the focus of attention - so the members set about achieving the medium-term goal of raising awareness of the plight of immigrants and their daily lives through their music. Before the band knew it, they had already signed a record deal, and the 2005 album Alerta Bihotza featured some of the biggest names on the Basque-Catalan scene, from Gambeat, bassist of Radio Bemba, to Fermin Muguruza, frontman of the former Negu Gorriak. The third album also features a line-up of illustrious guests, proving that Che Sudaka has finally made it: Amparo Sanchez, lead singer of Spanish band Amparanoia, and Argentinean Latin punk's key band Karamelo Santo.