Manu Chao

"The trilingual Bob Marley"-- that's how I often read and hear Manu Chao, a prominent Latin American artist, described. Born in Paris but of Latin American origins, he helped found and was the lead singer of the famous French punk band "Mano Negra" that was unique for it's Latin as well as European influences.

Now Manu Chao is a solo artist, and his music is ubiquitous in the Latin and European worlds though he seems to be boycotting the United States as far as sales and touring are considered. His music doesn't fall prey to the hokey Marc Antony/J. Lo/Ricky Martin love song genre. Instead, his lyrics which are in English, French, Spanish, and some Arabic are simple yet compelling portraits of the life around him, focusing at times on the hardships and politics of Latin America without relying too heavily on them as exploited sources of inspiration. I first heard him playing everywhere while I was in Costa Rica, and his 1998 release "Clandestino" has become one of my favorite albums. His music is a world-famous blend of Latin rythms, reggae, some techno, and even some punk rock. It's pretty hard to pigeonhole him though, as his unique sound is scarcely immitated. One thing that I thought was particularly interesting about his lifestyle was that he doesn't have a fixed home...he is a modern nomad, a gypsy, and he spends his days travelling between Latin American nations and Europe, playing shows and jamming informally with his international friends.

Here is a link to his official website: www.manuchao.net, though it might not be helpful if you can't read much French or Spanish.
This site has a biography, news, and videos for the singles from "Clandestino" and some other albums if you're interested. My favorites are "Desaparecido" and "Me Gustas Tu." It also features a long video, "Mala Vida" I believe, following Manu Chao as he travels, plays, and improvises on his music with fellow musicians and friends.
Yet another site has few more video options under the album picture for "Clandestino" along with clips for other Latin artists.

Needless to say, I Highly recommend your checking his music out as he is somewhat of a Bob Marley/John Lennon of this time, though American audiences will probably never catch on.