‘A fabulous account of a wonderfully borderline-insane trip.’ - Songlines *****
‘Any band that ever moaned about the freshness of the backstage towels should read this book. Chao Senior is a grey-haired presence among the Mohicans, primarily there to keep an eye on his sons. He becomes an excellent chronicler, placing us right in the thick of the action, a bone hard wooden bench for a bed and no guarantee of supper tomight.’ – Word
‘The real joy is in the detail, be it Chao Senior overheating in a polar bear costume until he loses consciousness or going so native that he gets himself tattooed as his son tuts disapprovingly. By the end you’re rooting for the cast of dysentery ridden, ceaselessly optimistic ne’er-do-wells and entranced by the madness of their undertaking.’ – Q Magazine
‘Few musicians would allow a journalist to accompany their band through one of the world’s most dangerous countries. Even fewer, one suspects, would be happy about that journalist being their father. But Manu Chao is not just any musician, and his father, Ramon, a critic for le Monde Diplomatique, is not just any journalist – so perhaps it should surprise no one that they ended up together on a legendary 1993 tour of Colombia by train, carrying not just musicians, acrobats and tattooists, but a fire-breathing dragon and an ice museum as well…For Manu’s growing army of admirers, the book provides a magical-realist insight into how his music has developed. ‘ – The Guardian
‘This book raises the spirit and engages one’s laugh at every kilometre advanced. For the reader with some knowledge of Colombia and South America, it will be unavoidable to laugh at the subtleties noted by Ramón. For the rest, the book will awake a pressing interest for the country and its people and undoubtedly will be lured into this voyage.’ – Candela
