Tonino Carotone (born Antonio de la Cuesta on January 9, 1970 in Burgos, Spain) is a Spanish singer-songwriter. The majority of his childhood and adolescence were spent in Pamplona, Spain. Although Tonino has had a lifelong love for Italian music, he did not visit Italy until 1995 when he flew there in order to avoid Spanish military service. In 2000, Tonino gained success in Italy shortly after releasing the single Me cago en el amor from his debut album Mondo difficile. In 2003 Tonino returned with yet another Italian inspired album, Senza Ritorno.

Tonino Carotone and Manu Chao performed the theme song for Drew Carey's Green Screen Show, titled La Trampa.

In 2006, Tonino and writer Federico Traversa released a book titled Il Maestro dell’Ora Brava.

Previous to his solo work, Tonino formed part of the Pamplona based group Kojon Prieto y los Huajolotes, gaining a moderate following before disbanding in 1995.

Manu Chao (born José-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao on June 21, 1961), is a French singer of Spanish roots (Basque and Galician). He sings in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Galician, Arabic and Portuguese and occasionally in other languages. Chao began his musical career in Paris, busking and playing with groups such as Hot Pants and Los Carayos, which combined a variety of languages and musical styles. With friends and his brother Antoine Chao, he founded the band Mano Negra in 1987, achieving considerable success, particularly in Europe. He became a solo artist after its breakup in 1995, and since then tours regularly with his live band, Radio Bemba.

Chao was born to Spanish parents. His mother, Felisa Ortega, is from Bilbao, Basque country and his father, writer and journalist Ramón Chao, is from Vilalba, Galicia. They emigrated to Paris to avoid Francisco Franco's dictatorship—Manu's grandfather had been sentenced to death. Shortly after Manu's birth, the Chao family moved to the outskirts of Paris, and Manu spent most of his childhood in Boulogne-Billancourt and Sèvres. As he grew up he was surrounded by many artists and intellectuals, most of whom were acquaintances of his father. Chao cites much of his childhood experience as inspiration for some songs.