They say the flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long, and few artists embodied that philosophy like Mano Solo. Before his untimely death at age 46 from AIDS-related complications in 2010, he was passion personified, channelling his teenage punk past into vivacious, accordion-powered folk chansons that celebrated and empowered society's outsiders. But while France lost one of its most charismatic voices, rugged serenades like “Je Marche Seul” and “Les Gitans” remain underdog anthems for the ages.
