Raúl Paz (born 1969) in the province of
Pinar del Río
Pinar del Río is the capital city of Pinar del Río Province, Cuba. With a population of 191,081 (2022), it is the List of cities in Cuba, 10th-largest city in Cuba. Inhabitants of the area are called ''Pinareños''.
History
Pinar del Río was ...
, in the west of
Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
. Commonly nicknamed the ''"French Cuban"'', he is known for having revolutionized the 21st century Cuban music.
Biography
Raúl Paz learned to sing listening to
guajira – country music made in Cuba. He spent ten years studying music at the
Instituto Superior de Arte The University of Arts of Cuba / Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) was established on 1 September 1976, by the Cuban government as a school for the arts. Its original structure had three schools: Music, Visual Arts, and Performing Arts.
History
T ...
(ISA),
["Havana, Havana!"](_blank)
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
TV documentary series, July 27, 2012. Interview with Raul Paz. a renowned arts academy in
Havana
Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.[Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally for ...](_bl ...<br></span></div> : violin, musical theory, wind instruments, singing, counterpoint, and conducting.
After his very classical training, he discovered <div class=)
,
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
and
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive voca ...
, tuning into American radio stations – rock being banned on government radio stations at that time.
Raúl Paz left Cuba in 1993, went to South America and then wound up in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, France, to study at the
Schola Cantorum
The Schola Cantorum de Paris ( being ) is a private conservatory in Paris. It was founded in 1894 by Charles Bordes, Alexandre Guilmant and Vincent d'Indy as a counterbalance to the Paris Conservatoire's emphasis on opera.
History
The Schol ...
. He met there his wife, Rachelle, and later had two sons, Rocco his eldest, and Raphael. In the mid-1990s, Paris was a melting pot for music. Raul hung out on the Latino scene, playing in the clubs
New Morning, Hot Brass and
Bataclan. He became one of the pioneers of the new Cuban wave.
He was then spotted by
Ralph Mercado
Ralph Mercado Jr. (September 29, 1941 – March 10, 2009) was an American businessman and music promoter. He promoted Latin American music — Latin Jazz, Latin rock, merengue and salsa — and established a network of businesses that inclu ...
, founder of the
RMM label, and recorded his first album, ''Cuba Libre'', in
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Estefan (; ; born September 1, 1957) is an American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is an eight-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been named one of t ...
's studio in
Miami
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
. Renamed ''Imaginate'' for the American market, the record was a hit, selling some 100,000 copies and earning him the accolade "Best new male artist" in the US music press.
1998 he released a duet single of
Besame Mucho with
Viktor Lazlo
Sonia Dronnier (born 7 October 1960), known by her stage name Viktor Lazlo, is a French writer, singer, and comedian.
Born in France, she studied in Belgium, where she is primarily known. Her biggest hit was "Breathless" in 1987. That year sh ...
for her album
Amour(s)
''Amour(s)'' is the seventh studio album by French-Belgian singer Viktor Lazlo. It was released in 2002 in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan and other countries. Another album, '' Loin de Paname'', consisting of chansons, was released in France ...
. The song was also on the official soundtrack album of the German film
.
After having played live in the US, Raúl Paz returned to Paris and settled down. He took an apartment close to
Place du Colonel Fabien in the 20th district, and signed with Patrick Zelnik's label Naïve. The first fruit of this relationship was ''Mulata'' in 2003.
Raúl Paz reinterpreted Cuban music, weaving in
hip-hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
beats, dub, rock riffs and a groove all of his own. ''Mulata'' sold 60,000 copies. ''Revolución'' takes up where Mulata left off. Raúl Paz recorded the new album in Havana, last November, at the Egrem studios, where the albums of the famous
Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club was a musical ensemble primarily made up of Cuban musicians, formed in 1996. The project was organized by World Circuit (record label), World Circuit executive Nick Gold, produced by American guitarist Ry Cooder and dire ...
were cut.
In 2001, he had his first son, Rocco. Years later came Raphael.
In 2005, Alfredo Arias gave Raúl Paz a leading part in ''Mambo Mystico'', his last musical at the
Théâtre national de Chaillot.
In 2007, Raúl Paz recorded the album called ''En Vivo'' on the label
Naïve
Naivety (also spelled naïvety), naiveness, or naïveté is the state of being naive. It refers to an apparent or actual lack of experience and sophistication, often describing a neglect of pragmatism in favor of moral idealism. A ''naïve'' may ...
.
In 2010, Raúl Paz recorded the album called ''Havanization'' on the label Naïve.
Discography
*''Vidas'' (Bis music, 2018)
*''La otra esquina'' (Egrem, 2015)
*''Ven Ven'' (Naïve, 2014)
*''Havanization'' (Naïve, 2010)
*''Amigos por Paz'' (2008)
*''En Vivo'' (Naïve, 2007)
*''En Casa'' (Naïve, 2006)
*''Revolución'' (Naïve, 2005)
*''Mulata'' (Naïve, 2003)
*''Blanco y Negro'' (RMM, 2001)
*''Contigo'' (Kontor Records, 2000)
*''Imaginate'' (RMM, 1999)
*''Cuba Libre'' (Rue Bleu, 1999)
References
External links
Raul Paz at Suena Cubanoown website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paz, Raul
1969 births
Living people
Cuban musicians
People from Pinar del Río Province
Naïve Records artists
RMM Records artists
Instituto Superior de Arte alumni