Born in 1969 in Pinar Del Rio, Raúl Paz comes from a musical family. His great-uncle is Changuito, who is the grand master of Cuban percussions, and still lives in Havana.
Raúl Paz spent 15 years of his life in various music schools and academies, where he learned the violin as well as singing, harmony and conducting. He also made a name for himself as an actor in Havana, and played a few lead roles in films (among others, Hello Hemingway). Though the United States beckoned, Raúl decided to move to France in 1997.
Soon, at clubs like the New Morning, Hot Brass, Bataclan, Elysee Montmartre, he was sharing the spot with every Latin musician stopping over in Paris: Oscar D’León, Los Van Van, Rubén Blades, and Albita, among others. A member of the Latino and African musical community based in France, he became one of the leaders of the Cuban wave in this country.
During the legendary 1999 Fania All Stars concert at the Zenith, Cheo Feliciano (the voice of bolero) invited Raúl to join him on stage. When Ralph Mercado – the owner of RMM, the man who invented the very word “Salsa” – heard the voice of Raúl Paz among the well-established salsa stars, he immediately decided to promote the “French Cubano.” That same year, Raúl Paz recorded his first album for RMM, Cuba Libre. Far from sticking to salsa standards, he pushed back the limits of the genre and explored new trends. The album was a hit in the US (selling more than 100000 units) and Raúl Paz was awarded the Best New Male Singer Award by the New York music press.
A follow-up tour through the American continent gave Raúl the opportunity to meet his public and reveal himself as a true live performer.
But in 2001, Ralph Mercado Music shut down and Raúl’s New York experience stopped temporarily. He went back to France where he still owns a house and has many friends. He also went back on the road with his fellow musicians, playing major festivals.
Open to new sounds and techniques, interested in the fusion of genres, he moved towards electronic music. “Contigo,” written and recorded with DJ Arian & Pipi, became a cult 12″ in clubs all around the Mediterranean. In the wake of this success, Raúl met producer Mousse T and decided to mix his new album, previously recorded in Cuba, with his team Danya Vodovoz & Ferry Ultra, at the Hanover Pepermint studios. Danya (from Russia) and Ferry (from Iran), two rising stars of the electro scene (Strictly Rhythm) at the time. They became known to a larger public through their remix of Tom Jones’ “Sex Bomb.”
In August 2008 Raúl Paz moved back to Havana.
Discography:
Cuba Libre (Rue Bleu, 1999)
Contigo (Kontor Records, 2000)
Blanco y Negro (RMM, 2000)
Mulata (Naïve, 2003)
Revolución (Naïve, 2005)
En Casa (Naïve, 2006)
En Vivo (Naïve, 2007)
Amigos por Paz (2008)
Havanization (Naïve, 2010)
Ven Ven (Naïve, 2014)
La otra esquina (Egrem, 2015)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
