Raul Paz
Encyclopedia
Raúl Paz was born in 1969 in the province of Pinar del Río
, in the west of Cuba
. Commonly nicknamed the « French Cuban », he is known for having revolutionized the 21st century Cuban music.
- country music made in Cuba. He spent ten years studying music at a renowned arts academy in Havana
: violin, musical theory, wind instruments, singing, counterpoint, and conducting.
After his very classical training, he discovered Deep Purple
, Led Zeppelin
and Bob Marley
, tuning into American radio stations – rock being banned on government radio stations at that time.
Raul Paz left Cuba in 1996, went to South America and then wound up in Paris to study at the Schola Cantorum. 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
, founder of the RMM
label, and recorded his first album, Cuba Libre, in Gloria Estefan
's studio in Miami. 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.
After having played live in the US, Raul 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.
Raul Paz reinterpreted Cuban music, weaving in hip-hop beats, dub, rock riffs and a groove all of his own. Mulata sold 60,000 copies. Revolución takes up where Mulata left off. Raul Paz recorded the new album in Havana, last November, at the Egrem studios, where the albums of the famous Buena Vista Social Club
were cut.
In 2005, Alfredo Arias gave Raul Paz a leading part in Mambo Mystico, his last musical at the Théâtre national de Chaillot
.
In 2007, Raul Paz recorded the album called En Vivo on the label Naïve
.
In 2010, Raul Paz recorded the album called Havanization on the label Naïve.
Pinar del Río
Pinar del Río is a city in Cuba. It is the capital of Pinar del Río Province.Inhabitants of the area are called Pinareños.Neighborhoods in the city include La Conchita, La Coloma, Briones Montoto and Las Ovas.-History:...
, in the west of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. Commonly nicknamed the « French Cuban », he is known for having revolutionized the 21st century Cuban music.
Biography
Raúl Paz learned to sing listening to guajiraGuajira (music)
Guajira is a musical form which evokes a rural ambience in its texts, instrumentation and style.In the years around 1900 a style of guajira emerged in association with Cuban music theater, especially as composed by Jorge Anckermann.This genre had some similarity to the criolla and, to a lesser...
- country music made in Cuba. He spent ten years studying music at a renowned arts academy in Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
: violin, musical theory, wind instruments, singing, counterpoint, and conducting.
After his very classical training, he discovered Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
and Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
, tuning into American radio stations – rock being banned on government radio stations at that time.
Raul Paz left Cuba in 1996, went to South America and then wound up in Paris to study at the Schola Cantorum. In the mid-1990s, Paris was a melting pot for music. Raul hung out on the Latino scene, playing in the clubs New Morning
New Morning (club)
New Morning is a Parisian music nightclub that opened in 1981, specialising in jazz and blues.Its concerts are often featured on Mezzo TV.-History:The first concert was given on 16 April 1981 by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers....
, Hot Brass and Bataclan
Bataclan (theatre)
The Bataclan is a "salle de spectacle" at 50 boulevard Voltaire in the 11th arrondissement of Paris. It was built in 1864 by the architect Charles Duval. Its name refers to Ba-Ta-Clan, an operetta by Offenbach...
. He became one of the pioneers of the new Cuban wave.
He was then spotted by Ralph Mercado
Ralph Mercado
Ralph Mercado Jr. was a promoter of Latin American music — Latin Jazz, Latin rock, merengue and salsa — who established a network of businesses that included promoting concerts, managing artists, Radio Mundo Musical a record label the most important in the Latin industry during 1980-1990, film...
, founder of the RMM
Rmm
RMM may refer to;* Riverside Metropolitan Museum, in Riverside, California, United States.** Riverside Municipal Museum, a previous name of the Riverside Metropolitan Museum.* Molecular Mass, or more specifically relative molecular mass...
label, and recorded his first album, Cuba Libre, in Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...
's studio in Miami. 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.
After having played live in the US, Raul Paz returned to Paris and settled down. He took an apartment close to Place du Colonel Fabien
Place du Colonel Fabien
Before the liberation of Paris, the square was called the Place du Combat and was renamed in honour of the French communist resistance hero, Pierre Georges, whose nom-de-guerre was Colonel Fabien....
in the 20th district, and signed with Patrick Zelnik's label Naïve. The first fruit of this relationship was Mulata in 2003.
Raul Paz reinterpreted Cuban music, weaving in hip-hop beats, dub, rock riffs and a groove all of his own. Mulata sold 60,000 copies. Revolución takes up where Mulata left off. Raul 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
The Buena Vista Social Club was a members club in Havana, Cuba that held dances and musical activities, becoming a popular location for musicians to meet and play during the 1940s...
were cut.
In 2005, Alfredo Arias gave Raul Paz a leading part in Mambo Mystico, his last musical at the Théâtre national de Chaillot
Théâtre national de Chaillot
The Théâtre national de Chaillot is a theatre located in the Palais de Chaillot at 1, place du Trocadero, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. Close by the Eiffel Tower and the Trocadéro Gardens—the Théâtre de Chaillot is among the largest concert halls in Paris. It has long been synonymous with...
.
In 2007, Raul Paz recorded the album called En Vivo on the label Naïve
Naïve Records
Naïve Records is a French independent record label based in Paris, specializing in electronic music, pop music, jazz and classical music. It was founded in 1997 by Patrick Zelnik, Gilles Paires and Eric Tong Cuong.-Artists:* Aṣa* Asian Dub Foundation...
.
In 2010, Raul Paz recorded the album called Havanization on the label Naïve.
Discography
- Havanization (Naïve, 2010)
- En Vivo (Naïve, 2007)
- En Casa (Naïve, 2006)
- Revolución (Naïve, 2005)
- Mulata (Naïve, 2003)
- Blanco y Negro (RMM, 2000)
- Contigo (Kontor Records, 2000)
- Cuba Libre (Rue Bleu, 1999)