News & Press

Nov 30, 2011

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DANVILLE, KY— On Wednesday, November 30 Centre College’s Norton Center for the Arts will host popular, genre-bending guitarist and singer Raul Malo for the second sold-out Club Weisiger performance of the 2011-2012 Season.   Breaking new ground with his distinctive balance of vintage sound and contemporary attitude, Raul Malo has proven to be an ever-expanding musical talent after making his mark in the country music world and then slipping into the Latin and jazz arenas via rock & roll. 

“The reason Malo’s style is so hard to categorize,” said Norton Center executive director Steve Hoffman, “is because with each album he changes concepts and moods.  From Latin-tinged rock to Orbison-sounding crooning, and from vintage old-time swing to contemporary country blues, Malo’s music is always fresh and his vocals crystalline.”
Unusually charismatic and possessing a keen wit, Raul Malo is larger than life. To hear him perform live is to be in the presence of greatness. According to Rolling Stone magazine, “Malo has a voice on par with the best of ‘em: Sinatra, George Jones and Orbison.” Best known as the founder and frontman of the Grammy®-winning band The Mavericks, Malo’s music reflects his interest and love for a multitude of genres as well as his own heritage.

Born in Miami of Cuban parents, Raul Malo started playing bass guitar in high school and soon found his way into several small bands. In 1987, he made his first recording with The Basics, and one song, "Paperheart," appeared on the promotional album Unsigned. While the album wasn't a success, the experience whet Malo's appetite for more.  In the 1980s, Malo and a high-school friend, Robert Reynolds (bass), joined together to form their own country band based on their mutual love for Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, and Patsy Cline. Paul Deakin, with experience in several progressive rock bands, became the drummer, and the group chose the name The Mavericks.

Malo became the lead vocalist for the four-man band, for whom he penned most of the songs. In the vein of his
singing idol Roy Orbison, Malo’s soaring tenor voice helped the band create a unique blend of traditional Country music and 1950’s Rock ‘n’ Roll. Evolving to an eclectic blend of Latin rhythms, classic country, jazz, pop and western swing, The Mavericks became one of the top American bands of the 1990s. They were voted “Top Vocal Group” and “Top New Vocal Group” by the Academy of Country Music in 1994 and the next year won a Grammy® for “Best Country Performance by a Group or Duo” for the song “Here Comes the Rain” from the album Music For All Occasions.  In 1996, they won the same award again and in London, England were awarded “Best Live Performance By a Group”, “Best Vocal Performance by an Artist”, “Best Vocal Group of the Year” and “Best International Touring Artist of the Year” by CMA- Europe.

In October 1999 Raul Malo completed his first solo tour in the U.K. By 2000 he became a producer with Ethan Allen and K.T. Oslin, and joined Los Super Seven, a Latin-American super group, as lead vocalist and songwriter.  Malo's first solo recording, "Bailare (El Merecumbe)," was self-penned in Spanish, and he also did a solo recording of "Downbound Train" by Bruce Springsteen. When the Country Music Association needed a voice that could handle singing all the different hits of those being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001, they called on Malo because of his ability to handle diverse rhythms.
Malo's first album as a solo artist, Today, reflected his Cuban background, but didn't entirely leave out the deep-twang guitar of country music. His exuberance flowed on the album as he mingled the pop sounds of the '60s with salsa and country. Released by OmTown/Higher Octave Music in October 2001, the album also included Shelby Lynne on vocals and a backup band of 11 that produced the big-band sounds of which Malo had become fond. The album featured Malo singing in both Spanish and English, reflecting calypso, carnival, jazz, salsa, and country influences playing out the theme of universal love. Malo returned to the studio for You're Only Lonely and After Hours in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Lucky One followed in 2009.
Malo’s newest album, Sinners and Saints, released in late 2010, nods to Malo's wide range of influences — a few of which include Roy Orbison, Flaco Jimenez and Glen Campbell. The record features everything from guitar runs that mimic those on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack to Cuban rhythms from Miami.

Now, Raul Malo is not only celebrating new musical triumphs, but also looking forward to a blast from his past. In 2012, three original members of the Mavericks are reuniting for a summer tour of North America and Europe. Their first show since 2003 will take place at the Stagecoach festival in April in Indio, California.